How Did You Vote?

  • Sunriser
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    • 6 months 15 days ago
    • Posts: 7684
    		 So it is about mid-morning here on the U.S. east coast on election day 2012. I got up early on my day off to vote a few hours ago... This was one of the easiest ballots I have ever filled out... Only 6 open positions and 1 ballot question. And the bubble form was easy to understand. Not to mention a good array of 3rd party options. And I got to thinking about voting methods throughout the country.

    Growing up, my parents tried to involve me in the process by taking me with them into the voting booths, even if we almost never discussed politics at home. I remember that my parents voted in my school gym using old-style lever machines, which is completely different from my all-paper ballot history (in-person and a couple of absentee ballots.) What is everyone else's experience? Anyone use those fancy new touch screens? Ever have any trouble with the voting method?

    I had an odd experience in 2008 when I did my first in-person voting. I asked the old ladies how to fill out a paper ballot since I'd never done it before, and one of them explained how to mark the candidates... and then proceeded to explain that "you just do the same thing all the way across." As if to suggest I would straight-ticket vote. A younger guy behind her interjected a correction satement of, "Or, any of the candidates in the row." It was funny, but also kinda scary at the same time. Hopefully it was an isolated incident.




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  • vkimo
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    • 6 months 15 days ago
    • Posts: 2096
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    		 Probably could have posted this in the existing thread..anyways wow, that machine looks super complicated. Reminds me of the infamous Al Gore/Bush ballot.

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  • Sunriser
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    • 6 months 15 days ago
    • Posts: 7684
    		 I think this is a separate issue from the current election/issues. In fact, I considered posting this in Memory Lane to open up discussion about past elections and voting methods, but I'm hoping some people here have experience with the new machines, since I've never seen one before.

    Actually, after posting this, I started seeing articles about problems with the touch screens on some machines. Hopefully they get resolved- seems like they just need to re-calibrate them.
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  • eddstarr88
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    • 6 months 15 days ago
    • Posts: 13256
    		 At least states that use the touch screen system are not all using the same system. Virginia voters use the least safe type of touch screen, and there is no paper ballot backup.

    I'm in Washington State and we've switched to an "all mail-in ballot" system of voting. All counties in Washington sent out mail-in ballots two weeks ago. I sent in my ballot on October 29, 2012.

    Took awhile to complete because I live in Seattle/King County and there are several Initiative measures and Referendums to read through. My congressional district has two sets of candidates to vote for this year because of changes between districts.

    Here's a clip to remind everyone that friendships last longer than a political campaign:

    Healing Political Divisions...
    The Eldorado is dead. Long live the Eldorado.
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  • bassman21
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    • 6 months 14 days ago
    • Posts: 12790
    		 I voted with this one. An old lady next to me needed to be walked through voting from one of the assistance.

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  • stake n sheak
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    • 6 months 14 days ago
    • Posts: 2118
    		 That old voting machine does look complicated. But I don't remember ever hearing about fraud or confusion when they were used. Hmm...

    I am too young to have used one, but when I was a kid they looked very serious and a real thing. And they have a curtain you close. The little walled tables we use now look like a freakin joke.


    And still using paper ballots here. In most elections I have voted in the "officials" have no respect for privacy. I put my ballot in the stupid privacy sleeve, and they take it to feed it in the machine "for you", they take it out of the sleeve and look at it. To make sure it's right side up or something? I don't know. I don't need help. I hope I remember this next voting day so I can be prepared to call them out on it, and shove them out of the way to submit it myself.
    tangspot2 wrote:
    Mrs. stake you say some nasty on my threads. Dirty bitch
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  • Sunriser
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    • 6 months 10 days ago
    • Posts: 7684
    		 Yeah, I could swear paper ballots have to be entered by the voter... But I'm not sure. I know everyone here was confused as to how to put it into the machine, but I figured that if we were doing it wrong, the attendant would say something.

    Something needs to be done about the electoral process in this country. There's too much room for error right now. I am currently in charge of my husband's organization's registration process and I fixed all the issues I found the year before I took over. I've reduced errors to less than 1% and increased processing efficiency with the help of my VP of Tech, and we have over 10k members now. It's just imperative. And having all trained staff handle processing also helped. They still have issues with volunteers showing up at the polls every year- it has to stop. Attract young people to get involved! Ones who have no school that day and can figure out how to use machines!
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