News Experience the Polling Line: Share Yours & Track Results

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SUMMARY

The forum discussion centers around personal experiences and observations related to voting during a recent election in the United States. Participants shared their polling experiences, highlighting long lines in Philadelphia due to a transit strike and quick voting in less populated areas like Florida and Indiana. The conversation also touched on the potential impact of third-party candidates and non-votes, as well as the challenges faced by voters, including misinformation at polling stations. The discussion concluded with a call for better reporting mechanisms for election statistics.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of U.S. voting processes and election terminology
  • Familiarity with polling logistics and voter turnout factors
  • Knowledge of the implications of third-party candidates in elections
  • Awareness of absentee and early voting regulations
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the impact of transit strikes on voter turnout in urban areas
  • Explore the historical success rates of write-in candidates in U.S. elections
  • Investigate the rules and regulations surrounding absentee voting in different states
  • Learn about the role of media in election projections and reporting
USEFUL FOR

Voters, political analysts, election officials, and anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of voter turnout and election processes in the United States.

russ_watters
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It's finally here! (Over) Post your experiences and track the results here.

I live in a small town near Philadelphia, PA and the line at the poll a few minutes after it opened was a good 50yds/100 people long outside the building. That would probably take an hr to get through, so I left. I'll try again at 6 tonight.

There was a transit strike in Philadelphia, which would have been a nightmare. But Philly is heavily democratic and unions even moreso, so they resolved it yesterday. So that's good... On second thought, could you imagine the magnitude of the train wreck if a union accidentally swung a major swing state to Trump? Coulda been fun!
 
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I'll be leaving work early so that I can go to the polls around 1:30. Shouldn't be too bad at that time.
 
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As I said earlier, elsewhere, voted early (Colorado) and abstained far as "pestilence" goes --- wouldn't want either to think he/she had a mandate.
 
I voted a week or two ago on campus. Quick and painless.
 
Bystander said:
As I said earlier, elsewhere, voted early (Colorado) and abstained far as "pestilence" goes --- wouldn't want either to think he/she had a mandate.
I mentioned in the other thread (thought the whole conversation would migrate here, but it didn't...) that 3rd parties and write-ins will probably do well and are hard to quantify ahead of time. Non-votes may also do well and they are even tougher to quantify. I do hope the full statistics on that get published (if there is a reporting mechanism)...not that I expect news outlets to be perceptive to actual news...

I've heard from others that they are staying away from the polls today because they don't like the choies, but I don't like that both because there are other things to vote for besides President and because it is impossible to distinguish that from apathy.

Ari Fleischer announced a few days ago he was going to non-vote for President after previously backing Trump.
 
Voted mid-day, No queue at all. Staff reported big lines early, expect same late.
 
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russ_watters said:
I do hope the full statistics on that get published
That's two (at least) of us.
 
Quick question: in principle, can a write-in win the election?
 
HossamCFD said:
in principle, can a write-in win the election?
In principle, yes; in practice, not a chance.
 
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  • #10
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  • #11
mheslep said:
Voted mid-day, No queue at all. Staff reported big lines early, expect same late.
Same here. I had an agonizing 15 second wait to check in. :oldtongue:
 
  • #12
russ_watters said:
It's finally here! (Over) Post your experiences and track the resuls here.

I live in a small town near Philadelphia, PA and the line at the poll a few minutes after it opened was a good 50yds/100 people long outside the building. That would probably take an hr to get through, so I left. I'll try again at 6 tonight.

There was a transit strike in Philadelphia, which would have been a nightmare. But Philly is heavily democratic and unions even moreso, so they resolved it yesterday. so that's good... On second thought, could you imagine the magnitude of the train wreck if a union accidentally swung a major swing state to Trump? Coulda been fun!
Ok, this thread is against the rules, but I will allow it since it is a special day. I will close the POTUS thread now and re-direct to this thread, and will close this when the winner is announced.
 
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  • #13
I voted this morning, no queue at all. Of course I live in one of the least densely populated precincts in Florida. I'll not say whom I voted for, but it is the first time I voted for a mainstream candidate since Carter/Reagan. All other elections I voted third party or wrote in my favorite candidate.
 
  • #14
I voted in Indiana. It was easy.
 
  • #15
I took off work early for lunch so I could vote first. It was about 11 AM when I arrived at my polling place, the YMCA gym, same place I've voted for the last 30 years, and nobody was in line. One person had just checked in and was heading toward the booths.

I'm sure it was / will be busier early in the morning, during lunch hour, and after 5 PM. Not very many people can take off work casually like I did.

This precinct, covering about half of my small town, probably includes about 5000 people. I've had to wait up to 15 minutes or so, in previous years, both to check in and for a booth to open up.

South Carolina is a reliably Republican state. I think the only really competitive contests were for two county offices: sheriff and coroner.
 
  • #16
Borg said:
Same here. I had an agonizing 15 second wait to check in. :oldtongue:
I voted about two hours ago.
The queue in the Taco Bell Taco Tuesday drive-thru had three times as many vehicles, and took 50 times longer!
Ahhhhhhhhhh!

election.monitors.2016.11.08.1054.jpg


The monitors don't count, as they were just "watching" us. :bugeye:
 
  • #17
How late do these polls run usually?
 
  • #18
I voted by mail about a week and a half ago (I live in Oregon!).
I am so glad I don't have to go through the meaningless hassle of going to a voting place and standing in line, possibly for a long time and bad weather.
I don't understand why all states don't do this.
Its cheaper, allows much more time to vote/person, automatically generates a paper trail.
 
  • #19
jtbell said:
I'm sure it was / will be busier early in the morning, during lunch hour, and after 5 PM. Not very many people can take off work casually like I did.

In NZ, when a general election is held, employers are required by law to allow their workers time off to vote. Of course if you finish at 3.30pm, but decide to go at 12pm, you would be expected to go back to work to finish your shift. Or if you go at 3pm and end your shift then. The employer cannot deduct pay, either, for that period off work.

http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1993/0087/latest/DLM309807.html
 
  • #20
StevieTNZ said:
In NZ, when a general election is held, employers are required by law to allow their workers time off to vote.
Does NZ allow absentee and early voting, i.e. days or weeks ahead of the election date?
 
  • #21
I've never voted by absentee ballot in South Carolina, so I looked up the rules:

You can vote early by mail or in person if you meet one of the following qualifications:
  • You’re in the military and you’re a spouse or dependent who is outside of their county of residence on Election Day, Nov 8
  • You’re serving with the American Red Cross or with the United Service Organizations who are serving with the Armed Forces outside of your county of residence, or you’re a spouse or dependent who lives with them
  • You’re a citizen living overseas
  • You’re physically disabled
  • You’re a student who’s away at school you’re a spouse or dependent who lives with them
  • You’ll be away on Election Day, Nov 8, because of your job
  • You’re a government employees who’s serving outside of your county on Election Day, Nov 8, or you’re a spouse or dependent who lives with them
  • You’re on vacation on Election Day, Nov 8
  • You’re serving on a jury on Election Day, Nov 8
  • You’re admitted to the hospital for an emergency starting Nov 4 through Election Day, Nov 8
  • You have a death or funeral in the family on or after Nov 5
  • You’re in jail or in a pre-trial facility
  • You’re a caretaker for sick or disabled people
  • You’re a certified poll watcher, poll manager, or county election official working on Election Day, Nov 8
  • You’re 65 or older

It appears you can't do it simply because you want to get it out of the way early.

The only time I've ever voted absentee was the very first time I voted, in 1972. That fall I was studying in Germany, living with a family there. They were impressed by the ballot packet that I received from the board of elections in my home town in Ohio. I had ballots for everything from President (Nixon vs. McGovern) down to county commission and city council, and several proposed laws or state constitutional amendments. No dogcatcher, though. I had to take it to the US consulate to have it officlally notarized.

Germany was having an election that fall for the federal parliament which would determine who was going to be Chancellor (Willy Brandt or Rainer Barzel). It had a single ballot with two items. State and local elections are held separately.
 
  • #22
So far this election is BORING. What's this about not announcing votes until AFTER the polls close? Some nonsense about affecting the votes?

OH COME ON!

This is boring Russ and I BLAME YOU! :wink:
 
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  • #23
Evo said:
So far this election is BORING. What's this about not announcing votes until AFTER the polls close? Some nonsense about affecting the votes?

OH COME ON!

This is boring Russ and I BLAME YOU! :wink:
We want results! We want results!
 
  • #24
Evo said:
What's this about not announcing votes until AFTER the polls close?

About ninety minutes ago the local college station called it for Clinton.
 
  • #25
This morning my son voted in Brooklyn and as he was given his ballot he was told, as were all the people at that polling station, that he had to vote straight Dem or Straight Rep across the board or the machine would not count his vote. He knew this to be OUTRAGEOUSLY false and told them so but no joy there and since he was voting a straight ticket anyway he just went ahead and voted but them immediately called the Board of Election who said they would follow up on it since the poll workers were completely wrong.

There's no indication that this was any kind of conspiracy but just plain massive and inexplicable ignorance. When I told the poll workers in my small town what had happened one of them literally dropped her jaw and the other three emitted horrified exclamations of "NO !" and so forth.
 
  • #26
Just seen the polls from GA ... oh dear, Georgia ...

 
  • #27
phinds said:
in Brooklyn and as he was given his ballot he was told, as were all the people at that polling station, that he had to vote straight Dem or Straight Rep across the board
They were in a rush. "Straight ticket. In. Out. Get home at the same time regardless."
 
  • #28
Evo said:
Ok, this thread is against the rules, but I will allow it since it is a special day.
Yeah, probably would have been better placed in GD.

Also, I saw a nasty autocorrect error in my OP and took the liberty of correcting it in my post and your quote of it. Ya know, cause I can. :biggrin:
 
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  • #29
I got back to my polling place at about 6. Maybe 30 people in line, with 25 of them with "A-M" names, which left me only a couple minutes' wait!
 
  • #30
russ_watters said:
Yeah, probably would have been better placed in GD.

Also, I saw a nasty autocorrect error in my OP and took the liberty of correcting it in my post and your quote of it. Ya know, cause I can. :biggrin:
It's against the rules in GD also.