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Humanities Section => Political/Government General Discussion => Topic started by: SGOS on September 23, 2020, 08:14:26 AM

Title: I Voted
Post by: SGOS on September 23, 2020, 08:14:26 AM
I went to the county court house.  One person was ahead of me.  Friends tipped me off about this.  They had voted a few days earlier and told me everyone was wearing a mask and it was easy.  But when I went, no one except me wore a mask, and there were a couple of people there just hanging out, serving no function, just sitting there defiantly without masks.  They formed a narrow, but short gauntlet.  But woting was easy.  I filled in the dots, and fed my ballot into a machine and it was gone.  But in my county voting in November at a polling place would have been about the same, maybe 3 people ahead of me.  I did send for an absentee ballot, but I wasn't sure the Post Office would deliver it.
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Mike Cl on September 23, 2020, 10:01:30 AM
Quote from: SGOS on September 23, 2020, 08:14:26 AM
I went to the county court house.  One person was ahead of me.  Friends tipped me off about this.  They had voted a few days earlier and told me everyone was wearing a mask and it was easy.  But when I went, no one except me wore a mask, and there were a couple of people there just hanging out, serving no function, just sitting there defiantly without masks.  The formed a narrow, but short gauntlet.  But woting was easy.  I filled in the dots, and fed my ballot into a machine and it was gone.  But in my county voting in November at a polling place would have been about the same, maybe 3 people ahead of me.  I did send for an absentee ballot, but I wasn't sure the Post Office would deliver it.
I applaud you!  I have voted absentee for over a decade now.  But like you, I don't trust the mail, so I will hand carry my ballot to the courthouse.
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Baruch on September 23, 2020, 10:47:23 AM
What no Einsatzgruppen? ;-)  I have never met with Red Guards when I voted ;-))
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Gawdzilla Sama on September 25, 2020, 08:20:47 AM
"If you think voting doesn't change anything it's probably best that you don't vote."
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Hydra009 on October 07, 2020, 02:07:44 AM
Oops, I dropped a sheet detailing what to do if you encounter instances of voter intimidation (https://www.law.georgetown.edu/icap/our-work/addressing-the-rise-of-unlawful-private-paramilitaries/state-fact-sheets/) at your polling site, including a hotline.
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Baruch on October 07, 2020, 01:35:29 PM
Quote from: Hydra009 on October 07, 2020, 02:07:44 AM
Oops, I dropped a sheet detailing what to do if you encounter instances of voter intimidation (https://www.law.georgetown.edu/icap/our-work/addressing-the-rise-of-unlawful-private-paramilitaries/state-fact-sheets/) at your polling site, including a hotline.

Have never seen that myself.  Hope no one does.
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Hydra009 on October 15, 2020, 04:22:10 PM
I voted early.

First off, the place was packed.  Somewhere between 100-200 parked cars, hard to find a parking spot.

I walked down the narrow, heavily-trafficked sidewalk to the polling place while decked out in ppe.  I guess that stuff messes with my peripheral vision or maybe I was just too preoccupied to notice, but some weird guy in a chair practically jumped out at me.  Shocked me for a second.  He was some Libertarian guy, I'm sure he meant well, but he sure as hell didn't make a good first impression.  He seemed pretty desperate for me to take his voter guide, and I had to tell him no twice, slightly louder and firmer and less polite the second time.  He seemed kinda frustrated, probably didn't have a high batting average with his weird, pushy approach.

As I got closer to the polling place, there were two booths - one Republican, one Democrat - with all sorts of stationary.  There was a small line (4 people) for the Democrats and both workers seemed to be in good spirits and were friendly and engaged when I came up to them.  The Republicans didn't have anyone waiting at their booth and seemed kinda listless - one was sitting down on the phone and the other was an ol' southern lady slowly pacing back and forth.  Given NC's sizeable red population, I'm sure some people came up to them, just not while I was there.

As I got closer, there was some small-time candidate personally greeting people and asking for votes.

By the way, everybody there was wearing masks, even the Republicans.  Good on them.  Technically, masks were merely recommended and not required - election officials don't have the power to turn away anyone without a mask.  Fortunately, everyone there seemed to understand the risk and wore them anyway.

I got my ballot, filled it out, and had the immense satisfaction of dropping it in and watching the counter tick upwards.  The whole process took a little over an hour, about twice what I experienced during the primary.
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Mike Cl on October 15, 2020, 08:22:46 PM
Love the CA voting system.  Absentee voting has been allowed for over a decade now.  Never any problems with the mail.  I get my ballot generally a month prior to the election date, and usually have the ballot in the mail within two days.  This year it was the same, except I hand carried it to the city hall.  There were at least 6 ballot boxes within sight as I entered the building, and one where I needed to take them--and the entire floor was guarded by two masked security people.  The whole process from front door to front door was 15 min. 
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Hydra009 on October 16, 2020, 06:07:55 PM
Michigan gov bans guns from polling place on election day (https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2020/10/open-carry-of-firearms-banned-at-michigan-polling-places-on-election-day.html)

QuoteOpen carry of firearms won’t be allowed within 100 feet of the buildings where people vote, Benson announced.
Quote“I am committed to ensuring all eligible Michigan citizens can freely exercise their fundamental right to vote without fear of threats, intimidation or harassment,” Benson said in a news release. “Prohibiting the open-carry of firearms in areas where citizens cast their ballots is necessary to ensure every voter is protected.”
Quote“Michigan voters have the right to vote in person on Election Day free from threat and intimidation,” Nessel said. “An armed presence at the polls is inconsistent with our notion of a free democracy.”
This won't affect concealed carry, but that's usually banned at churches and schools for some strange reason anyway.
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: SGOS on October 16, 2020, 08:01:01 PM
Quote from: Hydra009 on October 16, 2020, 06:07:55 PM
Michigan gov bans guns from polling place on election day (https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2020/10/open-carry-of-firearms-banned-at-michigan-polling-places-on-election-day.html)
This 2020 election is seeming more and more like something from a post apocalyptic fantasy film.  Rogue bands running around enforcing their own social order that varies from one geographic area to another.  One time Governors are helplessly calling for order in a collapsing infrastructure of a barren landscape, where people fight over a shortage of gas masks as they scour the trash yards for usable parts.  And in a Tower bearing his name, but protected by a Republican Guard, a half crazed Trump issues pointless orders to nonexistent subordinates.

I think we've got a movie in the making.
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Baruch on October 16, 2020, 10:08:53 PM
Quote from: SGOS on October 16, 2020, 08:01:01 PM
This 2020 election is seeming more and more like something from a post apocalyptic fantasy film.  Rogue bands running around enforcing their own social order that varies from one geographic area to another.  One time Governors are helplessly calling for order in a collapsing infrastructure of a barren landscape, where people fight over a shortage of gas masks as they scour the trash yards for usable parts.  And in a Tower bearing his name, but protected by a Republican Guard, a half crazed Trump issues pointless orders to nonexistent subordinates.

I think we've got a movie in the making.

Well a Dem communist revolution marching on the White House, not the Winter Palace would also make a movie.  Czar Nicholas was just a hapless family man out of his depth.
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Baruch on October 19, 2020, 03:37:53 PM
"47% Of Biden Supporters Will Vote By Mail; 86% Of Trump Votes Will Be In Person: What This Means For The Election" ... if you vote by mail, hope you live in a competent state like NM, not a shambolic state.
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Gawdzilla Sama on October 20, 2020, 05:11:46 PM
"Remember, vote early and often!"
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Baruch on October 20, 2020, 07:13:44 PM
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on October 20, 2020, 05:11:46 PM
"Remember, vote early and often!"

Voting doesn't matter - CIA
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: GSOgymrat on October 21, 2020, 02:37:26 PM
We voted today around noon at a polling location within walking distance of our house. Everyone was wearing masks and maintaining social distance. There wasn't a single person outside the polling area asking to vote for a candidate or handing out flyers, which is unusual. The entire process took 30 minutes.
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: SGOS on October 22, 2020, 03:49:14 AM
Quote from: GSOgymrat on October 21, 2020, 02:37:26 PM
We voted today around noon at a polling location within walking distance of our house. Everyone was wearing masks and maintaining social distance. There wasn't a single person outside the polling area asking to vote for a candidate or handing out flyers, which is unusual. The entire process took 30 minutes.
It's odd that my post office is the one public place I feel safe in.  It's empty 90 percent of the time, but it's the one place people take time to put on their masks before they go in.  Here we have a Federal building where people take precautions, when the leaders of our Federal Government tell everyone to do the opposite.  The same with other government run venues.  It doesn't surprise me that a lot of polling places are like that.  Mine was not, and I thought they were trying to show the Trumpets they weren't buying in to science and medical experts.  But then my neighbors went there a couple of days before me, and they didn't experience the same environment.

My underpopulated county now has as many Covid deaths as four counties around me combined, all of which are more populated, and two of which have population densities 20 times larger than mine.  But this is redneck country.  Who's afraid of a little bitty bug that's too small to see?  And my pickup is so high off the ground the creepy crawlers can't even get up into my cab anyway, and when they do, I'm just gona' stomp on 'em.
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Baruch on October 22, 2020, 09:30:09 AM
The death of White folks of any type helps you at election time ;-)
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Gawdzilla Sama on October 24, 2020, 08:59:54 AM
>60,000,000 US ballots have been cast as of last night. That's over 20% of the whole public. (Don't know about the eligible pop.)
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: SGOS on October 24, 2020, 09:38:01 AM
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on October 24, 2020, 08:59:54 AM
>60,000,000 US ballots have been cast as of last night. That's over 20% of the whole public. (Don't know about the eligible pop.)
I'm continually surprised at how many people vote by mail, even among my friends.  I've always lived in places where enough polling places existed that I never had to drive far or wait in line long.  I'm wondering if our polling infrastructure is not keeping pace with demand.  It's actually somewhat hard for me to imagine waiting in line for more than 5 minutes, and those rare 5 minute waits I have endured felt excessive. Voting is a right, although some say it's an obligation.  But it should not be a chore.
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Baruch on October 24, 2020, 11:59:44 AM
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on October 24, 2020, 08:59:54 AM
>60,000,000 US ballots have been cast as of last night. That's over 20% of the whole public. (Don't know about the eligible pop.)

Even with just legitimate ballots cast, this might be a very good election (higher percentage voting).  Of course, there were neo-Nazis at the Post Office burning all these ballots (they look like Israeli ballots) so they will never be counted ... bwahah.
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Baruch on October 24, 2020, 12:01:01 PM
Quote from: SGOS on October 24, 2020, 09:38:01 AM
I'm continually surprised at how many people vote by mail, even among my friends.  I've always lived in places where enough polling places existed that I never had to drive far or wait in line long.  I'm wondering if our polling infrastructure is not keeping pace with demand.  It's actually somewhat hard for me to imagine waiting in line for more than 5 minutes, and those rare 5 minute waits I have endured felt excessive. Voting is a right, although some say it's an obligation.  But it should not be a chore.

Completely agree.  Any legitimate ballot by any legitimate voter can be done by mail.  No need to all stand in line on one particular day, the Internet is now 25 years old!
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Hydra009 on October 26, 2020, 01:34:57 AM
I've been by my polling place several times since voting because there's a park nearby and every single time I've been there, the parking lot (100+ spaces) is packed and 2-3 cars are always dropping off their ballots.  They must keep the line moving at a steady pace because I never see the line back up very far.  Probably <1 hour.

A lot of early voting going on, by my rough guesstimation.

But you don't need to take my word for it, the stats bear it out (https://www.wral.com/early-voting-on-pace-to-shatter-records-in-wake-durham/19350873/): about 40% of NC voters have already voted (2.1 million early voters + 750,000 mail-in ballots = 2.85 million voters out of 7.3 million, a little over 39%).  And there's still about a week of early voting left.

And there's high turnout for early voting across the country (https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-politics-florida-elections-509ad83f6d40e08fb715da44548f62e0), in some places even surpassing the 2016 grand totals.

QuoteAnalysts said the still sizable Democratic turnout puts extra pressure on the Republican Party to push its voters out in the final week and, especially, on Nov. 3. That’s especially clear in closely contested states such as Florida, Nevada and North Carolina.

“This is a glass half-full, glass half-empty situation,” said John Couvillon, a Republican pollster who tracks early voting closely. “They’re showing up more,” he added, but “Republicans need to rapidly narrow that gap.”

QuoteTrump’s campaign has been pushing its voters to cast ballots early, but with limited success, delighting Democrats. “We see the Trump campaign, the RNC (Republican National Committee) and their state parties urging Trump’s supporters to vote by mail while the president’s Twitter account says it’s a fraud,”

Quote“At some point, Republicans have to vote,” said Michael McDonald, a University of Florida political scientist who tracks early voting on ElectProject.org. “You can’t force everyone through a vote center on Election Day. Are you going to expect all those Republicans to stand in line for eight hours?”
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: trdsf on October 26, 2020, 03:51:54 AM
I voted Friday morning.  At 9:30am, the line was already half a mile long (I measured it later on Google Maps).  And it only took an hour to get through the line and vote.  My fellow citizens handled the line with good humor.

I love this city.
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Jason Harvestdancer on October 26, 2020, 10:32:29 PM
I'm actually going to go to the polls.  I'm eager to find out if I voted already.
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Baruch on October 27, 2020, 10:57:25 AM
Quote from: Jason Harvestdancer on October 26, 2020, 10:32:29 PM
I'm actually going to go to the polls.  I'm eager to find out if I voted already.

How do you know you are the original?  Given the mad science of the CIA you might not only have an identical twin your parent's didn't tell you about, but you might be the clone.  Clone world ;-)

This is an actual thing ... with IRS refunds in the Spring.  For several years now there has been a rash of false claims of refund because of people stealing other people's ID.  Then when you come in late and claim your refund you find it has already been claimed ;-)

"'Compton Cowboys' deliver ballots on horseback" ... Buffalo soldiers ride again ;-)
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Baruch on October 28, 2020, 03:56:22 AM
"BALLOT BOXES ARE BEING BURNED INTENTIONALLY, DEMOCRATS HAVE COMPROMISED OUR ELECTIONS" .. Boston fake Indians at it again
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: SGOS on October 28, 2020, 04:26:49 AM
Quote from: trdsf on October 26, 2020, 03:51:54 AM
I voted Friday morning.  At 9:30am, the line was already half a mile long (I measured it later on Google Maps).  And it only took an hour to get through the line and vote.  My fellow citizens handled the line with good humor.

I love this city.
An hour?  That's unacceptable to me.  I guess it's all relative.  Voting is easy here, but getting a guy with a backhoe to show up, now that's hard.  It can take months.
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Baruch on October 28, 2020, 11:16:05 AM
Quote from: SGOS on October 28, 2020, 04:26:49 AM
An hour?  That's unacceptable to me.  I guess it's all relative.  Voting is easy here, but getting a guy with a backhoe to show up, now that's hard.  It can take months.

Bring in 50 million Mexicans with shovels ;-)

"By registered party, the split is 26.7% of Democrats vs. 16.1% of Republicans and 55.8% of independents." ... of course not all registered voters vote, not all people are registered and not all voting is done legally.  But that is what we always do.  This year is different, in that one party has been using black shirts to destroy their own country (so that the usual suspects can buy up prime downtown locations real cheap).
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Baruch on October 30, 2020, 12:51:42 PM
"American astronaut casts ballot from space" ... no BLM up there
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Baruch on November 03, 2020, 10:49:02 AM
If you vote in person today, please take care!
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Feral Atheist on November 08, 2020, 06:10:56 PM
Quote from: Baruch on October 07, 2020, 01:35:29 PM
Have never seen that myself.  Hope no one does.
Locally there were  a few instances during early voting, and at the Board of Elections where you could drop off absentee ballots.  Police were dispatched each time.  At worst it was people on the sidewalk screaming with the aid of a bullhorn as people entered.

Election day itself was quite, at least on the police scanner.
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: Gawdzilla Sama on November 09, 2020, 07:47:12 AM
I showed up to vote in my wheelchair, oxy tank on board. Every person ahead of me in line passed me up the line. Thank you a long time coming but worth it.
Title: Re: I Voted
Post by: SGOS on November 09, 2020, 08:02:27 AM
Quote from: Gawdzilla Sama on November 09, 2020, 07:47:12 AM
I showed up to vote in my wheelchair, oxy tank on board. Every person ahead of me in line passed me up the line. Thank you a long time coming but worth it.
THAT is dedication.  My hat is off to you sir.