Tell us where you voted and what the experience and atmosphere was like–the more detail and color the more those who weren’t there can participate.
Tell us where you voted and what the experience and atmosphere was like–the more detail and color the more those who weren’t there can participate.
Voted by absentee ballot – too hard to get my wheelchair bound spouse into our precinct. But felt good when getting it back. No matter what the vote is, when you participate you know that you are a part of the process that our founding fathers fought and died for. It honors every soldier who gives their time and lives for defending our country.
Honor our troops – use the right they defend – go vote.
I got there when it opened. There were four electronic voting booths, but only one was up and running, and officials were tinkering with the other three. So, that gave me some time to chat with my LDS neighbor who also arrived early to vote before work, and it was good to catch up. My first election as a Utahn!
I voted at a local elementary school this morning around 7:30 am. Its cloudy, windy and cold here in Atlanta. I almost hit a few campaigners holding signs (not on purpose!). It was very dark and they were right by the road wearing dark colored clothing. I didn’t see who they were campaigning for as I was doing did my best to avoid hitting them. Inside the school the mood was very quiet. It took about 40 minutes to actually complete the process as there were over 100 people in line with me. I’m a morning person, happy and whistling, but I was the only one- except for one of the poll station workers, who ironically was very pregnant but still very cheery for 7:00 am. Most seemed to have a very serious look on their face.
Just returned from a trip to Israel and Egypt via Paris. As Americans, we must recognize how great our political system is. I voted this morning, and thanked the poll workers for spending their day in such important work. Unlike the French, we still have confidence in the democratic process, and don’t resort to bullying and violence to get our way. Unlike Israel, we do not have a political system that discriminates on the basis of religion or birthright. Unlike Egypt, we don’t have police roadblocks checking the movement of our citizens, and we don’t require armed guards to keep us safe.
Things may seem bad here, but please count your blessings if you live in the greatest country on earth! May the Holy Spirit guide or elected representatives during the next two years.
I voted mail in ballot 2 weeks ago, but my wife is voting this morning at the local elementary school. I passed a municipal building on the way to work this morning that was a polling place for today, and the parking lot was packed, with a line out the door.
Pretty low-key here in Virginia’s DC suburbs. My district is “safe”, i.e., statistically very unlikely to change hands, so the polling place was not mobbed by either voters or volunteers. It was just above freezing, so the two party volunteers working the back door of the school were shivering and bored, but still not so bored that they were chatting to one another. I told them they were doing “the Lord’s work” but refused sample ballots from either party. Voting was quick, and I was struck by the lack of tension in the voting room itself, which was palpable in 2008. The group in line was diverse (including Indians, blacks, and a man with a “Sverige”, ie, Sweden jacket) in the business-as-usual way suburban DC public spaces tend to be. Frankly, I spent more time at the Girls Scouts bake sale on the way out, where I insisted on getting a rundown of the menu from the cold but enthusiastic little girls, before dropping $10 on a donut. The attendant moms nodded their thanks, but kept hands in pockets because of the temperature. I was home in time to kiss the kids on the way to school, and to have the donut confiscated by my wife.
Just 10 people ahead of me when I got there at 8:00 am, and with 5 machines, the line moved fast. Interesting to find a “Right to Hunt and Fish” resolution on the ballot. I wonder how many states have that?
I am in the belly of the beast here in Barney Frank country.When to vote this morning at about 8– very few people at the polls, and the poll watcher told me that there had been a smaller number of voters during the morning rush as usual. Given that the local papers have spoken about the competitive nature of the Governor’s race and Frank’s re-election I expected more people–if people in Brookline and Newton are not motivated to go to the polls it will be a long night for the Democrats. BTW– each polling place I passed on my way to work had at least one Democrat activist with signs and no GOP– is it that they aren’t energized too or they are concentrating on getting their voters to the polls rather than standing in the cold out front. Not sure.
Greenville, SC–polls opened at 7:00. I voted at 7:15; I was #22. There was a steady stream coming in by the time I left at 7:20, but no line. I expect a relatively heavy turnout as many people in my county are treating this election as a referendum on America. The absentee voting was about 40% higher than usual.
I was the first ballot cast at my Kansas City, Missouri polling station which happened to be St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Everything seemed organized and well planned. It was comforting to cast my ballot while being under the gaze of a portrait of a previous rector holding a consecrated host.
I’m very happy to have moved from Kansas to Missouri as today is likely the last day for a while in which Sam Brownback is not the governor of Kansas. Ugh…
Lots of folks in my North Dallas precinct at 7:45 — but amusingly more folks with names starting from A to L than M to Z (my sign-in line was shorter). Also had to wait several minutes for a carrel to open up so that I could fill out my ballot — there were about 10 carrels total and when I left they were putting up more.
I’m also in suburban Atlanta. One guy holding a sign out front, didn’t catch the candidate. Grey, but by 7:50am it was light enough I didn’t need my headlights. Inside it was not as dead as the primary (where my wife & I were the only people voting) but close. About five other people voting, with 15 voting machines to use. I was in and out in less than five minutes. Surprised about the lack of activity, folks at work are reporting long lines when they voted this morning.
We just got back home from voting. We home school, so we brought the whole family to the polls so that the kids can observe the process. My oldest is 10 years old and her younger brothers are 7 years old and 10 months old. I saw a fellow veteran there and we saluted each other informally. Voter turnout was heavy here in CT at our polling center. I voted against a $10 million bond…my property taxes are already too high and the city and the state are already deep in debt. (There is a brand new firehouse being built a mile from our house despite the fact that we just built a new multimillion dollar safety complex 1.25 miles from our house two years ago and we already have a perfectly functional firehouse a half mile away and a quarter mile from the new one. Now they want to increase our taxes AGAIN! I am not optimistic but I am hopeful.
Just voted a few minutes ago up here in Macomb Co., MI. There was no line and 2 or 3 people alreading voting. The weather is cold but sunny. It is usually slow late morning which is why I choose to vote then.
Did the early voting on Saturday AM. Oklahoma is largely non-competitive races, so the drama is elsewhere. When I do vote at the church down the street, I see my neighbors and ‘catch up on things’. Poll workers have not changed in the last ten years.
All of our voting is now by mail ballot. I miss the experience of going to the polling place and casting my ballot. There was a certain symbolism there.
The one polling place in Bar Harbor is on the top floor of the town hall. Pretty long lines by small town standards, but we moved along pretty quickly. The word I choose to describe the atmosphere is “subdued.” I might be projecting my own thoughts into othere people’s heads, but… while it seems we know there’s a lot at stake in this election, it’s impossible to have much confidence in any of the candidates to provide the sort of leadership we will need.
As usual, there were several local election issues having to do with zoning ordinances. I never fully understand what I’m voting for in these issues; I always kick myself in the butt for not having studied up enough on them beforehand.
Questions of who owns the real estate here (on an island, the potential to expand the inhabited parts of towns is limited); what land owners do with their property; and preserving “historic” atmosphere and natural beauty, while the same time encouraging business growth and modern things like cell phone service– these are the sorts of things that make front page news week after week and generate intense passion, more so than state or national issues.
I was sad to see our incumbent state legislator is running unopposed, as are a lot of other local officials. It has been interesting to see how the candidates have down-played their party affiliations in their own publicity about themselves.
“Lord of every time and place…
Give us leaders committed to the priorities of your kingdom,”
(This will be a stretch in a state ranked “third least religious” in a Pew Forum survey last summer…)
“…so that peace, compassion, truth and justice may prevail among us,
and make us a blessing to all peoples, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.” (from the prayer posted earlier today by Kendall)
Pax Christi!
Chuck Bradshaw
Hulls Cove, Maine
My experience was not unlike #6. We’re out by Dulles A/P. I arrived about 6:15AM in freezing temperature and dark. Steady stream of middle-aged white guys on the way to work doing 99% of the voting. I imagine the demographics will change as the day wears on as we have a large Indian and Asian population in our area. I don’t think our incumbent is in any danger, but you never know.
Prayers for those voting today – what a wonderful opportunity and privilege to have.
Truly shocked at the lines etc waiting to vote in a somewhat isolated neighborhood. Some of the increase might be a bit of district stretching, but poll workers said it was more like a presidential election.. Voted between 10-30a, and 11:30a, snaking lines, beginning to line up outside when we left. No one talked “politics”, and sometimes it was difficult to avoid it. LoL..
4 of 6 machines were working, so it went slower than usual.. Great turnout, put need more “workers”
Grandmother in semi-rural SC
Voted ninth in my polling place – got there about 6:45 a.m. Polls open @ 7 here in S.C. Was a steady line, mostly retired or going to work. Small precinct so most everyone knows each other.
Like the pewster (#7) thought the right to hunt & fish resolution was a strange one. (Isn’t that in the Constitution or the Bill of Rights? – lol).
I voted at the City Hall in my relatively small South Dakota town of 23000 people or so. I was in and out in 5 minutes, and was told I was the 100th voter at that polling station this morning (this was about 10 AM Central time.) My wife went about a half hour later and said the line was starting to form after she had her ballot.
There actually weren’t any campaigners outside the voting bubble or people handing out stickers, at least when I was there. I wouldn’t have known it was a voting day except for the sign that said, “Vote here.”
That was about the lowest key election day I’ve seen in quite some time.
I was rather suprised at the low key polling place, as the race in South Dakota for the 1 US House seat is quite contentious, as is a few of the local State races. There are also a few contested ballot initiatives about banning smoking in bars and casinos, medical marijuana, and a Secret Ballot initiative that were all on our ballot.
Picked what I thought to be a weird time, 10:15 so it wouldn’t be busy. I was wrong. Here in a ‘burb of Charleston, SC the voters were alot like me, stay at home moms with kids in tow. Also older people. All white. Poll workers said that it has been steady since they opened. About 10 people in front of me, maybe a dozen voting boths. Probably took me 30 minutes. It was fun to chat with my neighbors that I only see in passing as we run our kids from school to activities.
Forgot to add one thing that might be of broader interest. Oklahoma has a ballot initiative explicitly barring citing Sharia law as precedent in legal matters.
I’ve never seen our polling place here in Raleigh, NC quite so energized and busy as it was today at 10:30. I took my mother-in-law and we both remarked on what a joyful experience it was to be out voting. I, for one, have never felt so thankful to be participating in the process. May the Lord make his face to shine upon the USA and have mercy on us all.
[i] Slightly edited by elf. [/i]
I arrived at northern suburban Atlanta polling station at Baptist Church at 6:45. There was already a line of 25 persons. Only had 8 voting machines available, and with several amendments, it took a little longer than usual. But in and out in approximately 20 minutes. Strange though, when I left @ 7:35, line had dwindled to about 5 outside the voting room. Demographics of the area is economically upper middle class, but somewhat diverse. Mood in the voting area was actually quite solemn, quiet and seemedly determined, for what my take on things is worth. Only our governor’s race is even slightly close for my district, so I was a little surprised at the large early turnout and solemnity for a mid-term election.
I voted at 8 AM. There was a 10 minute wait, but the line lengthened even as I waited. I would best describe the voters as middle-class and unhappy.
Washington State has gone almost entirely vote-by-mail (I think one county still has polling places) so I voted about a week ago. I miss going to the polls — it used to be in the elementary school across the street from my house, and stopping in to vote on the way to work was a pleasant election-day ritual.
On Saturday I got a notice back from King County Elections this weekend that they didn’t think the signature on my ballot envelope matched the one they had on record — which is certainly possible; I registered to vote here years ago, and my signature has, to be honest, degenerated noticeably since then. But I returned, as the letter instructed, a photocopy of my current driver’s license and a signed statement that this was in fact me — hopefully, the signature on that statement and my license match each other and whatever I put on the ballot envelope closely enough to count. It is a comfort to know that they actually are checking those ballot signatures, though.
Wlked in @8:45, breezed right in, no line. Asked the poll workers if they had any clothespins. “What for” ,my reply” I need to hold my nose for the stench!” Thought I would have to pick them up off the floor. “Well, it will be all over this evening” . response, “We can only pray, but knowing this croud, we still have weeks of bickering” . Lord, please help us!
I voted around 2 p.m. Very low key. A little neighborhood chat with the pollworkers, who are old friends. Four machines, but I was the only one voting at the time. Always a privilege.
Bruce Robison
1:30 P.M., central daylight time, West Des Moines, Iowa, firestation, older part of town, voter 199………and that is heavy…..for the time of day……
I arrived at my polling place, a Presbyterian church in northwest Atlanta, at about 11:45; it was much more crowded than usual, and with two out of six machines down, it took almost an hour. A poll worker said it had been busy all morning. The atmosphere overall was a bit serious, I thought, as though a lot of people realized that this is an important election. We have early voting but, like some commenters above, I prefer to go on election day and feel like I’m truly participating in the national event.
A beautiful sunny day in Northern California. I went in at about 8:30, which is when I usually go to vote. My polling place looked about as busy as usual, though not as busy as Nov. 2008. I have noticed that a lot of people are voting by mail this year, both from talking to people I know (nearly everyone I’ve talked to) and from looking at the voter register as I signed in (there was a printed notation next to the names of people who had requested absentee ballots – over half the page). And the mood was positively jubilant, but that had more to do with the Giants win last night than with the election. Everyone counted them out, but our boys brought it home.
This morning I voted in our local public school – which was closed for the day. However, a parish wide all day teachers’ conference was held there. There was not a parking space to be had. given it was pouring down rain and as I am disabled, I simply jumped the curb and parked on the school lawn. There were very few people at the polling place itself. I expressed my anger in no uncertain terms to the polling people. My wife and I live in a voting precinct with mostly retired, disabled, eldery people. Many use wheelchairs, cains, crutches, etc. to go to vote. I just hope who ever scheduled such an all day meeting here gets fired for such stupidity!
I was no. 329 in my precinct in Liberty, SC (Rice’s Creek). The polling place was in Liberty Middle School. There was no crowding at 4:30, but a fairly steady stream, voting without standing on line. It is always a pleasant experience to vote there. One year a young mother had her 4 year old with her, and held him in her arms as she cast her vote. My wife always remarks how grateful she is that we don’t have to dodge bullets or bullies, and we always have a peaceful transition.
My husband and I vote at Lincoln Elementary. We voted after work and reached the polling place at about 6:20pm. We were in line behind three other people. I was voter 412 not bad for a mid-term. A young lady was in line ahead of us who was voting for the first time. That, to me, is encouraging.
Terri Lynn Hagen
Erie, PA