I put on the news this morning and the first thing I saw was voters lined up at various polling places around the country.
So how long did you have to stand on line? If you want to say who you voted for, that’s fine, but I’m more curious as to the wait time.
PAD
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Portage, MI. 3:30 pm. No wait to do anything but put my ballot in the machine, as the guy in front of me did it wrong like ten times.
It was nice to see postings of the MI voter rules that DO allow voting without picture ID, so no vote-prevention in my neighborhood.
Obama all the way.
Eric
Forty-five minutes including filling in the ballot in SW Ohio. There were lots of stories of early voting taking two hours, so I’m glad I waited until Election Day. My shift at work today made it possible for me to go to the polls a little after 9 AM, though.
I just voted on my way home from work. Very little line, only about a two minute wait. Though I do live in a pretty small town (less than ten thousand total).
I just voted on my way home from work. Very little line, only about a two minute wait. Though I do live in a pretty small town (less than ten thousand total).
Queens, New York.
Wife and I took our blind neighbor at 1:30.
About 10 minutes for all three of us.
Queens, New York.
Wife and I took our blind neighbor at 1:30.
About 10 minutes for all three of us.
Warren, MI
5 minutes if you include filling out the scantron sheet for voting.
Five to ten minutes for the whole process. The hardest part was finding the correct building in the church/school complex that had the polling place inside. There was no line at all. I got to work almost an hour early because I had planned for a huge line. (All this went down at about 9:30am)
Five to ten minutes for the whole process. The hardest part was finding the correct building in the church/school complex that had the polling place inside. There was no line at all. I got to work almost an hour early because I had planned for a huge line. (All this went down at about 9:30am)
New Haven County, CT
Mike went at 6 Am, and it took him 45 minutes with 10 stations running. The line went 3/4 of the way around the building. Chris went at 7, and it only took 30 minutes. I went at 8:10, and I made it outin 20 minutes.
New Haven County, CT
Mike went at 6 Am, and it took him 45 minutes with 10 stations running. The line went 3/4 of the way around the building. Chris went at 7, and it only took 30 minutes. I went at 8:10, and I made it outin 20 minutes.
Two Minutes in Westwood, MA!
We have paper ballots that we feed into a computer counter and there were about twenty stations available to fill them out. Most of the them full of people when I got there. There were about six people a head of me to get ballots.
Only three ballot Questions this year in MA.
1. Eliminate State Income Tax
2. Decriminalise personal use Marijuana (Fine only, no Jail or criminal record)
3. Ban Dog Racing
Two Minutes in Westwood, MA!
We have paper ballots that we feed into a computer counter and there were about twenty stations available to fill them out. Most of the them full of people when I got there. There were about six people a head of me to get ballots.
Only three ballot Questions this year in MA.
1. Eliminate State Income Tax
2. Decriminalise personal use Marijuana (Fine only, no Jail or criminal record)
3. Ban Dog Racing
I already voted by absentee ballot on October 17th. Sent it in by certified mail, and the USPS says the Board of Elections received in on the 18th.
Technically, I shouldn’t have voted that way because I *can* vote at the polls today. But I figure that as long as I don’t try to “double dip” I should be alright. If one of the ballot questions in Maryland passes, this will be a moot point next year because I will be allowed to vote by absentee ballot simply if I want to. It will also allow for early voting and for voters to vote away from the polling place near their home. (Should be a big help for commuters.)
I think I’ll try to stay away from the TV and computer tonight. I’m hoping Obama will win, but I fear the election may be close and/or McCain may pull this one out. I don’t want to stay up to midnight to hear the results—especially since I have to wake up early the next day…
I already voted by absentee ballot on October 17th. Sent it in by certified mail, and the USPS says the Board of Elections received in on the 18th.
Technically, I shouldn’t have voted that way because I *can* vote at the polls today. But I figure that as long as I don’t try to “double dip” I should be alright. If one of the ballot questions in Maryland passes, this will be a moot point next year because I will be allowed to vote by absentee ballot simply if I want to. It will also allow for early voting and for voters to vote away from the polling place near their home. (Should be a big help for commuters.)
I think I’ll try to stay away from the TV and computer tonight. I’m hoping Obama will win, but I fear the election may be close and/or McCain may pull this one out. I don’t want to stay up to midnight to hear the results—especially since I have to wake up early the next day…
The line for districts 1 & 3 in my town were wrapped around the school gym a few times. District 3 – where we live – had two people in line. It was good for me, because there wasn’t a wait, but it doesn’t show a lot about the civic responsibility of my neighbors.
I voted at about 1 this afternoon, and I’d say from walking in the door to walking out, the process was less than ten minutes. The only reason there was a line was because the women doing the check-in table were mighty slow, and my own confusion wasted some time in the booth
I voted Friday in East Orange County (near Orlando). It was a three hour wait. I brought Timothy’s Zahn’s Green and the Gray to pass the time. People in line were OK. A good if long experience.
I voted Friday in East Orange County (near Orlando). It was a three hour wait. I brought Timothy’s Zahn’s Green and the Gray to pass the time. People in line were OK. A good if long experience.
1As a school teacher it has been tough in the past to vote before work started,but since the time my school opens has changed to 8:00 ,I was able to vote on the way to work.I thought I would be in and out.Nope got in line at 7:03,left the polling place at 7:56.
Florida voter here. I went about 2 pm. Less than five minutes. I was one of two voters there. A woman at the desk told me wait times were less than 20 minutes all day. I’m really glad I didn’t stand in line for hours for early voting.
Florida voter here. I went about 2 pm. Less than five minutes. I was one of two voters there. A woman at the desk told me wait times were less than 20 minutes all day. I’m really glad I didn’t stand in line for hours for early voting.
5 minutes. Walk in. Find my name. Vote. Easy.
In and out within fifteen minutes.
Glendale Heights, IL (suburb of Chicago)- five minute wait in line, five minutes filling out ballot – and this at 4:30 in the afternoon.
Good thing to find it is that they ran out of “I Voted” stickers – last time, they had tons of them left over…
Glendale Heights, IL (suburb of Chicago)- five minute wait in line, five minutes filling out ballot – and this at 4:30 in the afternoon.
Good thing to find it is that they ran out of “I Voted” stickers – last time, they had tons of them left over…
West Orange, NJ:
Lisa and I vote absentee generally (and will until someone can prove to me beyond a reasonable doubt that voting machines are trustworthy). We didn’t get our ballots this time, so called last week and found out that somehow we’d fallen off the list.
So on Friday, we drove into Newark with applications, got absentee ballots, filled them out on the spot, walked up two flights of stairs, turned them in, and we were done.
Total time: maybe half an hour.
TWL
Here in my section of Orange County, California: Ten minutes.
Voted last week Jacksonville, NC
Took about an hour, suprised at trhe number of people bringing their kids until I saw the “Kiddie” voting booth set up for them.
Voted last week Jacksonville, NC
Took about an hour, suprised at trhe number of people bringing their kids until I saw the “Kiddie” voting booth set up for them.
PAD–are you going to have a separate thread for the results?
Me, I’m watching I AM LEGEND (which I inexplicably missed up to now) but if anyone’s keeping track…so far they’ve called VT for Obama and KT for McCain…so either one is ensured to at least equal Mondale’s state total.
2. Decriminalise personal use Marijuana (Fine only, no Jail or criminal record)
How does that work? How do you ensure people pay their fines if you don’t jail them for noncompliance?
2. Decriminalise personal use Marijuana (Fine only, no Jail or criminal record)
How does that work? How do you ensure people pay their fines if you don’t jail them for noncompliance?
Believe it or not, 5 minutes!
Thank you 44 million Americans who voted last week.
Springfield, VA.
I’ve never had a long wait to vote here in Central New York (Syracuse suburbs). I wasn’t sure if that would change with the expected high turnout this year, and hoped I would be helped by arriving at mid-afternoon – 3 PM, as it turned out. And in fact – it was my fastest voting ever(!).
Time waiting in line – 0 seconds! No one ahead of me! (The other table & booth, approached from the other end of the hall, did have a couple of people.) A minute or so finding my name in the book, etc.; a few minutes in the booth. So, only ten to fifteen minutes there (though, I did hear them say that they were surprised at the line waiting twenty minutes before the 6 AM poll opening) – very nice!
I’ve never had a long wait to vote here in Central New York (Syracuse suburbs). I wasn’t sure if that would change with the expected high turnout this year, and hoped I would be helped by arriving at mid-afternoon – 3 PM, as it turned out. And in fact – it was my fastest voting ever(!).
Time waiting in line – 0 seconds! No one ahead of me! (The other table & booth, approached from the other end of the hall, did have a couple of people.) A minute or so finding my name in the book, etc.; a few minutes in the booth. So, only ten to fifteen minutes there (though, I did hear them say that they were surprised at the line waiting twenty minutes before the 6 AM poll opening) – very nice!
Oh, and actually responding to the thread: I early-voted a week and a half ago (10/25) and was in and out in 15-20 minutes.
My polling place here in WI had to be moved; apparently, a bomb threat was called into the school so it was moved to a fire station a couple blocks away (Of course I got there just as they were taking down the “polling place” signs). All the equipment and everything was moved, so it took a little bit to set up in the new space. Still, the lines weren’t too terribly long, and once they started I got in and was back in my car in about 10 minutes, tops.
My polling place here in WI had to be moved; apparently, a bomb threat was called into the school so it was moved to a fire station a couple blocks away (Of course I got there just as they were taking down the “polling place” signs). All the equipment and everything was moved, so it took a little bit to set up in the new space. Still, the lines weren’t too terribly long, and once they started I got in and was back in my car in about 10 minutes, tops.
I wasn’t in line….I walked up at 4:30 and was voting 30 seconds later.
I wasn’t in line….I walked up at 4:30 and was voting 30 seconds later.
I got there at 7:05 this morning, an hour after the polls opened, and it took me about 50 minutes. A coworker went around 9:30, and was in and out and back at work within 20 minutes. I’m in south Louisiana.
Walked into the polling place here in Tustin, CA with my husband at about 4:15 this afternoon and was checked in immediately, only waited a minute or 2 for an available machine. 🙂
Walked into the polling place here in Tustin, CA with my husband at about 4:15 this afternoon and was checked in immediately, only waited a minute or 2 for an available machine. 🙂
At the polls at 7:20 this morning, finished but 7:30, about the same time it took the last time I voted.
At the polls at 7:20 this morning, finished but 7:30, about the same time it took the last time I voted.
In and out in under 5m at 1PM in NH. Slightly faster than usual (the line where my last name falls happened to have no one waiting when I arrived), but it’s never taken more than 15m, even the time we had to register to vote first.
In with no wait, out 10 minutes later after working through the gargantuan Cleveland ballot.
In with no wait, out 10 minutes later after working through the gargantuan Cleveland ballot.
Well, I live in South Bend IN, not a major political hotbed. I went to my voting location around 7:45 A.M. eastern time and was out inside of fifteen minutes. It would have been sooner but I knew several of the people working there and we talked for a little bit.
On the other hand, I was voter 101. In South Bend at shy of 8 A.M., I consider that absurdly satisfying. It bodes for lots of voters by day’s end.
The four or five people coming in as I left was rather satisfying too.