Vote!!!

[GISRICK]

Remember kids, get out early and vote!
And don't forget to eat your vegitables!

[icehouse]

or be like me and be responsible for opening a polling location...I have to wait until my lunch break to vote, I vote in a different district than my office.

[SheepNutz]

Like P-dizzle or whatever the fuck his name is now says,
"VOTE OR DIE!!!"

[REMgirl]

In our district we have the new electronic voting machines. My husband and I are going to vote around 8 am today. On the radio this morning I heard there was already a problem in Centerville with the lightning messing up the machines. Hmmm. :confused:

[markalot]

Kentucky has nothing, I guess we don't have off year elections. It feels wierd not voting for something.

[twentyshots]

we have all kinds of stuff to vote for in cincy, some heavily contested constitutional ammendments too that both sides are jocking pretty hard. when my woman and i pulled into the church lot to vote the leaflet freaks descended on us like rabid pigeons.


...and still, no electronic voting....what gives?

[Furry Varmint]

In the past week, our household has received pre-recorded messages from Hillary R. Clinton and Elliot Spitzer and others asking us to vote for people. Which is a change of pace, since when I usually get calls from HRC, she's calling to tell me that Bill is out of the house, and she's waiting for me.

[REMgirl]

Well, I voted on the new electronic machine today. It's really simple. No lines where we vote; but it's at our local church and the community is older. It was raining, too, so that may be a part of the low turnout early in the morning.

I asked the polling volunteer what he knew about what I had heard about problems with the machines in Centerville and he said there is a two hour battery backup if there is a power failure and all the data received would be kept. Maybe there will be an update on the evening local news...

[ajax]

Today was my first time voting in Ohio. I had to educate myself very quickly on the issues. This was also one of the few times where I chose to vote against my party. I used paper ballots today. I'm not used to that. People were soliciting right outside of the polling places. Is that legal in Ohio? In Kentucky it's against the law. I didn't feel intimidated but it was quite a surprise.

[Emerald2727]

If you live in Hamilton Co. Ohio you can find your polling place at: http://www.hamilton-co.org/BOE/pollsearchs1.asp

Whatever you vote for PLEASE go out and vote!

[Slar]

I'll vote on the way home. I'm voting in favor of the Ohio amendments. I recognize there are problems with them, but the status quo is just not working for me.

[jneale]

People were soliciting right outside of the polling places. Is that legal in Ohio? In Kentucky it's against the law. I didn't feel intimidated but it was quite a surprise.


There are rules about how much distance – I don’t know what I it is – but they can’t be right outside the door.

I voted in someone’s house for years – they could stand on the sidewalk – but not the drive. Now I vote in a church – they have to stay on the street – but aren’t allowed in the parking lot – it is such a joy not to have to deal with them anymore.

[ajax]

I voted in a church. I would say that both of the solicitors were twenty feet from the door.

[teribl sob stry]

I voted in a church. I would say that both of the solicitors were twenty feet from the door.

it was like that last time i went to the polls and voted at a church too.

[summerteeth]

when I voted this morning at 8:20 am, I was the 19th person for my area. pretty low turnout thus far in this off-year election. I am not in the city proper, but the city of Cincinnati was expecting 41% turnout.

[jneale]

I voted in a church. I would say that both of the solicitors were twenty feet from the door.

that sounds about right

[Slar]

Now I vote in a church
I voted in a church.
Don't vote in a church!


In many places, one-third to one-half of all polling places are churches. Citizens should not have to fulfill their most civil function of all--voting--in a church or religious school. These days the cross is increasingly used as a symbol of political intimidation and many churches are not neutral on election issues. If you have to vote in a church, complain! Usually your city or county representative has the authority to suggest changes to polling places. A local rep is more apt than a bureaucrat to respond to a citizen complaint. Suggest secular alternatives (particularly those with handicapped access): libraries, public schools (it's so educational for students to witness Election Day), fire stations, malls, etc. Even if this abuse does not affect you personally, you may still wish to complain to your city clerk or registrar if this is a growing trend in your area. Polling sites are published in newspapers prior to local elections. In some states, polling sites receive public compensation, making this a more serious entanglement.

[REMgirl]

Is that really a concern, voting in a church? I vote in a church (I'm atheist) and that doesn't bother me at all. They are spacious buildings and not generally in use during the work week, they have parking, and they are easy to find.

I think setting up a polling place in a school is impractical for traffic, parking, and disruption of basic school schedules. Kids have their own "Kids Vote" programs already and that is a great way for them to learn.

My boss where I used to work allowed voting to be held at his shop because it had a large showroom floor and easy flow for traffic, but he finally had to quit because it disrupted his business.

Just my 2 pennies worth... ;)

[purple_octopus]

Don't vote in a church!
Yes! It's much better not to vote at all than to have to step into a building owned by a religious group while said building is being used for a solely secular function!

People's fucking children offend me. I think I'll petition that I shouldn't have to be emotionally scarred by having to vote in a school. A :eek: public :eek: school, nonetheless -- the type which I find most offensive!

[teribl sob stry]

Yes! It's much better not to vote at all than to have to step into a building owned by a religious group while said building is being used for a solely secular function!

People's fucking children offend me. I think I'll petition that I shouldn't have to be emotionally scarred by having to vote in a school. A :eek: public :eek: school, nonetheless -- the type which I find particularly offensive!

hey, i'll make up some signs. lets go picket at the church!

[ajax]

http://www.rev-g33k-101.org/pic/sarcasm.gif

[markus]

when I voted this morning at 8:20 am, I was the 19th person for my area.pretty much the same here.

8:20am. I was the 30th to vote and the only voter inside the polling place... which happened to be a church... I didn't perceive any intimidation... except from God who kept talking to me as I was trying to vote. I shouted, "Enough Already!" which kinda scared the poll workers...

Oh... first time I've voted on a computer... I thought is was kinda cool... but I love toys...

[GoWest]

We have a pretty tight race for Govenor here in NJ. I voted for the rich white guy with an unrealistic plan for tax cuts. Both major candidates are rich white guys with unrealistic plans for tax cuts.

[aqualou]

i saw a yard sign for jesus the other day. i didn't even know he was running.

[sueque222]

In many places, one-third to one-half of all polling places are churches. Citizens should not have to fulfill their most civil function of all--voting--in a church or religious school. These days the cross is increasingly used as a symbol of political intimidation and many churches are not neutral on election issues. If you have to vote in a church, complain! Usually your city or county representative has the authority to suggest changes to polling places. A local rep is more apt than a bureaucrat to respond to a citizen complaint. Suggest secular alternatives (particularly those with handicapped access): libraries, public schools (it's so educational for students to witness Election Day), fire stations, malls, etc. Even if this abuse does not affect you personally, you may still wish to complain to your city clerk or registrar if this is a growing trend in your area. Polling sites are published in newspapers prior to local elections. In some states, polling sites receive public compensation, making this a more serious entanglement.
Interesting. Doesn't apply to me, but I didn't realize this was a legitimate complaint.


I'll vote on the way home. I'm voting in favor of the Ohio amendments. I recognize there are problems with them, but the status quo is just not working for me.
Not that I have much more time to make my final decision, but I'm leaning toward yes for Issues 1-3 and no for 4 and 5. Issues 4 and 5 surely were penned (by lefties in DC without much if any input from the Ohio Democratic Party or other insiders, by the way) with good intentions, yet would be messy, problematic, and tricky to implement. If rewritten and scaled back, I'd strongly support reforms like these.

Hopefully I haven't been subconsciously influenced by poll projections, since these are actually the predicted outcomes for all five.

[GISRICK]

We have a pretty tight race for Govenor here in NJ. I voted for the rich white guy with an unrealistic plan for tax cuts. Both major candidates are rich white guys with unrealistic plans for tax cuts.
I hear you. I am a state employee at NJ TRANSIT and we have a lot riding on this elections...programs cut, etc. I am worried about some of the high-technology initiatives I'm involved with. I voted for the other white rich guy who is more in line with my slightly liberal values

[summerteeth]

Not that I have much more time to make my final decision, but I'm leaning toward yes for Issues 1-3 and no for 4 and 5. Issues 4 and 5 surely were penned (by lefties in DC without much if any input from the Ohio Democratic Party or other insiders, by the way) with good intentions, yet would be messy, problematic, and tricky to implement. If rewritten and scaled back, I'd strongly support reforms like these.

Hopefully I haven't been subconsciously influenced by poll projections, since these are actually the predicted outcomes for all five.That's funny, because I had not heard poll projections, but that's exactly how I voted on the 5 issues.

[PTZ]

There has to be more voters out there....post if you voted today!

[Slar]

My original post was a cut and paste from another website. Here's an interesting debate on it from another set of boards (thank you Google).

http://www.iidb.org/vbb/archive/index.php/t-49532.html

I've never had to vote in a church, so I'm not sure how I'd feel about it if I did. Like someone in the link said though, I wonder how christians would feel if they had to vote in a mosque.

[aqualou]

first off i'm agnostic. second, there is a low enough turnout at the polls to begin with.

i've voted many times in churches, will again in an hour and i've never felt any pressure to vote differently. most of the time you vote in a lobby or a crafts room or something like that. it's not like the virgin mary will be looking over your shoulder casting judgement. if she hasn't already by age 18, she prob never will. there is a mosque even closer to me then the church i'll be going to and i don't think i'll burst into a ball of flames there either. i've been in indian temples and synagogues and the power of those gods didn't compel me either. use to vote in a part of town that was mostly black, but i don't remember voting more black (whatever that means). so i don't think i'll vote more christian, female, gay, democratic, republican, rich, poor, jewish, cat or dog then i already plan too.

the voter turnout is piss poor in the country and the more places to vote the better. schools pretty much use all the space they got on a tuesday. community centers, churches, libraries, whatever . . . the more there are the better. i worked on the 2000 Census and it was tough enough to find places that would open their doors to test potencial employees that didn't have transportation. same thing goes here with voting. if you want to make your point, call your local non-christain religious center and ask them to open their doors. otherwise just be happy you're voting. if you're not, then i hope you didn't read this far.

[markus]

aqualou,

amen! ...err.... RIGHT ON! ;)

[aqualou]

just got back from voting and the thing that kinda bugs me the most (and i know they don't mean it) are the old folks who want to have a conversation with me. i know they don't get out much and their need for human contact has increased over the years, but dude, can i just vote without being asked if i'm related to so and so and have a small talk conversation of 15 minutes. the hell of being polite in cincinnati.



ps: http://blogs.pingpoet.com/overflow/pubfiles/IvotedToday.gif

[Slar]

just got back from voting and the thing that kinda bugs me the most (and i know they don't mean it) are the old folks who want to have a conversation with me. i know they don't get out much and their need for human contact has increased over the years, but dude, can i just vote without being asked if i'm related to so and so and have a small talk conversation of 15 minutes. the hell of being polite in cincinnati.LOL! We should have polling places in retirement homes!

That's one of the joys in living in a new place. Nobody knows you, or your relations or anyone you went to high school with.

[candy4140]

Some odd petitions on the Dallas C. Texas ballot:

Change the name of "White Settlement" city to "West Settlement". Apparently, they lose businesses there alot. Hee.

Amend Texas Constitution to outlaw gay marriage (which is already illegal, but not written into the state's constitution). As if regular discrimination isn't bad enough, let's seal it into the Constitution!!

Allot $300,000 to a homeless shelter in Dallas downtown.

[drougan]

I've never had to vote in a church, so I'm not sure how I'd feel about it if I did. Like someone in the link said though, I wonder how christians would feel if they had to vote in a mosque.

Ive voted several times in a church and never considered it a big deal. It's not like the poll workers are in anyway affiliated with the church in question. I kinda like the idea that a church can have an impartial presence in politics. Good PR in a way.

And if I had to vote in a mosque, so be it.

[jneale]

just got back from voting and the thing that kinda bugs me the most (and i know they don't mean it) are the old folks who want to have a conversation with me.

I kinda miss the little old woman who would always announce "and can you believe I used to change his diapers."

[The Hegemo]

LOL! We should have polling places in retirement homes!


My polling place is a nursing home

[akip]

well, i just did the deed...in a church. or in the basement of a church, anyway.

[purple_octopus]

well, i just did the deed...in a church. or in the basement of a church, anyway.
That's hot. :o

[aqualou]

I voted several times in a church
ummm dude? . . . you can't do that. :p

[tobedawg]

I live in California, and Today is AAnuld's "Special Election"..

Some other important issues on our ballot include a discounted prescription drugs measure.. actually 2, one backed by the pharmaceutical Corporations and one backed by labor lobbyists..

There's also a Parental Notification for minors seeking abortions measure to get the Taliban mobilized to the polls..