Congratulations USA!

[arabookworm]

my family was super excited because this was the first year that someone in my family could vote, since my parents don't have citizenship yet and me and my siblings have never been old enough. but this year my brother turned 18!

 

[TheMartianChick]

Quote:
Being a registered member of a particular party means that in general you believe in the basic ideas that the party says it represents. When you register to vote, you actually JOIN the party of your choice or choose not to join any party at all.

In some states (like NY) if you are not a member of the Republican or the Democratic Party then you cannot vote in the primary to select the candidates to represent your party in the general election. Democrats cannot vote in the Republican primary and vice versa.

When you get in a voting booth, you can vote anyway that you want by selecting candidates of any party. One year, I voted along the Working Families Party Line. This party was one that merely selected candidates from the Democratic and Republican parties based upon what they said they would do to help families. When you choose to do something like that, it kind of sends a message to the two "major" parties that they shouldn't take your vote for granted and that you do study the issues.

 

[TheMartianChick]

Quote:
Congratulations! That must have been really exciting for everybody!

 

[setter4]

Quote:
Congratulations! That must have been really exciting for everybody!

I wish I had been working the poll where he voted! I love those first time voters and especially one this special.

 

[setter4]

mom'sfolly :

and besides, when you vote in a general election no one checks your party.

True & not true...at least here in Pa.
The workers at your polling place have a book that lists everyone who is registered to vote in that district. You have to sign the book before you vote and your party is marked there. Although no one might ask your party affiliation the poll workers know it and if you have "registered watchers" they can ask to look at the book any time the poll workers are not busy to see who has voted and from what party.​

 

[setter4]

Quote:
I voted paper ballot and it had a place for write-ins. I just assumed that the electronic machines, which were an option but were busy, had a way to type in names.

The electronic machines...at least here...do have a way to type in write in votes. I would think that legally all of them would have to.
It's kind of time consuming and a pain but you CAN do it! lol
Sorry guys, I didn't mean to take over the thread. It's just something I get real excited about.

 

[TheMartianChick]

Quote:
True & not true...at least here in Pa.
The workers at your polling place have a book that lists everyone who is registered to vote in that district. You have to sign the book before you vote and your party is marked there. Although no one might ask your party affiliation the poll workers know it and if you have "registered watchers" they can ask to look at the book any time the poll workers are not busy to see who has voted and from what party.

In NY, the parties receive updated lists throughout the day on election day. The lists tell them who is a party registered voter who has not yet voted. Then the party headquarters places a phone call to that person's house to remind them to vote. Some of these are reminder robo-calls and others are just regular calls from volunteers.

The phone calls used to drive my DH crazy on Election Day because I usually vote after work at 8:30pm. He would vote early and have to suffer through the phone ringing all day because I hadn't yet voted and they wanted to remind me.

 

[Jolyn]

Quote:
I agree!!

 

[EweSheep]

Well I didnt vote since the first time Reagan was in office and I thought about it long and hard and figured, well lets make history here! I was undecided until a few hours before I voted and I didnt have to wait long, was in and out without any interruptions.

I am glad many of you voted even you may have never voted or this is your first time voting! Hats off to you to contribute your voting rights! This is the first time in history that we have a black man running for president and wouldnt it be great that all of us were PART of this historical moment in our country?????? One of these days I will tell my daughter all about it and what it took a giant step to mankind to make this possible!

Woooo hoooooo to all voters!

 

[Chicabee19]

I'm really wondering how my vote could have gotten counted because I mailed it the day before election day. My friend who lives here mailed hers at 7 p.m. on election day!