I voted today. I found it gratifying that so many people were out early voting. I think the more people who are involved in the process, the better. This was the first time I'd had my driver's liscense scanned (I couldn't find my voter registration card). It was interesting. Before they have only checked my name, made me sign and made sure I was in the right precinct. It was electronic voting, and the precinct number was tied to the ballot, so you got the right one. I don't vote for anyone who runs unopposed. Does anyone else do this?
Our town hall just lets you sign under your name. Then take a card to the machine. choose who you want and your done. I am going 3rd party this time but I wont tell you who
I'm going to wait until the last minute to decide who to vote for -- in case something happens between now and then that might change my mind.
We voted a couple of weeks ago. I'm an election judge and we're encouraging folks to vote early so election day won't be so hectic for us. They predict we won't be getting home until 10 or midnight.
mom'sfolly, where are you located, if you don't mind, that you can physically vote early? I'm not hearing of anything like that where I am. And absentee ballot thing is over today, right?
I live in Texas, and they have had early voting since last Monday. It will close on Friday, I believe. They are encouraging people to vote early because they are expecting huge lines on election day. One of the nice things about voting in Texas is that they make in very convienent, with lots of early voting, in lots of places. You cast the same ballot as you do in on election day, but you don't ususally have the option of paper ballot, if that matters to you. My programmer dh has always waited to vote, because he doesn't completely trust the electronic voting machines. When I lived in NY it was difficult to vote, hard to register and they seemed to hide the polling places.
Got my voter thing in the mail a week ago. They take it provided you have it postal stamped any time between then and 11:59pm on the 4th. I'm an absentee voter.
I don't understand the early voting thing. Election day is the first Tuesday in November, not weeks ahead of time. The media is already predicting the winner based on early exit polls (I am assuming, or are the results figured out and published). Anyways, I agree with abstentee ballots and voting on election day. I don't understand why someone would stand in line for up to 5 hours when the election is a week away! Wouldn't it make sense to go back tomorrow?!?
We have early voting also. But they put individual barcodes on the ballots they mail out here with our name address etc. encoded. Our local government can now tell if and how each individual voter, voted. Of course they say they would never use this information. But I can see how, or who, I vote for now, affecting my life many years from now, especially when it comes to hot local environmental issues and things. We are "first in the nation to try the new system" personally, I hope we are the last. Scary.