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What, if anything, would keep you from voting?
Over the past 24 hours, I've heard the following ...
"It doesn't matter, it's only one vote."
"It doesn't matter, XXX is ahead by 20 points."
"No way am I going to stand on a line for two hours to vote."
"It might rain."
"Standing around with all those people might give me germs."
For most of my young life, my parents took my brother and me to the polling place so we could see democracy in action in a one-room Iowa country school. I don't think either my brother or I have ever missed voting except for the Ford/Carter election when I didn't vote because Price-Waterhouse said not to. (Huh? We were living out of the country at the time.)
These days, we vote at a Big Deal school.
On the way to the voting, my dad, a Devoted Democrat and my mom, a Rampant Republican, joked about cancelling each other out.
But there was NO WAY they were not going to exercise their rights as citizens. RIghts and duty.
Will YOU vote tomorrow? If the line is too long, will you walk out? If you think the election is a done deal will you bother?
Please, people, DO vote. You may not like the ultimate results, but at least your voice will be heard. And it may be heard in ways you haven't imagined.
In my own district, everything IS a "done deal." The state-wide offices are slam-dunks for the incumbents. It would be too easy to stay home because I don't think my vote will make a difference.
But I will meet my friend, Jerry, at 6:45 AM tomorrow and we will flip to see who's the first voter in our Election District. Jerry usually wins. Then we go out for coffee.
Years ago my father told me "Son, always vote for the incumbent. He's already made his money. A newcomer figures he's got only 4 years to make his." Dad was a skeptic but in some cases I think he's right!
I'll be voting this evening on the way home, and Salem5050 you are so right, the campaign here in Maryland has been HORRIBLE, 'mud slinging' is putting it mildly!
Location: Wisconsin....about 100 miles south of the Frozen Tundra and 70 miles east of Camp Randall
Posts: 9,382
Re: POLL: Will You Vote Tomorrow/Today?
YOu think Maryland's campaign was bad, you should be here in Wisconsin! I will be out to vote today......we had a special recall election here a few months ago to recall our incumbent county supervisor - I almost didn't vote because I wasn't feeling well. Well, I am GLAD I did because the challenger won by THREE votes (yes there was a recount and the margin stayed the same) - and one of those votes was mine! So, I will be at the poll sometime today!
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Crown Princess 1/18/14....the NEW Me, Myself and I cruise!
Our campaigns have all been mudslinging too. Everyone jabbing each other. Ridiculous. Makes you wonder if you want ANY of them in office!
Will vote this evening.
A few years ago I watched a gentleman on T.V. from U.K. who commented that the U.S. didn't lack any geniuses. Extraordinary people lived in the U.S. but they wouldn't get into politics, he said, because of the press digging up people's past and pasting it all over the world. Everyone has skeletons in their closets and the sharpest people don't wish to let everyone know.
Here in Texas the Democrat wanting the Governer's spot has spent 60 million dollars of his own money! Now how many of us could he have sent on cruises with that??? I'll be voting - it is just too close a race all the way around in Texas. They are really slinging the mud here too - so bad that they all sound like losers and makes it hard to pick which one might be less of a loser than the other! Debbie
I voted first thing this a.m. and was wondering what the rule is about people being close to the polls handing out slips of paper with who they want you to vote for???
I would not take one and got in a little discussion over it but afterwards wasn't real sure if they have the right to be there or not. I vote at a community center that has a very small parking lot and these folks were right there as you parked.
The campaigns and ads in Illinois haven't been a pretty sight either and I wonder if the politicians even realize that all the awful ads, mud slinging is actually a turn-off to voters not something to make them want to vote???
Hi: I voted at 6:30am this morning. The thrid party nominee for NY Governor spent $70,000,000 of his own money and doesn't stand a chance. Must be nice to have lots of dough.
Please, those in MN.....I know ya voted for a professional wrestler..but.......please don't vote for Mondale....
I don't know about other states, but the rule in Delaware is that people supporting candidates cannot be within 50 feet of the door of the polling place.
White flags are placed by the election personnel at the 50-foot mark.
People may not carry political information (push cards, etc.) into the polling place. Nobody is allowed to wear any political button, T-shirt, etc. into the polling place. I've never seen anyone vote naked on the top, but our locals keep a small supply of plain T-shirts to put over candidates' shirts. Otherwise, they are turned away at the door.
Went and voted this morning... I think the elections people found out where I lived and said "let's make the polling place as inconvenient for her as we can." Had to drive way out of my way to a part of town I hadn't been before. Of course, there's no way I would NOT do it just because of the inconvenience.
Here's a funny story that happened to me this morning.
When I went to turn my ballot in, I was behind the archetypical Palm Beach County voter (and I'm in Orlando, which is not Palm Beach County... she must have lived there for the 2000 election though.)
Anyway, here's the correct way to mark the ballots this time: there's a little arrow pointing to the candidate, but the arrow is missing its middle. It's only got the front and back ends. To vote for a candidate, you draw in the middle - connect the front and back of the arrow, forming a complete arrow. (If I could draw it, it'd make a lot more sense, and believe me, there were tons of examples everywhere you looked.)
So I was behind this little old lady. Apparently she had been up to turn her ballot in before, because she went up to the poll worker and said "did I do it right this time?" and the poll worker looked at it and said, "no, sorry, you're not drawing in the arrow in the right place." She was making the mark off to the side of the arrow. "You also voted for more than one person here, so we need to get you a new ballot." "It's so confusing, I just don't understand it," said the little old lady.
Where do they find these people?!?
Oh well.
Cheers,
Michelle B.
Edited because correct spelling is kewl.
Post Edited (11-05-02 09:45)
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Now posting as MichelleP.
I've got a simple solution. You walk into the booth with two colored balls. You drop one ball in the hole for the person you wish to vote for. You exit the booth with the other ball and hand it to the worker. Sheeeesh!
And, Bob.........if you're going to start telling people who to vote for the mudslinging is going to start on these boards too. So please, for the sake of these boards, don't do it!
I voted as did my wife and kids, (they are old enough). Voting is not only your right, but your duty and if you don't do it.....well, let's just say you are not doing what a good citizen should and leave it at that. As for the integrity of Florida voting, we never have had any problems to speak of until you had this huge influx of retirees from another state take over a county and mess it all up. Remember that mostly dead people vote in areas like Chicago, polls stay open past closing time in Kansas while they bus people in, Jesse Jackson holds a rally and has vans take those to the elections office early and get absentee ballots and vote, (I understand they will even mail them for you <G>), the NAACP holds registration drives at the local jails and prisons and gets them absentee ballots, (Felons are not allowed to vote but hey, who has time to check the record), and Unions conduct drives for thier people and tell them who they better vote for. Come on folks, vote for the person that YOU think will do the best job after learning about the issues and what they really stand for.
Jim
I wonder why alcohol sales are suspended during polling hours? Hell, I'll take a free drink from a politician in exchange for a vote. I'll vote for the one who didn't try to bribe me! <wink>
I'm not sure what the rule is in Illinois, Pamda, but after thinking about it I talked to our alderman (also my landlord) and he drove over there.
Apparently being right in the parking lot is too close and they are now on the street corner, which is over 50 feet away.
I didn't vote until 8:00 a.m. and I'm surprised that between 6 and 8 no one said a word about these folks being in their face with literature they wanted you to take in the polling place. Of coruse, I don't know when they started peddling their pamphlets.
As usual, I voted about 6:08 this morning. I always leave my house at 6:00 to give those in line when the polls open at 6:00 a chance to get inside and get started. Then I get there, sign in, and by the time I'm ready, there's a free booth. I vote, and am on my way within 10 minutes. Today my ballot was #9 into the box! So to all my friends and co-workers who say it's too much of a chore or it takes too long, etc, I always say bunk!
I didn't vote. First time since I was 18 and I'm 38 now. I'm disgusted with the mudslinging in CA. All the props can be overturned in court. Even locally, it's a joke. I just got the "lecture" from my dad who lives down the street. I know better, but don't care this year. I've always had the theory that if you don't vote, you have no right to complain, so I'll have to keep my mouth shut this year. Hope I have a better attitude in the future.
I am going to have to have a little chat with our Commissioner of Elections.
A couple of cycles back, we got electronic voting machines. Really dandy, the results are in almost instantly. Really bad, for one reason. The "VOTE" button is just about at kid and pocketbook height. Parents will take kids into the voting booth. Kids like to push buttons. Ooops. Yesterday afternoon, I took some candy bars over to our devoted poll workers for an afternoon sugar "high" and this lady was screeching in the booth. Seems she hit the "VOTE" button with either her pocketbook or her umbrella and she wanted to start over. Not.
I will do this right after I complete my design for a cordless phone that you can't turn off by tucking it between your ear and your shoulder.
Walter Mondale has been a personal family friend for more than thirty years. He is a kind, true gentleman of high moral character who has demonstrated the highest level of statesmanship. He has unselfishly devoted his life to serving others. He has been the portrait of civility. Sir, I would ask you have you given your life to your family, community, state, nation and the world, as has Walter Mondale, or are you just another armchair political groupie with an uninformed opinion and little respect for those who have endeavored to do the right thing? When, if ever, did you put yourself on the line for the public good? A statement like this is nothing more than litter. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Location: Wisconsin....about 100 miles south of the Frozen Tundra and 70 miles east of Camp Randall
Posts: 9,382
Re: POLL: Will You Vote Tomorrow/Today?
Dear Bob - whatever your political and personal leanings, any program that Mr. Mondale started was scrapped because they were too costly and ineffective. I respect people who stick to their beliefs and serve this country, but I also reserve the right to speak out against those who are wasting my hard earned dollars (and before you think I am "rich" I am lower middle class who is just about to be run out of my state because a "spend, spend, spend" democrat was just elected our governor) - the only hope I have is that our state legislature went from split to totally republican controlled - I live in a tax hell (Wisconsin) and am sick and tired of being used as an endless source of revenue when I am on the brink of not being able to afford to live here. We can all agree to politely disagree here - but I am glad that for once a party that is more interested in personal responsibility is in power rather than the party (which is populated by those multi millionares like Kennedy) which thinks I am a bottomless pit of money that they can tap into again and again. I do not mean to offend anyone and, as always, this is jmho,.
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Crown Princess 1/18/14....the NEW Me, Myself and I cruise!
Dear Lisa, I think you missed my point about W.M. I hate to see any jabs at the men and women who have devoted themselves to public service, regardless of their political affiliations. Unless one has put one's self on the line, one cannot know how truly demanding public service is. We need to respect the efforts of those with whom we identify politically and those with whom we do not, as long as they have demonstrated a high level of character. Viewpoints different from our own should be expressed, as they give us choices in the marketplace of ideas. Sometimes the presense of an opposing position will only strengthens our own. It is obvious that you, like me, are a Republican. As a fiscal conservative, I also have some strong opinions about the way my money is managed by those in government. I, however, prefer to examine expenditures on an individual basis. That is why I am more than disgusted by the pork barrel politics of BOTH parties. I feel I would be hypocritical pointing a finger at the Democrats, when members of my party have been guilty of the same "sins". In fact, I am ashamed to admit that our Republicans in Congress have actually surpassed the Democrats in pork barrel spending. Thanks to our GOP Texas Congressmen and their ridiculous greed for their home districts, we should change the term to "longhorn barrelling", to be more accurate. It is awful how much of our personal income is spent on worthless programs, but you are misguided if you believe the blame belongs only with the Democrats and Walter Mondale. It is too easy to lump all of the "sins" of the past and place blame on one party and one man. As to your "tax hell" in Wisconsin, if you would move to another state, I'm sure you would discover all kinds of "hells". You are very fortunate to live in such a beautiful state, with such nice people and a great educational system. Your students consistently rank in the top three nationally on standard tests. Unfortunately, excellence comes with a price tag. Good luck, and continue exercising your freedom of expression, even when you are wrong. God Bless America!
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POLL: Will You Vote Tomorrow/Today?
I'll be voting - it is just too close a race all the way around in Texas. They are really slinging the mud here too - so bad that they all sound like losers and makes it hard to pick which one might be less of a loser than the other! 
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