View Full Version : Now that your ballot is cast...
dado potato
9-22-20, 12:25pm
I would like to make this thread a place for fellow Simple Living Americans to express thoughts and feelings or perhaps share a story of the experience of voting in the elections set for November 3.
Absentee ballots for DW and me arrived in yesterday's mail. We each marked our own and witnessed for one another, as per WI law. I visited the City Clerk this morning in her office and delivered our ballots into her hand.
I was looking forward to casting my ballot, because now I have done my bit to affect the outcome. Any campaign advertising is wasted on me now. I can tell any canvassers that I have voted, and I can expect they will quickly go on to the next person on their list. I can tune out the news and podcasts about this election, because any further information will not influence my actions as an elector.
As I was walking home from the City Clerk's office, I remembered a line from James Weldon Johnson's Lift Every Voice and Sing:
...facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
let us march on 'til victory is won.
3443
ApatheticNoMore
9-22-20, 12:55pm
ballots haven't even been mailed out yet
(nor have official voter guides to propositions etc.)
ballots haven't even been mailed out yet
(nor have official voter guides to propositions etc.)
My daughter received her absentee ballot from the county, all the way over in the UK, and has already voted.
My regular "vote-by-mail" ballot from the county has yet to be mailed.
frugal-one
9-22-20, 2:08pm
Received our ballots as well. Never heard of Constitution or American Solidarity parties. There were 5 possibilities for president.
Our election office will be open two weeks prior to November 3rd. It is open until 7:00 p.m., so DH and I will go by one evening and vote there. I attended a Zoom meeting last week for a professional association I belong to. The speaker was the county's election commissioner. He did a lot to reassure me on the processes and procedures they follow and how seriously they take their jobs.
We voted by mail this week. Wisconsin makes it pretty easy if you have a valid ID.
I honestly don’t believe the various conspiracy theories about the Post Office. If they can handle the Christmas rush, they can handle some extra ballots in the system.
Teacher Terry
9-23-20, 2:10pm
It took a letter 18 days to go 35 miles here. I have informed delivery from the post office so know when my mail is coming. Sometimes it only comes every 2 days despite having a bunch on both days. Yes there’s a issue.
One anecdote does not a pattern of conspiracy make.
frugal-one
9-23-20, 5:23pm
We voted by mail this week. Wisconsin makes it pretty easy if you have a valid ID.
I honestly don’t believe the various conspiracy theories about the Post Office. If they can handle the Christmas rush, they can handle some extra ballots in the system.
Who knows? Many boxes have been taken away since Christmas and DeJoy said they would not be replaced. The word is this is going to be a record turnout. Look at Milwaukee and how the primary went. I am dubious.
The good news is now there are other places ballots can be deposited. Here it is at the village office and at many city halls in the state. I think that is a good thing.
It was time for refills on my one med that is free to me from the pharmacy but is available over the counter for cash if needed. So I took a chance with the pharmacy’s offer to mail it for free. I requested this on sept 17 and it’s still not here. The pharmacy is 5 miles from my home. Hmmm
My USPS delivery has been essentially flawless here for 20+ years.
In the last few months, it has been hilariously bad.
Could just be the pandemic.
catherine
10-3-20, 11:35am
I just got my Early Ballot for Grand Isle!! And I've been singing this song to DH:
"I'm gonna vote today!
I'm gonna vote today!
BIDEN! HARRIS!
BIDEN! HARRIS!
I'm gonna vote today!"
I'm rubbing it in because he's still not registered to vote in VT. If he doesn't register, chances are he won't to go NJ to vote for Trump--and not sure he'll get an absentee ballot. This may be one very important election where we don't cancel out each other's votes!
Just got an email from Cook County Elections Commission that my ballot is in the mail.
Jane v2.0
10-3-20, 12:02pm
I'm hoping to get mine soon.
I'm thankful the courts haven't looked kindly on DeJoy and his assault on the USPS. Reports are coming in that postal employees around the country are defying his edicts. There's a special place in hell for someone who would attempt to destroy such an important institution.
Just put mine in the Dropbox. Felt great.
iris lilies
10-4-20, 5:30pm
Here absentee ballots were mailed out September 23. I still don’t have mine.
So, just a comment on why I decided to vote for Biden, as opposed to the Green Party candidate, Bernie via write-in. Boy, I was SO tempted when I filled out that ballot to write in Bernie.
But I am sold on the notion that unless Biden has a commanding lead there will be no peaceful transfer of power. There may not be one no matter what if Biden wins, but I feel that the wider the margin, the more difficult it will be for Trump to spin the election into a "fraud."
ApatheticNoMore
10-5-20, 6:30pm
But does even the margin matter if it's not a swing state, I mean if a state is not contested it's not contested it seems to me. I can certainly see voting for Biden to send the most direct symbolic message against Trump, but I can't see even pretending my vote in California is anything other than symbolic, whatever I did with it, I could symbolize against Trump, I could symbolize for 3rd parties, it's all symbolism, ANOTHER MILLION votes for Biden in California will jack up the popular vote totals for Biden but will have zero impact whatsoever on who is president. We don't like him and he doesn't like us, but we stay together for the kids. I WILL NOT DO A WRITE IN though. I don't think anyone even counts those. 3rd party votes are counted.
I got email notification that my ballot has been mailed out to me and I should have it in 5-7 days. It worked out to be easy since we have motor voter registration so mine got updated when I changed my address with the DMV last week.
There’s a ballot drop box at the local library so I will be filling it out and returning it as soon as it arrives. Not that my vote matters since CA is a forgone conclusion For the presidency. But there are a ton of ballot issues.
Just got my ballot. There is a drop off box in my town at city hall.
happystuff
10-6-20, 2:28pm
Dh and I personally handed ours in at our local post office this morning. DONE!!
ApatheticNoMore
10-6-20, 3:39pm
I'd have to research stuff, it's California, we'll have 20 ballot measures or something to vote on, only some of which I am familiar with. It's a research project, every election. And the ballot measures that failed last time, that some interest wants, will be magically resurected to vote on again in a new guise. So done yea if I had been researching long before but I didn't.
As much as I hate Cook County, they seem to be on the ball with mail in ballots. They verify signatures and such as soon as they receive them. Enter them in the system. Radio interview said they have them in the system and ready to officially count as soon as the polls close on Election Day. Seems to be a pretty good system as some states apparently don’t verify signatures until the polls close.
rosarugosa
10-7-20, 5:44pm
DH & I got our ballots in the mail today and we each got two. That means we can each vote twice, right? :devil:
DH & I got our ballots in the mail today and we each got two. That means we can each vote twice, right? :devil:
That’s what trump told people to do.
DH & I got our ballots in the mail today and we each got two. That means we can each vote twice, right? :devil:
Sure you don’t live in Chicago? :D
A uniformed Chicago police officer is stationed at each Chicago polling place. Probably due to the history of election fraud.
rosarugosa
10-7-20, 6:10pm
That’s what trump told people to do.
He probably didn't mean people like us, though. I suppose since we live in MA, once will be adequate.
I also got my ballot today. I am voting for Greens Hawkins and Walker and in other races for 2 Democrats, 3 Republicans, and 1 Democratic write-in. I voted for right to repair and for ranked choice voting.
frugal-one
10-7-20, 11:03pm
We got ballots mid-September and decided to hand-deliver to village office today. The virus is rampant here so decided against early in-person voting. Voted for the only one who can beat the moron in office now. Saw yesterday that so far 43.5% of absentee ballots have been turned in. Hope it is a record vote!!!!
Watched the vice-president debates tonight and the moderator did a terrible job. Hope the fact checkers relate the actual facts.
Watched the vice-president debates tonight and the moderator did a terrible job. Hope the fact checkers relate the actual facts.
Indeed. How many times did pence not even give a vague nod to the question before launching into an unrelated talking point and then using up way more than his allotted time.
Saw yesterday that so far 43.5% of absentee ballots have been turned in. Hope it is a record vote!!!!
That is a really high percentage, with the election almost a month away! I am really happy to have got mine in already; it feels great, just wish my husband's ballot would arrive.
Indeed. How many times did pence not even give a vague nod to the question before launching into an unrelated talking point A lot! He may have even equaled the number of times Harris did it.
A lot! He may have even equaled the number of times Harris did it.
It’s interesting. At the end of the debate I texted a conservative leaning friend (not trump conservative but traditional balanced budget, limited government, unlike has been in power at any time in his life) that I didn’t think the debate swayed anyone. He responded with a resounding ‘Kamala crushed it’. I was stunned because although he intended to grudgingly vote Biden he was extremely disappointed with the pick of kamala.
Jane v2.0
10-8-20, 12:02pm
I've long been impressed by Senator Harris; she was a good choice.
I only watched snippets of the debate, but from what I saw, at least she answered the questions put to her, unlike Pence. That ploy used to work pretty well for me in Italian class, but I'm surprised it works on a presidential level.
I'm currently reading a profane little tome by "Aldous J. Pennyfarthing" that sums Pence up as "an oleaginous house ferret." (Apologies to weasels everywhere)
ApatheticNoMore
10-8-20, 12:29pm
All I heard from the debate is Biden won't ban fracking, not surprising of course, but wow these candidates are bad :(. It's California policy of course, keep increasing fracking, so not surprising there either.
I couldn't even watch, maybe I will, but I find them both so dis-likable (uh not denying that Trump is also dis-likable in the Prez debate, in an over the top way that turns off most everyone).
I may vote Green for all it matters (none whatsoever of course), there's maybe 1 in 1000 Republicans I would consider voting for anything (still have a soft spot for the govinator), so yea not voting Republican for anything.
Jane v2.0
10-8-20, 12:33pm
...
I may vote Green for all it matters (none whatsoever of course), there's maybe 1 in 1000 Republicans I would consider voting for anything (still have a soft spot for the govinator), so yea not voting Republican for anything.
At least your "govinator" recognized we have an environment worthy of defense, unlike the varlets in power now.
Husband got his yesterday and we will post it to the town box today.
feels great!
If it was my choice I would throw them all out. I am so tired of the Pelosi/Schummer/Trump/Biden Circus. I think they are all fricken crazy - and with that said - no we haven't voted, haven't even received our ballots yet. Here in Oregon of course we have been doing mail in ballots for years, I like it. At first I missed going to the polling place - it seemed more like I was really doing my civic duty.
And there ARE abuses with the mail in ballots. Not the way Trump is talking about - but more on the personal level. For example I had a co-worker who had very strong political views. His wife could care less. So he did his ballot AND hers, she signed it and it was like he was getting two votes. >:(
rosarugosa
10-11-20, 6:54am
I got a third ballot yesterday. Someone isn't doing something right.
I got a third ballot yesterday. Someone isn't doing something right.
Oh, that doesn't build confidence. I keep getting calls from Jaime Harrison in South Carolina, and we haven't lived thee in seven years, so hoping there's not a ballot floating around out there for me in a different state.
iris lilies
10-11-20, 8:37am
Oh, that doesn't build confidence. I keep getting calls from Jaime Harrison in South Carolina, and we haven't lived thee in seven years, so hoping there's not a ballot floating around out there for me in a different state.
Yes, three ballots would be about right for the Democratic St. Louis machine.
Rosa, I’m gonna have to tell my Republican friend in New Hampshire about your multi ballot experience. It will make her head explode.
Jane v2.0
10-11-20, 11:05am
Your precinct will have only one listing for you, so it's mostly just a waste of paper--not a scandal.
Maybe your area has little experience with mail-in ballots? Thank goodness we have had plenty of practice.
iris lilies
10-11-20, 11:08am
Your precinct will have only one listing for you, so it's mostly just a waste of paper--not a scandal.
Maybe your area has little experience with mail-in ballots? Thank goodness we have plenty of practice.
Yes, an extensive program of mail in ballots is a bad idea for those states that are Not geared up to deal with it efficiently and accurately.
No kidding.
Jane v2.0
10-11-20, 11:12am
Yes, an extensive program of mail in ballots is a bad idea for those states that are Not geared up to deal with it efficiently and accurately.
No kidding.
In fairness, it's not like anyone could have planned for a mass contagion event. Or could they?
Maybe they wouldn't have this problem if they had scheduled a crash of the state voter registration site on the last day of registration, like Florida (a state with a noted history of republicans intentionally making nonfunctional websites for state services) did.
Maybe they wouldn't have this problem if they had scheduled a crash of the state voter registration site on the last day of registration, like Florida (a state with a noted history of republicans intentionally making nonfunctional websites for state services) did.Sort of like the original Obamacare website?
gimmethesimplelife
10-11-20, 12:16pm
Will fill mine out today and will place in the mail at a post office tomorrow. Will of course vote blue. Lives depend on it. I see a GOP landslide loss coming and relief and joy throughout the neighborhood. And also a great deal of the US. Rob
iris lilies
10-11-20, 12:17pm
Sort of like the original Obamacare website?
Didn’t the Canadians have something to do with that?
damn, if it’s not the Canucks, it’s the Ruskies. We are assaulted from all sides.
But incompetence has no allegiance, that is the real lesson. Or perhaps the real lesson is recognizing incompetence over actions of malcontent is most important.
iris lilies
10-11-20, 12:20pm
Will fill mine out today and will place in the mail at a post office tomorrow. Will of course vote blue. Lives depend on it. I see a GOP landslide loss coming and relief and joy throughout the neighborhood. And also a great deal of the US. Rob
I won’t say you are wrong about a GOP decisive loss, but I would caution you to Google something like “Hilary’s lead in October 2016” and you will find those hits showing Hil up by 12% to 16% sobering.
But incompetence has no allegiance, that is the real lesson. Or perhaps the real lesson is recognizing incompetence over actions of malcontent is most important.I think Hanlon's Razor explains it all: "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."
iris lilies
10-11-20, 12:32pm
In fairness, it's not like anyone could have planned for a mass contagion event. Or could they?
I do appreciate my state’s broadening of allowed reasons to get an absentee ballot, and waiving requirement for notary.
I do appreciate my state’s broadening of allowed reasons to get an absentee ballot, and waiving requirement for notary.
Mine apparently has too. I've only voted absentee ballot once, in 2000 as we were travelling in Europe during the election. We had to go through hoops to get the ballot, including copies of airline tickets and itinerary.
Just spent an hour filling out my ballot. Colorado has been doing mail-ins for several years and I can just drop off at the library ballot box when I am out tomorrow. Surprised me to see 21 presidential candidates including Kanye West (I thought that was a joke). It is always the state and municipal amendments that get me as the language is confusing.
rosarugosa
10-11-20, 4:53pm
I think Hanlon's Razor explains it all: "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity."
That is one of my favorites, along with "nothing is foolproof for a sufficiently talented fool."
I don't think our area is experienced in large numbers of mail-in ballots. We did get mail-in ballots for state primaries a few months ago though, and those arrived one per customer as expected.
rosarugosa
10-11-20, 4:58pm
We voted absentee once because we were going to be in Bermuda during the election. We went to the town hall, where we were given ballots, bent paper clips, and pieces of Styrofoam to place the ballot on while we punched holes with those "special tools." I've heard people talk about using voting machines at the polls, but my experience has been a far cry from that, lol.
We voted absentee once because we were going to be in Bermuda during the election. We went to the town hall, where we were given ballots, bent paper clips, and pieces of Styrofoam to place the ballot on while we punched holes with those "special tools." I've heard people talk about using voting machines at the polls, but my experience has been a far cry from that, lol.
I only ever used voting machines in the elections I voted in while living in Michigan from 1988 to when I moved to IL in 1996. In IL, it's been paper ballots that you usually marked with a black marker.
Rosa, when I was in college and voted absentee (probably the 1988 election), I remember getting the piece of Styrofoam to place behind ballot while I punched it out on the floor of my bedroom!
iris lilies
10-11-20, 5:16pm
That is one of my favorites, along with "nothing is foolproof for a sufficiently talented fool."
I don't think our area is experienced in large numbers of mail-in ballots. We did get mail-in ballots for state primaries a few months ago though, and those arrived one per customer as expected.
ah, so the corruption is at the higher level.
You know, I don’t want to play into Donald J Trump’s hand here but…
rosarugosa
10-11-20, 5:23pm
I think it is probably a matter of incompetence, but rest assured that we will each only be submitting one ballot.
iris lilies
10-11-20, 5:26pm
I think it is probably a matter of incompetence, but rest assured that we will each only be submitting one ballot.
Oh I didn’t think that you would do anything but submit one ballot! But aren’t you curious to know what the explanation for this ridiculous circus is? I would love to know what the election office answers when you call to report you got three ballots.
Washington State has been doing all-mail ballots for years now, and seems to know what they are doing.
Even my small county during the last election here recently kicked back my ballot and contacted me because the signature didn't match. I had recently suffered an arm injury, and my handwriting was distinctly different as a result, and they caught it, though to my eye it looked pretty much "close enough".
Sort of like the original Obamacare website?
That was likely just incompetence in the management of it. A reasonable assumption since presumably the administration wanted it to work. The Florida unemployment went site, on the other hand...
That was likely just incompetence in the management of it. A reasonable assumption since presumably the administration wanted it to work. The Florida unemployment went site, on the other hand...
IL is a Dem run state and has been for decades. The unemployment website here was a bunch of BS.
I finished my ballot today and resisted a write in for Cuomo/Fauci for the presidential selections. I counted 3 or 4 drop box locations within easy bicycling range of my home and will drop it off tomorrow. I was clear on most everything but the mandatory reintroduction of grey wolves. It has seemed a little more rewarding than other voting experiences.
catherine
10-11-20, 8:47pm
I finished my ballot today and resisted a write in for Cuomo/Fauci for the presidential selections. I counted 3 or 4 drop box locations within easy bicycling range of my home and will drop it off tomorrow. I was clear on most everything but the mandatory reintroduction of grey wolves. It has seemed a little more rewarding than other voting experiences.
Very interesting! Are you serious about the write in? Just wondering.
As for the grey wolves question, wondering about that.. what put you in the fence?
frugal-one
10-11-20, 8:58pm
I just finished watching "60 Minutes". I don't usually watch it but found it very interesting and thought you might too. Said in the last election trump won by 77,000 votes from 3 states. So, IMO, those who are writing in or voting for "non-contenders" could realistically reelect trump if this situation happens again.
Also, told about how trump in 2017 listed Redesivir as a company that he gained profits from. Showed trump now touting Resesivir as a "miracle" drug since he supposedly took it for COVID.
60 Minutes also discussed The Lincoln Project (a group of 30 plus year Republicans) ... who was heading it up, etc.... found it interesting that Kelly Ann Conway's husband is one of the original founders. Discussed that many "negative' ads seen on tv and social media are paid for and from The Lincoln Project and not the Biden campaign. I will have to pay more attention to see who is actually paying for ads.
Said in the last election trump won by 77,000 votes from 3 states. So, IMO, those who are writing in or voting for "non-contenders" could realistically reelect trump if this situation happens again.
Perhaps for people living in particular precincts in those 3 states.
In my state, there is simply no way anyone but Biden will win the delegates. Unless something terribly strange happened. I am completely free to vote for whichever candidate I choose, without any chance whatsoever of it effecting this year's presidential results.
catherine
10-11-20, 9:12pm
60 Minutes also discussed The Lincoln Project (a group of 30 plus year Republicans) ... who was heading it up, etc.... found it interesting that Kelly Ann Conway's husband is one of the original founders. Discussed that many "negative' ads seen on tv and social media are paid for and from The Lincoln Project and not the Biden campaign. I will have to pay more attention to see who is actually paying for ads.
Yes, the Lincoln Project has a very impressive campaign against Trump, and you're right--George Conway is one of the founders. Unfortunately, it seems that George and Kellyanne's differences have cost them their family--they have both backed off of their jobs to focus on their family issues.
Very interesting! Are you serious about the write in? Just wondering.
As for the grey wolves question, wondering about that.. what put you in the fence?
No, I wasn't serious. I actually saw a home made yard sign today for Cuomo/Fauci 2020 and assumed it was indented as cynical humor, but who knows. I enjoyed a little humor from it anyway.
Grey wolves were indigenous to our state (maybe like Vermont) and the intention of the re-introduction I think was to return wildlife to a more natural state and to introduce an apex predator to help balance elk and deer populations. Rocky Mountain National Park has so many elk that they are somewhat tame and routinely stroll through the local town. They have had government hunts to reduce the population, but public hunting is prohibited. There is also speculation that chronic wasting disease in deer maybe a result of overcrowding for their available range. Examples of wolf introductions in other states seem to have gone with few problems. I think those are the basic arguments for.
The ranchers are worried that they may be a threat to their domestic livestock, even though there is a program to compensate for wildlife damages. People in populated areas don't seem to do well with apex predators. Also there have been documented reports of a small pack in the extreme north of the state, probably coming down from Wyoming, that will eventually naturally repopulate. It has seemed to me like even though wolf were originally native, there is a new balance that has worked fairly well and there are other means of population controls. My concern was that there would just be a new set of problems with wildlife balance and human interaction.
At least those are the issues I picked up. I voted yes for reintroduction, but could have gone the other way.
catherine
10-11-20, 10:29pm
No, I wasn't serious. I actually saw a home made yard sign today for Cuomo/Fauci 2020 and assumed it was indented as cynical humor, but who knows. I enjoyed a little humor from it anyway.
Grey wolves were indigenous to our state (maybe like Vermont) and the intention of the re-introduction I think was to return wildlife to a more natural state and to introduce an apex predator to help balance elk and deer populations. Rocky Mountain National Park has so many elk that they are somewhat tame and routinely stroll through the local town. They have had government hunts to reduce the population, but public hunting is prohibited. There is also speculation that chronic wasting disease in deer maybe a result of overcrowding for their available range. Examples of wolf introductions in other states seem to have gone with few problems. I think those are the basic arguments for.
The ranchers are worried that they may be a threat to their domestic livestock, even though there is a program to compensate for wildlife damages. People in populated areas don't seem to do well with apex predators. Also there have been documented reports of a small pack in the extreme north of the state, probably coming down from Wyoming, that will eventually naturally repopulate. It has seemed to me like even though wolf were originally native, there is a new balance that has worked fairly well and there are other means of population controls. My concern was that there would just be a new set of problems with wildlife balance and human interaction.
At least those are the issues I picked up. I voted yes for reintroduction, but could have gone the other way.
Interesting. Thanks for presenting the issues.
My ballot has been cast. I dropped it at one of the real drop boxes today. Not one of the sham ones the republicans are putting up.
Voting in Marin was decidedly less interesting than San Francisco. The only local ballot measure was whether to increase my town’s hotel tax by 2%.
catherine
10-12-20, 7:09pm
My ballot has been cast. I dropped it at one of the real drop boxes today. Not one of the sham ones the republicans are putting up.
Voting in Marin was decidedly less interesting than San Francisco. The only local ballot measure was whether to increase my town’s hotel tax by 2%.
Small town living is definitely different. Our police blotter last week consisted of pursuing and identifying the people who stole 40 cookies and a "tackle box" from a street side honor-system bakery. Of course, the tackle box had the money from the people who actually paid for the baked goods.
We love the fact that the biggest perp of the year in Grand Isle is the Cookie Monster.
Small town living is definitely different. Our police blotter last week consisted of pursuing and identifying the people who stole 40 cookies and a "tackle box" from a street side honor-system bakery. Of course, the tackle box had the money from the people who actually paid for the baked goods.
We love the fact that the biggest perp of the year in Grand Isle is the Cookie Monster.
Indeed! And we're perpetually amused by "big bird" and his family, as SO calls the gaggle of wild turkeys that come around behind our place on a daily basis to eat their meals. I don't know what's out there but it's obviously good eating for them. They literally show up for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And this despite it being a dangerous "hood" for them. The night we closed on the place we came over and spent the evening out on the patio celebrating our purchase with a friend who lives nearby. At some point shortly after sundown we heard a gunshot. About 20 minutes later a cop knocked on our door. He was going around putting people at ease about that. Apparently someone had shot one of the turkeys...
Just got an email advising that my ballot was received and will be counted. Hopefully my efforts to stir up the board of the community college will bear fruit.
Catherine, I am surprised there is not more drunk boating crime on your police blotter--that seems to make up a lot of our police blotter activity, along with drunken people walking down the street.
dado potato
10-19-20, 10:13am
I looked at pictures from Jacksonville, Florida this morning, the first day of early in-person voting in that state. The line-ups in Duval county caused voters to wait up to a half hour to enter the polling station. Some folks brought lawn chairs before dawn, so as to have a prior position in the line-up. Other counties reported line-ups with waits under 30 minutes.
Our early voting began this morning in our county. From what I hear, there was a line a couple of blocks long, but everyone was cordial and was able to complete their voting within 30-45 minutes. I plan on going Wednesday morning at 8:00 on my way to work.
Seattle's ballot drop boxes filled up several days ahead of schedule, so people are getting their votes in in record time. I'll post mine tomorrow.
catherine
10-19-20, 5:01pm
3472
Yikes! I hope you're going with my guy! ;)
Maryland sent an email that our ballots are there! In the Board of elections.
I just discovered that my County is live-streaming the ballot handling/counting process so we all can observe. Nifty
rosarugosa
10-22-20, 6:04pm
We did the mail-in ballots but dropped them off at the town hall ballot box. I helped my mother complete her ballot. She kept asking me "Who is Pence?" She probably shouldn't even be allowed to vote, but she was very insistent on doing her civic duty, even if she didn't know what she was doing. Her choices ultimately turned out to be remarkably similar to mine, lol. She called me today to ask if she had voted, and I assured her that she had, and that I had verified receipt and acceptance of our ballots online. She was relieved, but I suspect I will get to answer this question a bunch more times in the next week, since it probably doesn't feel to her like she voted, because she didn't go to a polling place. I was really relieved that she could do a mail-in ballot, since I can't picture us at a polling place with me helping her complete her ballot and explaining who Pence is with a straight face with a bunch of other people around.
My mother couldn't come up with the name of who she voted for. She finally said The Green Guy.
Simplemind
10-22-20, 6:38pm
We voted by mail on the 19th and it was received and counted on the 21st. I love Oregon voting.
My Dad arranged to visit his husband in the rehab center today to make sure his ballot got filled out and signed. Husband fell and broke his hip last week, and will be stuck there for weeks. They arranged a covid-safe ballot exchange protocol with the medical folks.
DH and I voted early last Wednesday at our election office. It was very efficient and well-organized, lots of COVID precautions.
rosarugosa
10-26-20, 6:32pm
Sorry about your dad's husband, Bae.
mschrisgo2
10-26-20, 9:24pm
I dropped my ballot in the town hall ballot box 2 weeks ago. Now I just don’t want to hear any more election propaganda, too too much nasty and lies and bullying.
[also will be SO glad when open enrollment for health care ends. Enough already!]
Just got an email my ballot has been received.
frugal-one
10-27-20, 3:25pm
Unbelievably, the supreme court TODAY said WI has to have all ballots in by 8pm on election day, whereas, they allowed PA to have date postmarked Nov 3 and (I believe) 6 days to have them tallied (shouldn't this set a precedent?). In the Green Bay area, 13,500 ballots were printed incorrectly and the timeframe to correct will take longer than possible. People In WI are told to go vote in person because, most likely, there is not enough time to have mail delivered in time. This, along with gerrymandering, is disgusting. I hope people come out in droves and beat the system!!!
BTW.. trump won WI by a mere 22,000 votes in 2016!
Unbelievably, the supreme court TODAY said WI has to have all ballots in by 8pm on election day, whereas, they allowed PA to have date postmarked Nov 3 and (I believe) 6 days to have them tallied (shouldn't this set a precedent?).
Voting rules are set by the individual states so I would think the actions of one state would not set a precedent for others. That's not how things work.
Voting rules are set by the individual states so I would think the actions of one state would not set a precedent for others. That's not how things work.
It would also be of interest to look at why the Court decided each case, I suspect the fact patterns were a bit different...
That level of investigation may not play well on Outrage Media though.
Voting rules are set by the individual states so I would think the actions of one state would not set a precedent for others. That's not how things work.
And yet in the Pennsylvania case 4 justices were willing to weigh in against the Pennsylvania Supreme Court‘s authority in making a decision involving the state’s constitution, not federal law 🤔
Nearly seven weeks after this thread was started election day has finally arrived and I can offer a response to the "Now that your ballot is cast" premise. It was easy peasy, less than 15 minutes between entering the building and leaving and that includes scanning my ballot so that I knew it would be counted. I know that's something all you early voters were worried about.
I wasn't worried, as our ballots are trackable--so even though I left mine in an unlocked mailbox--I was able to check in a few days later and see that it had been received and counted. Everyone should be able to do likewise.
I simply deposited my vote-by-mail ballot in the official ballot box at the senior center here on the island, which is an option provided for those who prefer not to use USPS.
Weirdly, our small little county had more official drop-off boxes than huge counties in Texas. Saved quite a few people the bother of rowing over the open ocean to the county seat.
I simply deposited my vote-by-mail ballot in the official ballot box at the senior center here on the island, which is an option provided for those who prefer not to use USPS.
Weirdly, our small little county had more official drop-off boxes than huge counties in Texas. Saved quite a few people the bother of rowing over the open ocean to the county seat.
Yeah--that would have been a bridge too far for me. Literally.
frugal-one
11-3-20, 3:25pm
I simply deposited my vote-by-mail ballot in the official ballot box at the senior center here on the island, which is an option provided for those who prefer not to use USPS.
Weirdly, our small little county had more official drop-off boxes than huge counties in Texas. Saved quite a few people the bother of rowing over the open ocean to the county seat.
The Republican governor is doing all he can to make it difficult for people to vote. Hope that is remembered by his constituents!
dado potato
11-4-20, 5:47pm
To me, it was encouraging to hear how the voting went, and to sample the emotions... which can run deep when people cast their ballots. So I thank all who contributed to this thread.
I was just a kid when I read The Loyalty of Free Men, by Alan Barth. And incidentally I found the book on my father's bookshelf. Dad "liked Ike". I feel a stirring to find a copy of the book and read it again, with men, women and gender-fluid persons in mind..
To me, it was encouraging to hear how the voting went, and to sample the emotions... which can run deep when people cast their ballots. So I thank all who contributed to this thread.
I was just a kid when I read The Loyalty of Free Men, by Alan Barth. And incidentally I found the book on my father's bookshelf. Dad "liked Ike". I feel a stirring to find a copy of the book and read it again, with men, women and gender-fluid persons in mind..
My family liked Ike, too--and he was worlds away for what passes for Republican these days.
My family liked Ike, too--and he was worlds away for what passes for Republican these days.
There have definitely been some stellar Republicans. Teddy Roosevelt and Lincoln come to mind, as well as Eisenhower. Can't think of any beyond that. I liked Reagan's optimism and joie de vivre, but certainly not his economic policies.
My family liked Ike, too--and he was worlds away for what passes for Republican these days.Yes, although as I understand it just about everything evolves. Back in Ike's day Democrats were still trying to enforce segregation and electing Klansmen so they've seemingly evolved a little too.
happystuff
11-6-20, 2:36pm
Yes, although as I understand it just about everything evolves. Back in Ike's day Democrats were still trying to enforce segregation and electing Klansmen so they've seemingly evolved a little too.
And now they seem to have all moved onto the Republican side. Yes, everything evolves.
And now they seem to have all moved onto the Republican side. Yes, everything evolves.Lots of people and institutions construct narratives to separate themselves from their history. The "they became Republicans" one is a good example.
happystuff
11-6-20, 2:43pm
Lots of people and institutions construct narratives to separate themselves from their history. The "they became Republicans" one is a good example.
Yes, I expect to see quite a bit of that going on in the coming days, weeks, months, etc. ;)
Lots of people and institutions construct narratives to separate themselves from their history. The "they became Republicans" one is a good example.
Well they obviously didn't vanish into thin air. Where did they go?
Well they obviously didn't vanish into thin air. Where did they go?A lot of them died of old age and the remainder changed their strategy of control from brute force to economic stimulation, which has proven a more effective way to engender political support while keeping the masses in line. That and a several generation long PR campaign to define themselves as moral crusaders and everyone else as racists has even given them a false sense of superiority. A genius move I think, shallow and misguided, but genius.
Here’s something that shows how quickly labels change their meaning:
https://www.history.com/topics/us-politics/republican-party
There have definitely been some stellar Republicans. Teddy Roosevelt and Lincoln come to mind, as well as Eisenhower. Can't think of any beyond that. I liked Reagan's optimism and joie de vivre, but certainly not his economic policies.
The economy--despite what Republicans want you to believe--always does better under Democratic administrations:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2016/11/07/trump-is-right-about-one-thing-the-economy-does-better-under-the-democrats/?sh=6a418b466786
Except for the oligarch overclass, maybe. But they're a tiny minority.
The economy--despite what Republicans want you to believe--always does better under Democratic administrations:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2016/11/07/trump-is-right-about-one-thing-the-economy-does-better-under-the-democrats/?sh=6a418b466786
Except for the oligarch overclass, maybe. But they're a tiny minority.
I've always considered the government's influence in the economy as a lagging indicator of policies such as regulation or expansion of free markets. Others obviously disagree.
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