Stupid Guest Tricks

My solution is even simpler: vote absentee.

GaTechGal wrote:I believe that was in Philidelphia (the city of brotherly love)

Ah, yes, that was it...not sure why I thought Indianapolis... :D:

Shorty82 wrote:I have a simple solution I've used in past elections to speed up my time in the booth. I take the sample ballot that is printed in the newspaper and mark on it my choice for everything being voted on. I take that with me to the polling place and just transfer the selections. This way I'm in and out fast and don't have to go "who was I going to vote for this office?" or whatever and spend time thinking about it.

Hmm, we get the sample ballot mailed too us, with the different propositions and amendmetns. ITs from the registrar of voters, so its not slanted one way or the other.

the address has the polling place location.

we usually get it two or three weeks before the election. both DW and I go over all the stuff and make the selections, then take it with us.

speeds up the time considerably, especially when you consider that some of the propositions are written in such a way that a "yes" vote might not be what you want, and so on!! we can read and decide before having to get to the booth!

felinefan wrote:My solution is even simpler: vote absentee.

Or vote at the Advance Polls, like I went and did.

Mind you, I didn't realize encouraging Early Voters had become a Campaign Tactic, and was thus not prepared when I got to the Advance Polling station and found the line stretched out the door and around the parking lot of the mall it was in.

On Absentee (or "Vote-by-Mail" as California now insists they be called) Voters, I also have a SGT (and a SPWT - Stupid Poll Worker Trick) regarding them, as well.

Here in Orange County, voters have the right to drop off completed Vote-by-Mail ballots at any Polling Place in the county. This is (supposed to be) a fairly simple process, proceeding something like this:

Voter: Hi there, happy, smiling Poll Worker! I would like to submit my completed Orange County Vote-by-Mail ballot!

Poll Worker: Sure!

*At this point, the Poll Worker is supposed to check that it is sealed and is properly filled out. Once they do that, they just then drop it in the Ballot Box*

Poll Worker: Thank you! Would you like a sticker?

Voter: Sure!

Instead, we got the following:

People demanding to vote at the polls after their Vote-by-Mail ballots had been dropped in the Ballot Box (we have a seperate procedure if they want to get rid of the Vote-by-Mail ballots and vote there instead).

We even had one person play out the 'Voter Supression' card and claim that we were trampling on the basic principles of American Democracy, despite the fact that if we had given her another Ballot, we would have been doing just that by violating the principle of 'one-man, one-vote' .

And the SPWT - I was taking a break and watching one of the other Poll Workers when I noticed a Poll Worker telling a Vote-by-Mail-er to put stamps on their ballots. This despite the fact that they're never sent through the Post, and despite the fact that it was not really appropriate (if someone doesn't have a stamp with them, then we've just disenfranchised them :eek :) . Thank goodness, everyone else saw it and put a quick end to it.

GRUMPY PIRATE wrote:Hmm, we get the sample ballot mailed too us, with the different propositions and amendmetns. ITs from the registrar of voters, so its not slanted one way or the other.

the address has the polling place location.

we usually get it two or three weeks before the election. both DW and I go over all the stuff and make the selections, then take it with us.

speeds up the time considerably, especially when you consider that some of the propositions are written in such a way that a "yes" vote might not be what you want, and so on!! we can read and decide before having to get to the booth!

We did that....in and out of our local polling place (garage) in less than 10 minutes.....No happy smiling poll workers,oddly enough

glendalais wrote:We even had one person play out the 'Voter Supression' card and claim that we were trampling on the basic principles of American Democracy, despite the fact that if we had given her another Ballot, we would have been doing just that by violating the principle of 'one-man, one-vote' .

Must have been from Chicago. In the old days they usually saw at least 105% voter turnout.

Mayonnaise wrote:I can only assume such people are being thrown by smaller local elections they got their own district wrong for. A neighboring New York Assembly District had a VERY heated race this year, and ran TONS of adds on local radio. I heard quite a few people look at the demo ballot, and then get confused wondering where these two men who have been sniping at one another were on the ballot.

I agree...I had no problem with the national elections, but, the local one threw me. I think it was because of the hightened political participation. Usually there aren't enough candidates running to fill the needs in some of the small things. Justice of the Peace is one of the biggies. Usually they ask you to vote for no more than 15 people and there are only 12 on the ballet. No problem choosing. This year there were 21 on the ballet to fill 15 spots. What to do...what to do?

There are a lot of things I care about but who the Justices of the Peace are in our area...not so much. It still took me awhile to scan the names because I was trying to be a responsible voter. After going through the list and picking names that I recognized, I stared at it for awhile before I just said...lets take the first one's I come too. So all you folks who's name starts with S thru Z, I'm afraid your name kept you alphabetically out of the running. Sorry!

long time ago Mr. Stock came in and did not have his name on the list of voters. His family was but not him. He was known in town for not being a very nice man, bad attitude. I checked every possible place in the records but nothing so I told him he had to vote provisonal.

Imagine an irate little white dude, about 60's or 70's that looked like he came from a kansas farm or the backwoods. I got the whole pile of spewing manure about how I was denying him the right to vote. Later I get a call from the voting office and I explained everything including the rage. Seems his wife called, Mr. Stock was so sick that he might have to go to the hospital, and that it was my fault because I denied him his right to vote.

I nearly killed Mr. Stock because the idiot who knew about voting never asked where his sample ballot was. I am so mean, lol.

There were some dooseys but worst was old ladies. In 1948 she started working polls so we have to do everything HER WAY. Also there was the racists and the idiots who would screw up everything.

I quit and felt a lot better.