My polling experience

[jojodancer]

This is NOT a political thread, but it was a funny experience and I thought I'd share.

I work from 6:30-3:30, so I hit the polls right when they open at 6:00, and maybe get to work a bit late. No big deal, I've always been one of the first people in line and gotten out of there pretty quickly.

Well I just moved, so this is a new location for me. I found it without a problem, but the signage was horrible. There were 2 precincts in the elementary school gym - and no signage saying which precinct was where! I just *happened* to end up in the right line. Ahhh - it would be a good day!

There were probably 40 people in line - no problem, there are about 10 voting booths (2 electronic, 8 manual) - the line should go fast. OMG! It was so slow! I attribute this to a few factors:
(1) no signage saying which precinct was where
(2) people not bringing voter ID cards, so they don't know which precinct they are in, so the workers have to troll through huge books
(3) apparently the check-in lines were divided alphabetically - and no signage! so people were in the wrong line

wouldn't you know it - my new last name put me in the long check-in line, if I had kept my maiden name, i'd be in the short line. The day is getting worse....

as I finally get to the check-in guy, i realize there is another reason why the line is moving slow, the guy, well, um, was mentally retarded. honestly, yes, I'm not making a disparaging remark, he really was mentally retarded. he was having trouble finding people's names and doing the right stuff. (at this time, I still don't know if my ballot will be counted, I don't think he did it right)

so it took me 20 minutes to check in (remember there were only 40 people or so in line). Then we have to go to another line to get our ballot. well, the way the tables were set up, all the lines were converging in one location, so it was hard to figure out which line to get in. I got in the right line, and got my ballot. (the day is getting better)

At this point, I realize that the 2 electronic voting machines are broken. People are waiting in line, and the election officials aren't letting them change to a manual ballot. So they are just stuck there, waiting in line, until a cook county official can get to the gym and fix the machines.

I, being brilliant, say "i want to do the manual ballot, please" well, guess what! they had run out of pens. it was 6:40AM and they had run out of pens! these are special pens, with special ink, to check for voter fraud. so now they have 4 pens, and 8 booths. hello? (the day is getting worse)

While I'm waiting in line, a person emerges from the manual polling booth, trips over the extension cord and sends her booth flying. the other ones shuffle, and the person next to the one that toppled over, has to catch her table before it falls over too. greattttt. Maybe she was trying to steal one of the magic pens? (yeah, a worse day....)

this was a giant charlie foxtrot, if you catch my drift. they are expecting 80-85% percent voter turnout. can you imagine what it would be like if everyone voted? it was 45 minutes into election day, and already my polling location was hosed up. I'm glad i got there early, I think that things can only get worse.

I felt like i was in a sitcom - a bad episode of seinfeld, or "treehouse of horror 20"

[Jen]

Wow. Sorry you had to go through all that. Maybe you at least got a chuckle out of it? Hope its not that rough if/when I go.

[Forum Administrator]

Yikes! That sucks! That is what I was expecing to run into when I went to the polls tonight at 5:30pm after I got off work, but I was pleasently suprised that it only took me 5 minutes to sign in and cast my vote! I was expecting there to be be MANY more people beyond those that were there. I dont know if I should be happy I didnt have to wait, or sad that there werent many people at the polls.

[jojodancer]

Oh yes, I laughed. You couldnt' do anything BUT laugh.

[bellaferrets]

I was able to vote a week ago and it was chaos. It took two and a half hours of waiting in line in the freezing cold with no hoodie. This year has been my first year voting, so i was excited.

my expierence got much worse.

Earlier the next morning my brother had sent me bumper stickers supporting our candiate. i proudly displayed it on my car and later took my friend out to dinner. It was about 7pm when we got out. Im a horrible driver, so i told my friend to drive. the drivers side door wouldnt open. i told her to pull and it let out a loud creak. I got out and it turns out someone rammed in the drivers door with their car.(it still had red paint chips on itand scratches all along the side) on the windshield was a post it saying "you're a loser..you shoud have voted for ********. we called the police and it was put down as destruction of property :/ Luckily my uncle was able to pop out the dent a bit to where we can now open it and get in. it still creaks a little.

Just bc i didnt vote for you guy....theres no reason to be violent

[Jen]

Wow, sure am sorry that happened to you, bellaferrets. I hope that doesn't keep you from you from voting in the future. I hope we don't see any more of that. Shame on those people.

[jojodancer]

bella - that sucks! I agree with Jen, I hope that doesn't stop you from voting in the future. The nerve of those guys - I mean REALLY! This is a demoracy, which means we can vote for any number of candidates which run. If we only had one candidate, or were told we had to vote for a certain cadidiate, it would be like we were in some sort of dictatorship, you know?