I Voted!

[tanaqui]

Use this post to tell us you voted -- whether today, in early voting or by mail -- and what it was like.

Was it busy when you voted? Did you have any nice encounters and conversations when you went to vote? See any good or unexpected signs? Or any cute dogs? (Cute dogs at polling stations are a bit of a tradition in the UK -- I don't know if it's the same in the US!)

Did you persuade any friends, family or co-workers to go and vote?

Oh, and have a sticker.



(source: Wikimedia commons)

Comments

[jjhunter]

I voted early for my 30th birthday, and encouraged every friend who texted me or otherwise contacted me to wish me happy birthday to also consider early voting. :D

[tanaqui]

Oh, that's very smart-sneaky! And Happy 30th Birthday!

[aurumcalendula]

I voted early by mail. I filled it out over the course of two days in October, and mailed it on my way to work. My polling place is relatively close to be, but I like being able to take my time (and look up the people running for judge or school board)

I’m not sure if I persuaded people to vote, but I did remind my mom to vote by mail, and over the last couple days I’ve been texting relatives and friends reminding them to vote.

[tanaqui]

Yay for early voting and for researching those down-ballot races. (Being from the UK, where we usually vote on just one race -- or at the most two, with separate ballot papers -- US voting forms never cease to amaze me.)

And good work on the reminders!

[redbird]

I voted early, last Friday, and waited in line a few minutes at Somerville City Hall to do it. I noticed at least one person picking up and reading a copy of the official guide to the ballot measures, and heard someone else saying they were "just going to vote the straight party ticket." (Given electioneering rules, I didn't ocmment or ask which party.)

They gave us special "I voted early" stickers; mine fell off my jacket before we got downstairs.

I could have voted more conveniently today, because my polling place is right across the street, but I wanted flexibility/availability for last-minute volunteering today.

[tanaqui]

It's great to hear people were trying to educate themselves on the ballot measures. Congrats on voting early and I hope the volunteering goes well.

[gingicat]

I voted! And there was a line, even!

(7:07AM, Medford MA, Ward 1 Precinct 1)

[tanaqui]

Woo-hoo! Lines are good (more people being engaged enough to vote is always good) -- as long as you don't have to wait too long.... :-)

[jenett]

I voted first thing this morning (I was ballot #18 at my precinct, they were doing steady business with a short line when I left at 7:12 or so...)

There was indeed a cute dog, and I learned by listening to one of his owners chat with someone who asked to come pet the nice dog that his other human had just gotten citizenship and was inside voting for the first time.

(And then I helped someone find the right precinct on the way out, she'd just moved.)

And I have a sticker.

[tanaqui]

A cute dog AND an inspiring story? JACKPOT!

Also, well done for helping someone find the right place to vote. :-)

[tassosss]

I voted! No line but a steady flow such that all the cubbies were filled. I went an hour after polls opened.

[tanaqui]

Sounds like a perfect voting experience. :-) (Let's hope there's a perfect result....)

[bridgetmkennitt]

I voted in early voting. There were a lot of people in line before and after me, but the line moved relatively quickly. My state tends to have at least 50% do early voting.

[tanaqui]

Glad to hear waiting in line wasn't too frustrating. I hope early voting being busy means good things for the results. :-)

[julian]

I voted early, the day of the Pittsburgh shooting, when I couldn't do anything for any of them except vote for the future.

It was fnarking pouring rain, so I felt very pathetic fallacy about it, but everyone was very cheerful, I got in in the last 15 minutes it was open, and the woman next to me and I agreed that it was a good day to vote. (In that any day is a good day to vote.)

I stuck my "I voted early" sticker on my car, but it's since fallen off.

No bake sales then; I'm gonna go do a Yes On 3 (for trans rights) standout in a bit and see if the polling place has any today.

[tanaqui]

I'm glad that, on a day like that, you had something you could do that might (and hopefully will) make a difference, even if it didn't offer any immediate relief to those most affected. A good thing for you and a good thing for everyone in the long term.

Hope there's a bake sale to reward you for doing the standout!

[sporky_rat]

I was #68 at my precinct (all the local precincts vote in the same building, it's easier), and I only had a few moments wait while they made up my card and a booth cleared up. No animals, but the polling building is at the fairgrounds, so they don't not animals except service animals in the building. Too many smells to excite them.

I do have my sticker!

[tanaqui]

Sounds like a good experience (and understandable they don't allow animals).

Glad you got your sticker!

[grammarwoman]

My husband and I separately did early voting, over a week ago. He walked right in and had a ballot within a minute, I had to wait for one person ahead of me.

Now the waiting!

[tanaqui]

Fingers crossed that the waiting brings good results where you are!

[kore]

I early voted by 'mail' (ballot drop box) on my birthday and got a virtual sticker from the King County website! I do miss the ritual of going to the polling place and being ticked off the list and turning in my ballot, but I have to admit doing it all at home is much less stressful. Last election, the ballot drop boxes got stuffed so full they had to start taking them out early. The poor box is just kind of sitting all by itself with no security guard or even camera trained on it that I could see. I had the urge to stick around and defend it, LOL. Last time there were lines on the day! http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2017/11/election-day-on-capitol-hill-and-the-broadway-ballot-drop-box-is-busy/

[tanaqui]

Oh, I'd be all worried about a lonely, unattended dropbox, too -- except from the pictures, it looks like it might be able to take care of itself! (Apart from anything else, it's a lot bigger than I was imagining before I clicked on the link.)

Glad to hear you still get a (virtual) sticker even though you don't go to the polling place. :-)

[alexseanchai]

Vote by mail in Oregon. Done.

[tanaqui]

Yay!

[wolby]

Voted this morning in DC in the rain! I wish I could say I voted for a lot of Dems, but in a one-party town like this, I may have voted for more progressive independents overall. Especially when you count passive-aggressively writing in for mayor and council chair, whose real elections were the Democratic primaries in June.

[tanaqui]

Sorry about the rain and the annoying ballot, but I hope you get some good results.

[alchemise]

Voted by mail a week ago! I do a standing request for a mail in ballot because I frequently work 12 hour days on Tuesdays. This year, I'm actually working from home and could have gone in person but since it's pouring out I'm glad I mailed it anyway.

[tanaqui]

Yay for voting by mail -- both to let people vote who might otherwise struggle to make it to the polls AND for keeping you out of the rain!

[lb_lee]

Wait, you people get cute dogs at voting? I WANT CUTE DOGS AT VOTING!

Haven't voted yet, but will in an hour or two. I have it on good authority that the voting place is having its usual bake sale (run by the school we vote at) and I look immensely forward to salving my political woes with a muffin or something.

[tanaqui]

We get cute dogs, but we don't get bake sales or stickers (or not that I've ever seen), so you shouldn't be too disappointed. Of course, the best of all worlds would be cute dogs, bake sales and stickers EVERYWHERE!

Hope voting goes well and there's a suitable baked reward for you!

[sciatrix]

I voted on the very first day of early voting and was at the polls at about 8:15. Noticed a few people in line and I was ecstatic--I've never seen a line to vote early in Texas, not even in a presidential race, and definitely not on a college campus that early in the morning. I wasn't sure about a few of the municipal ballot provisions and I hadn't yet nailed down my nonpartisan local races, so I sat down and worked those out for about fifteen minutes or so before I got up to go vote. The line had gotten longer in the meanwhile--there were maybe a dozen people ahead of me then. So I stood there for a few minutes chattering excitedly with the undergrad standing behind me until it was my turn and then bounced right up to the ballot. I did vote a straight Dem ticket, but I also distinctly checked my ballot at the end and didn't get hit by the error with the Senate vote, so I cast my vote for Beto O' Rourke as I intended to.

I've seen long, long lines at both the UT Austin polling stations throughout early voting season. Today I am not on campus for reasons of terror, but I have faith in my county to get the vote out despite Republican attempts to suppress it statewide.

[kore]

That is awesome! I saw this in the Guardian: https://twitter.com/kellysandill/status/1059815019905540099?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

"Election Day morning voting line at Pumpkin Park/River Oaks in the heart of #TX07. Have worked this location every E-day since 2008 and don’t remember a line like this!"

[sathari]

Early-voted the first day in my state! And there was a line, even at a probably-off-peak time. People wanting to vote, yes, please.

[tanaqui]

Yes, please, indeed! A real sign that people are determined to make their voices heard. :-)

[slashmarks]

I voted today in Pittsburgh! About 12:30 so I wasn't surprised not to see lines, but there were other people coming in and out to vote at the same time.

[tanaqui]

Yay for voting on the day! Sounds like your polling place was doing steady business, but you sensibly picked a good time to vote. ;-)

[glass_icarus]

I mailed in my ballot in mid-October or so, since I'm currently living outside the US, and have been intermittently posting on fb in hopes of convincing/reminding friends who weren't already having similar convos to vote. My sister and I also tag-teamed our parents: she talked to my mom over the weekend about voting even if they don't necessarily feel like citizens, and I sent them a "happy voting day" text today as an extra poke. (My dad replied to say he'd voted already, so there's a good chance my mom went along too.)

[tanaqui]

Good work on spreading the message to friends and tag-teaming your parents!

[starlady]

I voted by mail last week since I thought I'd have to be at the office today. Out on my run this morning I passed my favorite local polling place (not mine), which is just straight-up someone's driveway + garage. There were a few people out there exercising the franchise. Great weather for democracy in California!

[tanaqui]

Good work on being organised! I can see why that polling place is your favourite -- it sounds great. And yay for having great weather: that always helps with turnout. :-)

[kore]

Voting while being an astronaut!
https://twitter.com/airandspace/status/1059847886328999936

[tanaqui]

That's really cool to know! Thanks for the link and also the ones below. :-)

[kore]

Also loved these Alaskan I Voted prints featuring wildlife with "I voted" stickers, including a walrus on a snowmobile, a moose, a raven, a beaver.... https://store.alaskarobotics.com/collections/frontpage

[kore]

The Guardian has some amazing coverage here https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2018/nov/06/us-midterms-elections-2018-latest-live-polls-news-updates-donald-trump-republicans-democrats.

Hurricane Michael survivors determined to vote: https://twitter.com/JamilesLartey/status/1059910759113732099?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

[lavendertook]

I voted mid-afternoon with an unusually long line in my liberal enclave of a town.

[tanaqui]

Good to hear that that voters are energised and engaged where you are. I hope you didn't have to wait too long!

[ilyena_sylph]

Voted right after work!

I was no.892 (plus howevermany electronic), which is high for any year!

[tanaqui]

Yay for getting it done on the way home. And I hope the high turnout means you got some good results. :-)