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

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[sciatrix]

_{I still want to hear!}

[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.

[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.

[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.)

[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!

[kore]

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

[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!"

[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

[tanaqui]

I want to hear, too! ALL of them. :-)

[tanaqui]

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

Glad you got your sticker!

[tanaqui]

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

[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. :-)

[tanaqui]

Yay!

[tanaqui]

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

[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!

[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!

[tanaqui]

That's fantastic news about the heavy turnout throughout early voting. I hope lots of the Dems you voted for get in. And I think we all have our fingers crossed for Beto O'Rourke. :-)

[tanaqui]

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

[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

[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. ;-)

[tanaqui]

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