Voted in a church (I'm okay with it, though the warm weather had their A/C messed up and it smelled of cigarette smoke and beef stew). The poll workers were an old couple that bickered at each other the entire time I was waiting ('bout a half hour). Cbus has the touch screens which I really don't like, give me a piece of paper. I'd also like a purple finger.

Voted in a church (I'm okay with it, though the warm weather had their A/C messed up and it smelled of cigarette smoke and beef stew). The poll workers were an old couple that bickered at each other the entire time I was waiting ('bout a half hour). Cbus has the touch screens which I really don't like, give me a piece of paper. I'd also like a purple finger.

 

That's an odd smell for a church.  Actually, that's an odd smell for anything.  We had paper ballots that we filled out with either blue or black ink that were scanned into a machine and counted.  I hope.

^You mean the big gray and black machine that looked like a giant paper shredder?

All polling places should be in schools so kids can see that voting is important, community-oriented and special.

My voting experience was quite moving.  I live in Over-the-Rhine, a neighborhood with lots of Obama support.  I have never, ever had to wait in line to vote in my 19 years of voting at this same location (actually our location was at the local school, but that changed a few years ago because of the sexual predator issue I believe). The church at which we now vote did need to add a handicapped ramp to comply.

 

At 7am the line was out the door and moving slowly.  Comments of people in line were things like "we've waited long for this" and "what a beautiful day".  A guy behind me said he lives at the Drop Inn Center (local homeless shelter).  It took me about an hour to get through the line and vote, which might not seem unusual, but if you knew my neighborhood, you would know that this was very unusual, especially since we have many vacant buildings in our district.

 

Very cool.

good idea

I would suspect that the trend is the opposite - less community-oriented. Voting patterns are shifting towards early voting and absentee ballots.

 

As a transplant from Florida (where absentee ballots are extremely popular) I can attest that remote voting is a superior experience to in-person voting.

^You mean the big gray and black machine that looked like a giant paper shredder?

 

I wondered what the loud noise and garbage can behind the machine were all about.  :(

I disagree.  There is something about heading to the polls with many other fellow citizens and neighbors.  It feels right.  It feels American.

I disagree. There is something about heading to the polls with many other fellow citizens and neighbors. It feels right. It feels American.

 

Thats right! America, the best country in the United States buddy!

I disagree. There is something about heading to the polls with many other fellow citizens and neighbors. It feels right. It feels American.

 

Which is exactly why I chose not to vote early or by absentee.  I wanted to vote on Election Day with my neighbors.  :)

I saw mine.

Everyone was alll "Hey! Who let you in the door?" or, " Line long enough for ya?"

My voting experience was quite moving.  I live in Over-the-Rhine, a neighborhood with lots of Obama support.  I have never, ever had to wait in line to vote in my 19 years of voting at this same location (actually our location was at the local school, but that changed a few years ago because of the sexual predator issue I believe). The church at which we now vote did need to add a handicapped ramp to comply.

 

At 7am the line was out the door and moving slowly.  Comments of people in line were things like "we've waited long for this" and "what a beautiful day".  A guy behind me said he lives at the Drop Inn Center (local homeless shelter).  It took me about an hour to get through the line and vote, which might not seem unusual, but if you knew my neighborhood, you would know that this was very unusual, especially since we have many vacant buildings in our district.

 

You and I had two very different experiences in the same neighborhood.  I and my wife walked right in.  No line whatsoever.

Lines are gone from the polling place across from my workplace - maybe everyone in the burbs is at work, and didn't think they could get in and out in time.

...There is something about heading to the polls with many other fellow citizens and neighbors.  It feels right.  It feels American.

 

Straight up agree. I even make a point of bringing the kids. My son popped out of bed this morning at 6AM and his first words to me were "Let's go vote daddy!"

Arrived at Harding Middle School in Lakewood at about 7:55am.  No lines, though there was a constant stream of people and the booths were pretty much full the whole time.  Out by 8:10.

 

This year instead of each table having their own set of 4 or 5 dedicated booths, they pooled all the booths in the middle of the gym and all the tables shared.  I liked this much better.  In years past, I've had to wait for a booth in my section while others where open.

In and out in less than 5 minutes.  No crowds whasoever. Pee wee herman got my vote as a write in.

I voted in a local Catholic church's school gymnasium here in Warren. Got there about 1045am was out about 5 minutes later. There was a good number of people voting when i was there, but no long lines. I think there were maybe 6 people in front of me in my precinct.

Woke up at the crack of dawn. Nothing special happening at my polling place.

 

My cousin, his girlfriend, my 7 and 15 year old nephews and 8 year old neice and my cousins' girlfriends son went together to vote.  Since we vote the Closest to their schools.

 

My parents, brother and SOL to my other nephew and Niece since the vote at Byron (I refuse to call it SH middle school  ::) ).

 

Uneventful all around.  I even made it back to NYC for my 1:15 meeting.

I'm not understanding how this is sensationalism? I would be intimidated by two gentlemen standing at a door, one with a night stick unless they were police.

 

Who cares?  Was that an UO members voting experience???

 

I thought this thread was about UO members not general news media.

 

Can we keep that crap out of this thread?

 

I never thought I'd say this, but MyTwoSense is right. Let's move on.

If it isn't your own personal voting experience, don't even f#cking think of posting it in this thread. :-)

 

What he said.

I'm not understanding how this is sensationalism? I would be intimidated by two gentlemen standing at a door, one with a night stick unless they were police.

 

Who cares?  Was that an UO members voting experience???

 

I thought this thread was about UO members not general news media.

 

Can we keep that crap out of this thread?

 

I never thought I'd say this, but MyTwoSense is right. Let's move on.

^Thank you!!

MTS, fair enough. That is a discussion for elsewhere.

 

My experience at the Corryville Library polling location in Cincinnati near UC's campus:

 

Walk in- guy in front of me doesn't have a current address on his license. Never filed for change of address. Doesn't have anything with current address. They sent him to his previous polling location where he was registered. I get in and vote right away. Longest ballot I've ever seen... (2 pages) I go to submit my paper ballot into the scanning machine and it rejects my ballot. The poll worker tells me there is something wrong with my ballot. (the machine said i overvoted in one field. I didn't. Paper error or something) It's take me asking him 4 different ways "What do I do to correct the issue- I can't erase, I can't use white out" It was as if the guy was illiterate. Finally they give me another ballot that I have to fill out and that one is accepted by the machine just fine.

 

All in all it took me 15 minutes maybe.

"Before Hamtramck, MI redrew its precincts, there used to be dozens of polling places within a 2.2 Square mile city. Many polls were in churches, but a few were actually in bars. " - kingfish

 

I'll take my canidate with a tall Sam Adams Draft please

 

Good to hear a majority of POSITIVE voting experiences...am looking forward to going tonight.

^Polling workers at a nearby church didn't know the alphabet and struggled mightily with my last name, despite there being a restaurant with it on the sign not 4 blocks from the polling place since the 1860's.  I voted on those same fill-in-the-square ballots.  The poll worker totally looked at who I voted for -- obviously those machines are fundamentally flawed if a poll worker has to instruct everyone on how to enter the paper ballots and in the course of doing gets to see who everyone voted for!  It was quite easy to see who anyone voted for because Obama was at the top and McCain was toward the bottom of the minor candidates.  Speaking of which, candidates were listed in alphabetical order with the exception of Obama, since I guess they used B instead of O so they could put him at the top. 

 

Also, in case anyone was wondering, I voted against a ban on the Corryville Kroger selling beer on Sunday, which somehow slipped onto the ballot. 

Straight up agree. I even make a point of bringing the kids. My son popped out of bed this morning at 6AM and his first words to me were "Let's go vote daddy!"

We agree.  :-o  That is cool.  (Though if EVERYONE brought their kids, I'd guess that could slow things down in some cases.)  8-)

^Polling workers at a nearby church didn't know the alphabet and struggled mightily with my last name, despite there being a restaurant with it on the sign not 4 blocks from the polling place since the 1860's.  I voted on those same fill-in-the-square ballots.  The poll worker totally looked at who I voted for -- obviously those machines are fundamentally flawed if a poll worker has to instruct everyone on how to enter the paper ballots and in the course of doing gets to see who everyone voted for!  It was quite easy to see who anyone voted for because Obama was at the top and McCain was toward the bottom of the minor candidates.  Speaking of which, candidates were listed in alphabetical order with the exception of Obama, since I guess they used B instead of O so they could put him at the top.

McCain was third on my ballot, below Nader and Baldwin.  Not sure where Obama was...

^Polling workers at a nearby church didn't know the alphabet and struggled mightily with my last name, despite there being a restaurant with it on the sign not 4 blocks from the polling place since the 1860's.  I voted on those same fill-in-the-square ballots.  The poll worker totally looked at who I voted for -- obviously those machines are fundamentally flawed if a poll worker has to instruct everyone on how to enter the paper ballots and in the course of doing gets to see who everyone voted for!  It was quite easy to see who anyone voted for because Obama was at the top and McCain was toward the bottom of the minor candidates.  Speaking of which, candidates were listed in alphabetical order with the exception of Obama, since I guess they used B instead of O so they could put him at the top. 

 

Also, in case anyone was wondering, I voted against a ban on the Corryville Kroger selling beer on Sunday, which somehow slipped onto the ballot. 

 

Where did you vote?? My ballot didn't have that beer issue on it. Nor were the candidates in the order you stated...

huh?

 

I had Obama as #3 on my ballot, and the sale of beer on Sunday was not even a citywide issue. Other ballots were identical -- the elderly lady who tore my ballot off of the sheet took her time, so I got a glance at multiple ballots.

 

Are you sure you were awake during voting? :P

"Before Hamtramck, MI redrew its precincts, there used to be dozens of polling places within a 2.2 Square mile city. Many polls were in churches, but a few were actually in bars. " - kingfish

 

I'll take my canidate with a tall Sam Adams Draft please

 

Good to hear a majority of POSITIVE voting experiences...am looking forward to going tonight.

 

More like Zywiec, Lomza, Okocim or PBR. Either way, Cheers!

 

Straight up agree. I even make a point of bringing the kids. My son popped out of bed this morning at 6AM and his first words to me were "Let's go vote daddy!"

We agree.  :-o  That is cool.  (Though if EVERYONE brought their kids, I'd guess that could slow things down in some cases.)  8-)

 

Hey man, I've told you before: I like you. As for kids slowing things down, I gave him the job of pushing the "NEXT" button. We made it out of the booth in under 5 minutes.

^^ Liquor license petitions are a "local option" in Ohio, and are only voted on by the individual precinct where the permit is to be issued.

 

11

SPECIAL ELECTION BY PETITION

LOCAL OPTION ELECTION ON

SUNDAY SALE OF LIQUOR

PRECINCT CINCINNATI 12-I

A majority affirmative vote is necessary for passage.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Shall the sale of wine and mixed beverages be permitted for sale on Sunday between the hours of ten a.m. and

midnight by Kroger Limited Partnership I LP, dba Kroger, a holder of a D-6 liquor permit who is engaged in the

business of operating a neighborhood retail grocery store and supermarket at 1 West Corry Street, Cincinnati,

Ohio 45223 in this precinct?

YES

NO

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Straight up agree. I even make a point of bringing the kids. My son popped out of bed this morning at 6AM and his first words to me were "Let's go vote daddy!"

We agree.  :o  That is cool.  (Though if EVERYONE brought their kids, I'd guess that could slow things down in some cases.)  8)

 

You would have thought it was Christmas.  My niece had my voting guide and asked me why I did I chose each person?

 

Did anyone find it hard to vote for a particular issue or candidate?

I couldn't vote for Hagan or Ohio Attn. General as I don't know enough about the candidates. 

 

Also, I wonder how people felt about reducing cleveland city council size?

 

I think I voted wrong on the Payday Loan regulation  :x

"Also, I wonder how people felt about reducing cleveland city council size"

 

Ab-so-frickin-lutely!

Did anyone find it hard to vote for a particular issue or candidate?

Also, I wonder how people felt about reducing cleveland city council size?

 

I don't like Steve Driehaus' views on immigration.  That made it difficult.  Chabot?  Eh.

 

Also, the Cincinnati issue for proportional representation and the Ohio issue for borrowing money for environmental purposes. 

 

Everything else was pretty clear cut.

^IIRC, there was a group in the Jewish community of either Cleveland Heights or South Euclid that took the city to court because they didn't want to vote in a church.

 

Yep, true story.  I, on the other hand, vote in a synagogue.  (OK, well it was a synagogue last time I voted there, but it moved this summer so the building is not a synagogue any longer.)

 

My voting experience was that the scanner machine broke as I was waiting in line to turn in my ballot.  I had to wait for them to try to fix it and eventually determine that the best plan of action would be to have all of us just shove our ballots into a nylon box that looked like a big square gym bag.  Arrived at 6:30, left at 7:35.

"Also, I wonder how people felt about reducing cleveland city council size"

 

Ab-so-frickin-lutely!

 

I was torn on that issue.

I think I voted wrong on the Payday Loan regulation :x

Why? 

I think I voted wrong on the Payday Loan regulation  :x

Why? 

 

I think I voted no

Yes. You voted wrong.

i voted up in fairfield using a machine. it went smooth, no lines. it printed a paper receipt under a plastic window that i got to view and ok which was kinda fun. i don't really understand why issues about specific programs and funding are constitutional amendments. can anyone explain?

I voted no also.  Seemed like unnecessary government regulation.

Yes. You voted wrong.

 

I "think" I voted wrong.  I'm just questioning my memory.  I don't believe in those "check cashing" joints anyway.  I think they should be outlawed altogether.

It took me a whopping 47 minutes to rollerblade from my house, vote, and then rollerblade back home. It was funny hearing all these overweight slobs falling out of their gas guzzling tanks telling me that i sure am helping the environment and i must love all the extra money in my pocket ny rollerblading instead of drivine, and that it must be great exercise. But after a long day at work i just smiled and nodded my head yes instead of asking them why they couldnt do the same, ah well. The 47 minutes is a lot better timing compared to the near 4 hours i waited to vote in my first election in 04 at arizona state. 

^

I got my Starbucks coffee and it was suprsingly bitter (I usually dont order coffee str8-up there).

 

(I love maydays pix of his polling place.  Cleveland ...got to love that old ethnic thing still goin on up there)

 

I took half a day off from work and voted around noon w. my honey at Washington Township hall (the new one, not the one in evil Centervill).  No problems, and just a brief wait for an open machine.  No pix as I asked the election office if I could take a pix of the inside of the polling place and he said no, only the press, or if I had press credentials, but we were both cool about it.

 

I did ask one of the little old lady polling workers about the turnout and she said it was big in the morning, with people in line out into the parking lot, so the township officials had them queue the line a differnent direction.

 

One of the things thats driving turnout here is a proposed merger study with incorporated Centerville.  I can assure you that there is bipartisan opposition, as you'll see "No on 48" signs along with McCain and Obama  signs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Township Hall.  Compare and conrast to Maydays polling place. 

 

 

as they say "We are Everywhere!"

 

(lone guy with sign is holding a No on 48 sign, anti merger referendum)

wanna give props to all the volunteers and workers at the polls in mayfield middle school. 

Friendly and made it easy...t/y

"(I love maydays pix of his polling place.  Cleveland ...got to love that old ethnic thing still goin on up there)"

 

Just to clarify, that wasn't the polling place - just one of a few "old guys" clubs in the area, but the surname-with-too-many-consonants is still representative of a good portion of the population.

1. Got home from work at 2pm (work 1st shift)

 

2. Walked down to the school (2 beautiful brick italianate lined blocks}

 

3. Greeted by lovely poll workers (always a nice bunch of elderly folks)

 

4. Cast my ballot within eight minutes (only 2 people ahead of me)

 

5. Walked back home (stopping to chat with a leaf raking neighbor)

 

As always, it was easy breazy!