Comments on: Voting Problems Roundup: Election Morning

Problems Are Popping Up In Several Key States

[ifso]

i agree with NANCY_NAIVE. this is the south but are these types of things happening in other minority polling areas? are they happening in areas where Democrats hold the numbers? in my view no matter what happens with the vote the Dems will be kept out of the office.

[faleyg123]

Please help us in virginia... Losing our right to vote.

In Virginia:

Dozens of polling places are experiencing varying degrees of machine malfunction. Some polling places are either completely closed or have been closed for hours.
Thousands of voters may have been turned away illegally by polling workers.
Voters have illegally been issued with provisional ballets where machines have been broken.
Students at Virginia Tech, previously the victims of misinformation, have seen their polling place suddenly and unexpectedly moved six miles to a location with little parking

[jsmithcsa]

I voted this morning at about 945 and had no problems at all -- my family and I were in and out in about 15-20 minutes.

[kathblack]

I voted around 9am and only had 2 people in line ahead of me. Was out of there in less than 5 minutes and it only took THAT long because it was our first time using the paper ballots and there was a bit of a learning curve - well, that and a pen running out of ink. I find it funny that everyone thinks voting problems are to be blamed on the republicans - I smell democrat voter fraud BIG TIME this election... just look at the key states that are crying fraud and having the most problems. It doesn''t take a rocket scientist to figure it out.

[olderthnadam]

The USA: the laughing stock of the world, again and again and again. Why the f**k can''''t you folks even organize an election? You want to spread democracy all over the world but are unable to guarantee your citizens an election where every citizen can vote and where every vote counts. Guys, you really suck!

Posted by teutonicus at 01:19 PM : Nov 04, 2008
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Because we do it on a state by state basis. Every state has it''s own methods and rules. Some states do it very fairly and efficiently and others do a terrible job. We probaly need new ferderal guidelines or rules but my fear is "Which model would they use?", the one that works best or the one that works best for the party then in power. I live in a state that does a good job now and I don''t want to go backwards because some other state can''t get it''s act together.

[lilmouse571]

I live in Washington County, Utah. The reddest county in the reddest state in the country. I voted early for Barack Obama. I don''t think I''ve seen more than 10 Obama bumper stickers or yardsigns combined (and one of each was mine!). One of my neighbors even threw a bag of garbage at my yard when I put my Obama sign out. My neighbors! This is how red this state is.

I just wanted to say that my friend voted Friday (early) and she pressed "Vote All Democrat" instead of doing each one seperately. Her ballot came out with McCain on it! She was able to get it changed and I advised her to tell the newspaper and Election office here, but a lot of good that would do. It''s just another way to trip the machines. I voted each one seperately and got Obama the first try. How stupid do these cheaters think we are? For crying out loud, they''ve duped us so much, that if we allow it again, the rest of the world will give up on our stupidity and get together and blow us all to Kingdom Come! C''mon GOP. Take your electoral beating like grown-ups and quit trying to railroad the American people.

[sunrsdawn]

very upset! my vote will not count, I''m a voter in a key state of Florisa, and filled out online,an absentee voter application on time, because i am out of state and NEVER recieved my ballot. I tried to call for 6 days straight to my so called supervisor of elections , and she never returned my calls, finally today the operator answered and i told him what happened, he told me that my ballot went to a P O BOX WHat? I gave them a specific address to send my ballot, and that it would never happen again.WHAT? are they serious?now my voters right is no good! HOW MANY OTHER VOTERS DIDN''T GET THERE BALLOTS? HUMM THIS ELECTION IS A CIRCUS. I WHAT THIS STORY ON THE NEW''S

[slrob]

I never have a problem voting. First of all, I am registered as a permanent mail in voter in San Diego, CA. I get my nice scannable "paper" ballot weeks in advance and take my time filling it out. I can mail it in or just drop it off at the polling place on Election Day. No lines, no machines to break down or mis-count. How great is that? Why is this not available to every American?

Secondly, when I have voted, there was never a line at my polling place and there were plenty of places to vote even when we had the punch card ballots that required dedicated stations to allow punching.

It is inexcusable that voting has to be so hard and time consuming for some people and I worry that about the effect it may have on the election and our nation. We are supposed to be the example of democracy in the world and what are we showing them?

[slrob]

I never have a problem voting. First of all, I am registered as a permanent mail in voter in San Diego, CA. I get my nice scannable "paper" ballot weeks in advance and take my time filling it out. I can mail it in or just drop it off at the polling place on election day. No lines, no machines to break down or mis-count. How great is that? Why is this not available to every American?

Secondly, when I have voted, there was never a line at my polling place and there were plenty of places to vote and that was when we had the punch card ballots.

It is inexcusable that voting has to be this hard for some people and I worry that about the effect it may have on the election and our nation. We are supposed to be the example of democracy in the world and what are we showing them?

[G H M]

Are we there yet?
It took two years to get here.

[gettyleigh-2009]

More head games are coming your way. Along with the media, Obama and his Chicago style Political Machine have been consistent throughout the election in crushing the hopes of people who support of his opposition. Likewise, they have massaged your subconscious into believing if you don%u2019t vote for Obama, you are somehow racist. During the primary elections with Hillary Clinton and in general election with John McCain and Sarah Palin they have done three things to convince us that our candidates could not win. They believe we are weak minded and easily manipulated. Control your own destiny; do not vote for the government to control your destiny. Do not fall for these tricks.

(1) Calls for McCain to just give up and quit, because the race is over.

(2) Wild claims of Obama winning states that shock and surprise you

(3) Repeated insistence that blacks and young people will decide this election, and they are all going to vote in record numbers for Obama.

[wogerwabbit]

I voted for Obama at about 10:30 this morning in Southwest Virginia and waited in line for the first time ever while voting here... not long, only 3 or 4 people ahead of me, but when I was done voting there were at least a dozen people in line and more coming. I''m glad to see people are taking this seriously.

[obbcbs]

the conservative strategy is to make it harder for Democrats to vote.

Its time for all voting by mail, like in Oregon.

Tell your local state senator. End the lines, vote by mail.
End fraud by computer, vote by mail.

[ruralvoter]

I was the first to arrive at my polling place this morning and voted right away. We use paper ballots and an optical scanner and sit at tables equipped with cardboard table-top privacy screens so quite a few people can be accommodated at once. We''ve never had a problem and rarely wait more than a few minutes at most. Perhaps this lower-tech method works best? Just a thought . . .

[ruralvoter]

I was the first to arrive at my polling place this morning and voted right away. We use paper ballots and an optical scanner and sit at tables equipped with cardboard table-top privacy screens so quite a few people can be accommodated at once. We''ve never had a problem and rarely wait more than a few minutes at most. Perhaps this lower-tech method works best? Just a thought . . .

[ruralvoter]

I was the first to arrive at my polling place this morning and voted right away. We use paper ballots and an optical scanner and sit at tables equipped with cardboard table-top privacy screens so quite a few people can be accommodated at once. We''ve never had a problem and rarely wait more than a few minutes at most. Perhaps this lower-tech method works best? Just a thought . . .

[ruralvoter]

I was the first to arrive at my polling place this morning and voted right away. We use paper ballots and an optical scanner and sit at tables equipped with cardboard table-top privacy screens so quite a few people can be accommodated at once. We''ve never had a problem and rarely wait more than a few minutes at most. Perhaps this lower-tech method works best? Just a thought . . .

[justnutherjo]

"We can go into the most bombed out third world nation (after having made it that way), Iraq, and in 3 months organize and run an internationally supervised election and yet we cannot seem to do so in very city in which our Democracy was born."

Where I live, the elections are run entirely by Democrats. From the secretary of state down to the county election workers.

[charliep51]

here we go again, the republicans attempting to steal the election.
it is the medias job to get this in check.
Terrible!

[justnutherjo]

"We can go into the most bombed out third world nation (after having made it that way), Iraq, and in 3 months organize and run an internationally supervised election and yet we cannot seem to do so in very city in which our Democracy was born."

Where I live, the elections are run entirely by Democrats. From the secretary of state down to the county election workers.