Voting has been done.

[demiurgent]

I have voted. The place was packed, with a line out the door, but it was orderly and fast for all that. The volunteers told me that at the start of the day the line circled the parking lot. For a town that's not all that big, that's pretty amazing.

There were no ballot initiatives, which I knew going in. That seems amazing to me. I grew up in Maine, where there are always ballot initiatives. We have ballot initiatives on the years when there's no one running for office. And people go vote in them. They have three -- a Casino in Oxford County, a repeal of the tax that funds the Dirigo Health Plan, and a Bond for drinking water and wastewater treatment. I have no idea what the breakdown of these are or which is the right side, though as someone who likes to drop twenty bucks a night in a Casino, I'm entirely down with having one in the county closest to us. However, the fact that I would enjoy it doesn't mean it's a good idea -- I have no idea, for I have done no research other than to see what ballot initiatives there were.

But New Hampshire had no ballot initiatives this year. Just offices to vote on, from the Presidency down to the Registrar of Deeds.

The Unsmiling Bearded Men for Ron Paul were out. Their sign was for Rod Cool for County Commissioner. Apparently, they weren't happy with any choices in the Presidential election -- not even Bob Barr. I can nurse a private hope that they wrote in Ron Paul. And I can't fault anyone for supporting any man named "Rod Cool," regardless of his politics. I fully expect him to perform activities on behalf of the County Commission from the back of a Harley with a shotgun over his shoulder, should he win.

The ballot had no surprises. Ralph Nader was on it, as he always is now. He's listed as an Independent. Every time I see his name on a ballot in this late hour, I'm stunned at how little self-understanding the man possesses. Still, he is essentially irrelevant this time out. Bob Barr was on it for the Libertarians. One expects, though many Libertarians aren't happy with Bob Barr, that he will do okay here. New Hampshire is relatively kind to Libertarians in philosophy and affiliation.

It is a beautiful, sunny day here. Crisp but not cold. I have a sticker that entitles me to a free cup of coffee at Starbucks, though it's unlikely I'll get down there. Tonight I will drive to Maine, have dinner with my folks, and sit in their living room and watch results come in. I have always loved Election Day, whether my candidate was likely to win or not.

It's Election Day in the United States of America. This is our most sacred, most defining institution. This is what our entire culture has been founded on -- the right to choose for ourselves. And win, lose or three month recount cycle, I'm going to enjoy it.

Comments

[mrbankies.livejournal.com]

Voting was bog simple for me. No line, and they were still using the old reliable lever machine to collect votes, which I had heard was not to be the case this year.

[demiurgent.livejournal.com]

It was Fill In The Oval Optical Scan here. And the ballot was as unambiguous as I've ever seen.

[docstrange.livejournal.com]

Same here, no surprise, large town of 12K. Lot of people there at 11AM, but the scan ballots allow dozens of people to "vote" at once for the cost of a wooden stile with little curtain so the longest wait was for the three people in front of us waiting to check in. In and out in 10 minutes, plus a nice leisurely walk to a distant parking spot on a lovely day.

[mrbankies.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping we get some form of paper/optical scan in NY. Touch screen voting is TEH EBILS! Work of DA DEBIL!

[izzylobo.livejournal.com]

The new machines were in use - in part - in NY this year, for folks what have problems wit da seeing or the making with the levery functions and what not.

They are paper/optical scan, and retain the paper ballots for manual count if necessary. So even though they are Sequoia, who are apparently not totally legit (although not even in the same league, let alone ballpark as our good friends at "We aren't Diebold any more, no sirree), I'm not concerned - things look too outta whack, they can get hand-counted.

I'm gonna miss the old ka-chunk lever-operated mechanicals, though.

[elmo-iscariot.livejournal.com]

We had the same pushbutton machines I've used in Jersey for the past two elections. They work, they're clear, and while I wish they left a paper trail, they have that illusory security of familiarity. ;)

[dvandom.livejournal.com]

One of our candidates for Registrar of Deeds was named Regester.

[acoustic-rob.livejournal.com]

Here in Texas we actually have someone named Sam Houston running for State Supreme Court this year, which amuses my son to no end.

massive mailing ballot

[amigoid.livejournal.com]

We had a ton of initiatives and amendments from all sorts of organizations. So, we opted for mail in ballots which we researched and then hand-delivered back to the county clerk yesterday. The shrill pitch of the political ads was almost comical and the spin/prevarication put on a lot of them (It will force Firefighters to use unemployed schoolteachers to extinguish flames!!) was almost comical. We got a laugh from the "Boston Tea" party listed in the presidential ballots.

Re: massive mailing ballot

[demiurgent.livejournal.com]

...I would so vote for the representative of the Boston Tea Party.

[wednesday]

I have a sticker that entitles me to a free cup of coffee at Starbucks, though it's unlikely I'll get down there.

Does it expire today? Otherwise, put it on a piece of paper or something and hold onto it.

god, starbucks would rock right about now, overpoweringness of coffee-scent or no.

[demiurgent.livejournal.com]

God, I hear that, wife of wives.

[wednesday]

There are other wives? o_O

Anyhow:



(I blame Ard)

[demiurgent.livejournal.com]

:dies and is dead:

[wednesday]

I is widow?

[demiurgent.livejournal.com]

You is widow... of COMEDY!

[wednesday]

I killed comedian?

[demiurgent.livejournal.com]

Comedian is dead.

[wednesday]

Comedian has insurance?

[demiurgent.livejournal.com]

So, so much insurance.

[wednesday]

Tonight, there will be butter.

[gwalla.livejournal.com]

Only three initiatives? My ballot has something like twenty. (Berkeley, CA)

[dvandom.livejournal.com]

Yeah, at some point California decided that a little mob rule might be fun.

[m0usegrrl.livejournal.com]

The line this morning was non-existent, but then we have early voting here, and this year it was massively pimped out -- I tried several early voting places on Friday and they were SWAMPED. There were five ballot initiatives (including one to increase the room tax on hotels) and a buttload of judges I had no clue about, but I did a little bit of research and, more importantly, filled out and brought my sample ballot with. In, out, slapped with a sticker, and made it to work on time. ^_^

No Unsmiling Bearded Men for Anybody, though. I was sad. *sadface*

[archangelbeth]

We had no non-Democrat people holding signs, at our voting place. It was very odd.

I don't get the Bob Barr thing...

[ubersoft.livejournal.com]

... I mean, he's not a Libertarian. It never even occurred to me to think of him as a Libertarian until he somehow managed to get nominated as the Lib candidate. I barely consider Ron Paul a libertarian, and he was a legitimate member of the party for years... how the hell did Barr get there?

Re: I don't get the Bob Barr thing...

[point5b.livejournal.com]

Eh, he's switched some of his positions since leaving office. He's even been working for groups like the Marijuana Policy Project for the last few years. Some people make a good case that he's "gotten religion". Since joining the LP isn't exactly a plausible way to get back into political power, so it's plausible that he's sincere.

As a lower-l libertarian, I'm still iffy about the guy, but I'll probably think better of him after a couple more years of penance work. :)

Re: I don't get the Bob Barr thing...

[ertchin.livejournal.com]

Eh. He talks about things like fighting wars better. That alone is enough to make him transparent to me.

I have seen some semi-convincing arguments that joining the LP was more like a plausible way to be back in charge of something, even if one's kingdom has been drastically downsized.

[petie-s.livejournal.com]

Not related to politics at all, but what's your game of choice at the casinos?

[miyaa99.livejournal.com]

Best thing about living in rural Missouri is that there are no lines of people to have to wait through whatsoever. Probably won't be the same when I start packing to move out to the West in January.

It was unseasonably warm on election day (72°!), which means the 3" of rain and expect drop in temperature to 30° is coming tonight here.

I went to a sports bar to avoid the political coverage, but could not as there were no sports going on to speak of. (Well there was some NBA and NHL action, but it was just a handful of games, and nothing related to college to speak of.) It was nice to see people cheering and celebrating the moment, even in an area that was firmly Republican as Northwest Missouri is.