Dear Election Commissioner...

[julchen]

Dear Election Commissioner in My Midwestern County,

I don't own a car. Now, you may be wondering why this I'm mentioning this. Kindly allow me to explain. You see, when someone such as myself wants to vote, they have to walk to get to their polling place. Naturally, this is what I did, despite being tired after a long day and not looking forward to a 1.3 mile walk to get there.

So, twenty minutes later I arrived, happy at the prospect of doing my part as an upstanding citizen of our fine country, only to be told that my polling place was a completely different location.

This is where you come in, Commissioner. I want to thank you for changing my polling place and never informing me, thus necessitating that I have to set out on another trek thirty minutes back the way I came.

Please work on removing your head from your ass, mmkay? I know that may take a while, since it's crammed up there pretty far, but surely you can get it out by the next major election.

Edit: Please see this post for the happy ending.

[MoonCat]

Are you sure the polling place really was changed? I don't want to get into fratching, but there are incidents on record in which people were told this and it wasn't true.

[julchen]

Are you sure the polling place really was changed?

No, it really was changed. I voted without any problems at the second location, once I finally got there.

[Cia]

At the beginning of the year I received a card from the Secretary of State stating my polling place had been moved to the other side of town. I complained along with a bunch of other people and it turns out they screwed up. They sent out new cards with the correct polling place. Ten months have now flown by since the correct card was sent and do you think I remembered? Of course I didn't.

Dear SD SOS,
Please send out reminders one or two weeks before voting so those of us who's voting place got switched back in February will have our minds refreshed.

Hugs and kisses

[Pagan]

Please work on removing your head from your ass, mmkay? I know that may take a while, since it's crammed up there pretty far, but surely you can get it out by the next major election.

New Mexico has come up with and implemented a lovely idea this year: Voting Convenience Centers. You can go to any polling place in your city and vote. Whichever polling place your closest to, you can vote there.

[julchen]

New Mexico has come up with and implemented a lovely idea this year: Voting Convenience Centers.

You know, the concept of specific, assigned polling places in a super-wired world just doesn't make sense anymore. I think New Mexico is really on to something.

[icmedia]

My polling place, inexplicably, was 3.5 miles away from my house, on a State Route, upon which many sections had no sidewalk; this wasn't a huge inconvenience, since I have a car, but I can't help to wonder how many people didn't want to be bothered with a 7-mile round trip, walking along the busy shoulder of the road.

Even more confusing is the fact that there are 2 OTHER polling places within a mile of where I live, and 6 more that were closer than the one I had to use.

[Merriweather]

My state has voting by mail, ever so much easier, if less satisfying in some way. Of course, there was one politician this year wanted it done away with - his logic (?) Privacy. Somehow, he figures your own home gives you less privacy than a public voting place....

On the fun side, have heard of a few people in other states having fun voting - one voted at a local school, which had a bake sale going on. Another found their voting place to be selling goodies & holding a rummage sale at the same venue. Might as well make a day of it, LOL.

[raudf]

I'm waiting for voting via internet. That way, I don't have to leave the house to assure my right to complain about whomever takes office.

My polling place is only a mile away, at the community center, but if you have a baby, don't expect to get out of there any time soon. The old ladies running it love cooing over the "little dears." They will also talk your ears off given half a chance, especially if it's slow. Doesn't help that they are related to all of the community except me and mine (we're "imports.")

[Pagan]

You know, the concept of specific, assigned polling places in a super-wired world just doesn't make sense anymore. I think New Mexico is really on to something.

For once!!

Now if we can get the electronic voting machines back. I got writer's cramp yesterday bubbling in the 39 items!

[Javarod]

You know, the concept of specific, assigned polling places in a super-wired world just doesn't make sense anymore. I think New Mexico is really on to something.

Tell me about it, i just moved to Bridgeton, MO which is 3 miles from work. Before that, i lived 27 miles, so i would've had to take an unpaid break from work, drive 27 miles, wait in line, then go back to work. Oh, and you only get a 3 hour break for this. Yeah, being able to vote at the nearest polling site would be much nicer.

[Andara Bledin]

Here in Cali, we've got this stamper thing where you fit the tip into the hole next to what you want to vote and press down so it inks in the circle. I don't know why any state would deal with crap like chads and punches when this is so user friendly.

As for my polling place, it was all of about a mile away.

^-.-^

[PepperElf]

that does suck indeed.

mine was changed from last year i guess. however my local government was kind enough to send me a post card. and i think either this city or one of the other ones nearby had "free bus" day - i suppose to ensure that everyone had the ability to get in and vote.


On a side note, my BF told me what happened to his coworker at the voting center. The woman checking IDs refused his ID card. I forgot what he said back to her but then they both laughed and she said, "I'll see you at dinner tonight." (heh, yeah his wife was working at the election center)

[ADoyle90815]

Here in Cali, we've got this stamper thing where you fit the tip into the hole next to what you want to vote and press down so it inks in the circle. I don't know why any state would deal with crap like chads and punches when this is so user friendly.

As for my polling place, it was all of about a mile away.

^-.-^

That's one thing I love about California, is that it's user friendly. The only difference about my polling place which was a block from me was that the sample ballot said it was going to be in the middle school's library, but it ended up being at the auditorium which has been used several times. They had a poll worker outside the library directing people like me to the auditorium. Still, I liked when a real estate office was used as a polling place, as the office had free coffee and cookies for voters.

[Andara Bledin]

Our polling place was in a church. Parking was a bitch, because the street it's on is too old and narrow (my house was built in 1927 for reference) to allow parking on both sides. But we did manage to squeeze into a small lot adjacent to the rec center that's also part of the church complex.

There were easily enough signs for us to know where to go, but some old guy by the rec center still let us know we were going the right way.

^-.-^