nehzat :

I live in a prodominently Republican neighborhood.

Last election, when I entered and announced Democrat, I felt like I was received so cold and hostile!
This time, there was a big line in front of the Democrats voting boots ans all Republicans Boots were empty.
I was greeted nicely and stood in line for sometime to get my turn to vote.

I did not mind that wait at all!

Posted by nehzat | February 5, 2008 7:36 PM

DOUGLAS WHITING:

Wow.

I just erased a very melifluous paragraph about what a crappy time I had voting. Unless it got through...

Nah.

Short story shorter: NP sample ballot meant I could vote Democrat, but not Republican according to my poll workers.

The inky stinky whatever pen was dry and clunky and weird.

I feel used and ignored.

Especially since I got an Independent ballot and voted for three different people for president and probably voided my ballot as a result.

I love voting and now I have to wait until November.

Douglas

Posted by DOUGLAS WHITING | February 5, 2008 7:43 PM

Emma Nesper:

I am very concerned about what seems to be mass disenfranchisement of independent (NP) voters in Los Angeles County. At our polling place in West Hollywood (Orange Grove and Santa Monica Blvd.) this morning, my boyfriend, a registered Independent, was denied the opportunity to vote in the democratic primary. He was told he could only vote on the local propositions and when he asked if he could vote in the presidential primary, was flatly told "no!" Worse, when I went back to talk to the poll workers after this experience, they denied that this had happened and attacked me (us) for not being informed voters. He said I couldn't possibly be a concerned citizen if we hadn't known this specific nuance to voting. Shocking for someone who returned to a polling place to make sure this doesn't happen to fellow voters to be told she is not a concerned citizen! This was a horrible experience and very disconcerting to think that this happened to other independent voters as well as first time voters who may have registered NP. Please follow this story and don't let L.A. County's fraudulent system go unquestioned!

Posted by Emma Nesper | February 5, 2008 8:31 PM

Callie:

I am a registered Democrat, and as such, believed that I received a Democratic ballot at the polls this morning. There was bubble at the top which, if I recall correctly, said to mark it ONLY if I was an independent voting the Democratic primary. I did not mark the bubble since I am a registered Dem. After hearing about the problems with decline to state voters, I am concerned that I received a DTS ballot and that my vote will not be counted. I have spoken with other registered Dems who had a similar voting experience.
Some one from the registrar recorder's office said how great it is that there was a high turnout, but how convinced will those people be to return to the polls if their votes may not be counted? I also resent the representative of the registrar recorder commenting that some of the problems are due to first time voters. I am not a first time voter and I experienced this confusion.

Posted by Callie | February 5, 2008 9:44 PM

Joan:

I'm a Nonpartisan. When I went to my polling place (Lynwood High School) and asked for a Democratic ballot, the poll workers didn't know what to do with me. First they directed me to the "Independent" booth. The ballot there had only independent candidates on it.

I went back and told them that I wanted to vote Democratic. At first they said that I couldn't do that. I told them that I was sure that I could. They went and got another poll worker who explained how it was to be done.

Still, after they directed me to a Democrat booth, one of the workers told me that I was supposed to vote "the yellow page", which was ballot propositions only, no candidates. But I went ahead and voted the candidate page. I knew about marking the "Democratic Party bubble", but the only reason I knew was because I had heard about it on the news; the poll workers didn't have a clue.

After voting I informed them that if any other nonpartisans came they needed to be sure to vote "the brown page" as well.

This evening I called my brother (he's also NP) and asked him if he had marked the Democrat bubble when he voted. He hadn't known anything about it and he was NOT happy when I told him that his vote was not going to be counted!

Posted by Joan | February 6, 2008 12:09 AM