KPCC Election 2008
How was your voting experience?
Did you vote early, or wait for Election Day? Either way, we want to hear about your experience at the polls. How long did you have to wait? Did things go smoothly?
Post a comment and let us know!
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- November 3, 2008 8:46 PM
- Comments (138)
- Categories: 2008 Elections
138 Comments
Tonight I was helping my 86 year old father go over his Sample Ballot in preparation for tomorrow's election. I noticed on the Presidential candidate pages that the layout of the candidates was different relative to the ballot location numbers in MY Sample Ballot (See attached scans). I understand that we are in different precincts, but my concern is that we all have the same choices of candidates. If these pages had the same layout, there would be no chance of voting intentions being changed because of an error, such as, the wrong scanning and counting software being used. The fact that this order is different makes me concerned that the actual voting booth ballot may be different from the sample ballot for one of us and that votes might be cast for the wrong candidate. Perhaps this difference is consistent in Sample Ballots AND the actual voting booth Ballot... but which vote tabulating software will read the ballots? How automatic is the process of matching the ballot to the correct counting software? If a provisional ballot is used and the votes are to be transferred to an actual ballot, will this be done properly and counted by the correct software? This inconsistency is alarming. I want you to know that I am reporting is as broadly as I can, to as many different agencies and organizations as I can identify.
My father's precinct seems to be 118 in Tarzana while mine is 112, in West Hills.
my wife and I voted by absentee ballot. I am disheartened to find out these ballots will be counted last. This could be crucial in an close election. It seems to me that more people are voting in this manner than the last general election.
My husband and I have voted in the last 2 elections from our current address in Long Beach. We never received our 2008 voter guide in the mail, so I got online to check our registration status. I found myself registered, but my husband kept coming up not registered. We called the number on the registrars website and after a long wait finally talked to a person who confirmed that my husband had been removed from the registered list! We were shocked! It didn't say by whom or for what reason....luckily they were able to pull up his info from our previous address and got him back on the list, but I wonder what would have happened if he had shown up to vote tomorrow without fixing this prior. How many others have been unknowingly removed from the registration lists? Seems a little bogus to us...
I have needed to travel out of state quite a bit lately, so I applied for an absentee ballot two weeks ago, when I was in town. I am very disheartened not to have received my ballot. I have heard about the registrar's office being swamped, and I'm frustrated that their lack of organization has disenfranchised me.
I voted early last week at Chapman University in Orange. No lines, in and out in less than ten minutes. NICE!!
Voting was a breeze. I got to my local voting station 5 minutes before they opened, and probably had a 5 minute wait after they opened before I was inking in my choices.
My concern is that the poll workers brought in a radio and were listening to a commercial station which was running ads advocating for and against various propositions. I listened to these ads WHILE voting, and it struck me as inconsistent with policies forbidding electioneering within 100 feet of a polling place. I pointed this out to the poll workers and the issue was shrugged off.
At my polling place in Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, there was a six by eight banner marking Polling Place. Above the banner that's equal in size, it said, "Yes on 8: Protect Marriage." Isn't that illegal? I do not mind going to a place of worship to cast my vote but out of respect for separation of church and state on Election Day, remove your propanda!!!! A polling place should be sacred neutral ground!
People lined up at my house well before the "polls" opened in my garage. Despite the rain, people are patient. My house has been used as a polling place several times, but never have we had this much business.
I sent in my ballot absentee and have been checking www.lavote.net ever since to ensure it's receipt. As of this morning, the website did not register the receipt of my ballot, so I called the LA County Registrar-Recorder to see if they had any more information (so as to avoid voting at the polls and committing a Federal offense).
While on hold with a representative (yes, at 7:30am I got through to a PERSON), my cell phone dropped the call. Much to my surprise, the person assisting me called me back once she had processed my request. It was a step above and beyond her call of duty and I was so relieved, as I had been on hold ever since trying to re-place my call.
Not only was my ballot received, the LA County Registrar provided excellent, responsive service on the busiest day of their year!
my experience was a bit disturbing. i was one of the first 10-15 people in my voting precinct in south pasadena. i have voted there for the past 8 years. this year i went in and they told me that i was not on the registration list. my wife was, but i was not. i was given a pink provisional ballot, i voted, then filled out the information (address and drivers license) on the provisional ballot, gave it to the poll worker and it was put into the ballot box. i noticed that two others had already had also been left off the list (three people within the first 10-15).
i was given a provisional voter receipt and some phone numbers. i called the la county registrar of voters. waited on hold for ~10min, then spoke with someone. i told her my name and address and she told me that i was not on the list, but that there was someone else named dan goods living in santa monica. i thought that was an interesting coincidence. i then gave her my date of birth, my place of birth as well as my drivers license. it turns out that that person in santa monica was really me. i have never lived in santa monica, have never done business there and rarely go there other than to go to the beach.
so to recap, i went to the same pole in south pasadena i have voted at for 8 years. i was not on the registration list. called the LA registrar and found out that my address had somehow been transferred to santa monica.
i am supposed to call 800.815.2666 three days after election day to find out if my vote was counted.
I voted this morning, early. Got in line at 6:45 and was 6th in line - by the time the polls opened there were at least 20-30 more people in line. Everything went smoothly. One thing I noticed - for the first time, I really checked my ballot before I turned it in to make sure the ink mark was clear. I saw that some of the circles were not complete on my ballot so I went back and used the stylus again to complete the circle. Check your ballots to make sure your vote counts on every office and issue!
I have not voted yet, as my 10 year old son wants to "vote" with me after he gets out of school this afternoon. As I drove past my polling place this morning, I was excited to see a line of about 30 people - something that I have never seen in 12 years of using this same polling place. I can't wait to vote this afternoon!
I was at the poll at 7 am and the first voter's ballot jammed in ballot box and the people at the poll site could not find the phone number to call and report this.
I was up bright and early, and was surprised and pleased to see a line at my polling place at 6:45 am. People were cheery and upbeat, and there were a number of young people happily arriving in groups to vote.
When I actually voted, the ballot box machine did not accept my ballot. The women quickly did what was necessary to void that ballot and assign me a new ballot. I went back into the booth and on the second try, the machine accepted my ballot. I was the first glitch in their morning, so mild teasing: "You broke it!" but all in all, good humor and optomistic atmosphere.
Thanks for asking for my 2c.
I live in Orange County. I tried to vote early, but waited until the last day and the line was just too long for me to wait in. Today I got to my polling place at 6 and waited in my car until a line started forming. I was 4th in line at 6:30. I am registered as "permanent vote by mail" and I was worried that this might cause a problem. But my name was on the roster (listed as "VBM"), I surrendered my unvoted absentee ballot, and was given a regular ballot to vote.
The electronic voting machines were all down, so everybody had to vote paper ballots. This slowed things down quite a bit. By the time I left, the line had about 50 or 60 people in it. From my husband's report about 20 minutes later, it seemed like they had smoothed out their process so the line was moving pretty well. The electronic machines were still down, though.
It seems like many of the poll workers are unfamiliar with technology like the electronic voting devices and they often have a lot of trouble with them. This may be a result of the average age of poll workers.
I was at my polling place in Eagle Rock at 6:20 am. First one in line. The only problems I encountered were the same ones I encounter at every election: uneducated poll workers. These people did not know how to check in the voters. They did not know how to instruct people how to use the ink-a-dot machine. They did not know which way to insert the ballot into the optical machine. Because I have encountered this sort of thing for several years, I showed the workers how things work. I answered the questions some of the voters had. How long the polls were open? 8:00 pm. How much paid time off do I get to vote? Per California Elections Code 14000, employers can give employees as much time as they need to vote, but the employee can take up to two hours of time off with pay.
Minor inconveniences. All in all, the process was a breeze and by the time I left the polling place at 7:20, the line was out the door. Wonderful turnout.
I voted in Corona (Riverside County) when they opened this morning at 7:00. About 30 people in line ahead of me. Things moved well and I was out by 7:30. We were given the option of paper ballots or using the one electronic voting machine they had. I chose electronic.
On my way home, I heard a reporter on KPCC report from a polling location at Trinity Lutheran Church in Riverside. He reported that they only had paper ballots because the Riverside Country Registrar of Voters had only approved electronic voting during early voting, not the day of the election.
I am left wondering if the reporter's information was incorrect or if my polling location is out of compliance. I've tried calling the Registrar of Voters Office, with no luck in getting through.
I'd like to hear if others in Riverside County locations have voted electronically today.
My fiancee and I went to vote this morning in Monrovia. We arrived about 6:35am and there was about 4 people ahead of us. By the time they opened, there was about 60 people in line, which they divided up into 2 districts. My fiancee, who mailed in her "change of address" registration over 8 weeks ago was not on the list, and had to get a provisional ballot.
Other than that, the staff was kind (although not as organized as they could have been)and the machines functioning. Parking was a real issue at this location on Royal Oaks.
I was approx the 20th person in line at 6:30a.m. When the poll opened at 7:00 it was clear that things were going to be chaotic. Apparently, there are two precincts voting at the same place (Hayward Manor Apartments), but there is no signage so you don't know this until you get closer to the check-in tables, at which time if you are in the wrong line you have to go to the back of the other line. This happened to me, but fortunately a kind neighbor allowed me to skip in front of her. Also, in spite of the fact that I resgistered several weeks ago, and confirmed my eligibility on-line, I was not on the list and had to cast a provisional vote which will not be counted today. This was all very frustrating. Overall, the process took 1.25 hours.
I voted in Riverside and found 30 or so people in front of me when I arrived 5 minutes after polling opened. I had to wait a good 25 minutes to get checked in only to find I would have another 10-15 min wait to use the one electronic machine available at my polling place. I opted to use the paper ballots in order to try to get to work on time, but now regret my decision because I'm paranoid that my lines marking my choices were too thick or were not straight enough. At least with using the electronic machine I can verify my choices are registered correctly.
I'm also worried that the information Terri Robertson (above) heard on KPCC is correct and that there are polling places using the machines out of compliance. I would like to think the machines wouldn't have been delivered to the locations if they were not approved for the election.
Nonetheless, it was my first presidential election and I was elated to get my chance to vote. Everyone I encountered this morning was friendly and enthusiastic about being up early to try to beat the crowd.
The auditorium or my daughters’ grade school is a polling location. The auditorium has 300 seats and at 7:30 AM almost all the seats were taken by people waiting to vote!!!
During the ½ hour we (my daughter, about 9 of her school mates and I) hung out outside the auditorium (and the children escorted would be voters in and thanked those who had voted for doing so- in 4 languages I might add) we noticed that EVERY one was up beat and excited about this election. Of course, some who showed up decided to leave and come back in the afternoon, others joked about needing coffee.
I waited until this morning to go vote because I recently moved and had to re-register so close to the election. I woke up and heard the rain so I hurried out the door so that I wouldn't have to wait in a long line in the rain. I was first at my precinct and go the opportunity to verify that the e-voting machines had not recorded any votes and that the ballot boxes were empty.
A very pleasant experience, and good turn out given the rain. By the time the polls opened there were about 30 people there.
Yes, I voted about 8:15AM, it was fast and easy. only four people were ahead of me, it took about 20 minutes. I was not asked to show an ID, but two people at the booth knew me. This is my 5th election since I got my citizenship and it seems to be the one that I am extremely excited about. The election process was easy, machine worked well and thanks to the people who helped at the voting booth.
Fullerton, CA
Got in line at my polling place in West Hollywood around 6:30, there were only about 10 people ahead of us and we were finished by 7:30. Being a new CA resident, I registered by mail right before the deadline, and they had my info on their roster - I was impressed. It seemed like everyone was cheerful and excited to be there. As we left the line had grown to at least 2 blocks but it seemed to be moving pretty quickly.
I voted by mail several weeks ago. Slick and painless. Must help the pollworkers too.
Never have I been so delighted to wait in line for an hour! Normally it takes a maximum of 3-4 minutes to wait, sign in and start voting at my precinct. I have never waited in a line of more than 4 or 5 people.
Today, the line at Winnetka Avenue Elementary School stretches through the auditorium, along the entire covered walkway, and out the gate! As I commented to several of my fellow voters, "This is a GOOD problem!"
On another matter, however, I was rather distressed to discover from the precinct voter lists that someone unknown to me and my wife had fraudulently registered to vote out of out home address. When I pointed this out to the pollworkers at my precinct, they told me that there was nothing to be done about it, and suggested I contact the County Registrar. There was no resource available on lavote.net to challenge this false/illegal registration, and they are not taking calls on their phone line, due to high caller volume. This means that someone will be able to vote illegally in our precinct as if they lived in my house. I cannot help but wonder how often this is going on throughout the precinct, city, county, state, etc., etc.
This morning at 6:45 a.m., my wife and I got in line at our polling station at the Redeemer Baptist Church. on Jefferson Blvd. The line snaked around the block as voters waited with anticipation. Most were very excited and unusually giddy. Cars tooted their horns; school children inside a bus yelled "Obama" as they turned the corner. The polls opened promptly at 7 a.m., and it took about an hour to complete the process.
I am normally an absentee voter, but didn't get my ballot in the mail, so I had to vote provisional which was very upsetting for me......Another concern is that they only had two machines. Should this be reason for alarm?? Without telling people they could use the machines they were having everyone vote via paper ballot and the only two machines they provided were not even being used.
I dropped my son at school and went staight to the polling booth within the campus. We had long lines for electronic ballot but none for the paper ballot.
I live in Highland Park but my polling place is in Eagle Rock. There were two lines, the 'yellow table' for the immediate area surrounding the polling place, and the 'orange table' for me and I don't know who all else. The yellow table line was really long, probably 75 people or more, but my line had only about 6 people in it, and it only took 20 minutes to get to the registration table to get my ballot, it was a breeze. Everyone was in good spirits.
There were a few people out front with 'No on Prop 8 and Prop 4' signs, but they were just saying 'Thanks for voting' to people as they left.
GREAT experience! I voted in the Palos Verdes area. I was in and out in 10 minutes, no lines, no parking problems, no ballot programs. We use the ink-spot voting method. Everyone was very pleasant and in great spirits! What an exciting day!
Got to my polling place at the Von's shopping center at San Fernando Mission and Balboa at 6:05 am. At 7:00 am they let us in but there were not ballots! So, we all voted provisionally which took quite a bit of time. When I left at 7:25 am, there was quite a long line. They expect to have the ballots later this morning.
As an update to my prior posting..... neither the County Registrar's Office nor the Secretary of State's Election Fraud Investigation Unit will do anything about the fraudulent registration placed out of my home address. The man I spoke with from Secretary of State's office went so far as to suggest that the person might have registered out of my address "by mistake," as if this makes it acceptable somehow. And so this person will be permitted to vote -- not asked to use a provisional ballot, not challenged to provide proof of identity and address. Their registration is to be allowed to stand, and they will be allowed to vote, even though they do not live here and have not lived here in all the years I have owned this home.
I moved over the summer, so had to re-register at my new address. I used https://lavote.net/SECURED/VOTER_REG/ to confirm my registration, but when I went to my polling place, there was no record of me on the voter registration list. I had to vote with a provisional ballot. A friend of mine had the same experience, except that she had not moved. Her name had been purged from the voter list.
Are other people having similar experiences?
To follow up on my earlier blog re: electronic voting in Riverside County - I was able to get in contact with someone at the Riverside County Registrar of Voters office who confirmed that polling places in this county have one electronic voting station.
The reporter from KPCC who indicated earlier this morning that Riverside County was only approved for paper ballots today was incorrect.
Thanks to everyone who is voting today and for all those people working hard to make sure we have the opportunity to do so!
I got to my polling place at 6:45 with my 3 year old son. The workers were disorganized as there were two precints voting at the location (Beth Shalom in Whittier)--they herded everyone who didnt know their precint color to one precint and others went ahead to the second line--people kept getting rerouted to different lines. Even though I was one of the first 50 people in line, several people who showed up way later than me got to vote before me. The poll workers didnt even know what the code letters next to names were. After all of this--they could not find my name (i have voted at this election for the past five years--and even during the prelims)--I was given a provisional ballot that was placed in a box. Im proud to have voted (even thought I dont know if my vote will count)--but very disappointed that the workers were so poorly trained. The whole process took me over an hour--
I arrived at my polling place in Moorpark at 7:00 am; there were about 50 people in line, and no remaining parking. The lines were not moving, because, for reasons I could not determine, no one was voting (the voting booths remained empty or virtually empty for approximately 30 minutes). I waited for about 45 minutes to vote.
There was also a small cadre of people wearing "Yes on Prop 8" t-shirts. One of these people was being helped by a pollworker, who had him wait in the front of the room, where he looked like he was announcing the official position of the polling place. When I mentioned that such t-shirts are illegal to one of the other pollworkers, he seemed to realize that it was improper, but no one did anything about it while I was there.
I got to the polling place in Culver City at 7:50am and voted at about 8:55am, so 1 hour and 5 minutes total. There were two precinct lines, orange and green. I was in the green line, which was significantly longer than the orange (which often didn't have a line at all). Lots of grumbling from greenliners about things not moving quickly enough, but overall, I didn't mind waiting as long as I got to do my thing. At 8:55am the green line was about a third the length that it was when I queued up, so it definitely pays to wait until the pre-work folks vote. Overall a great experience! The most excited I've been to open up the voting booklet and ink my choice!
I voted in Newport Beach and the machines were down so we were filling out paper ballots. I had my registration card telling me what polling place to go to, but upon arriving I was listed as "vote-by-mail" which didn't make much sense. I was then given a provisional ballot and I'm just really hoping my vote gets counted.
The polling station in Belmont Shore (Long Beach) was brilliant! I had to fill out a provisional ballot with some assistance from the volunteers and they were all very friendly. Nice work!
My husband and I arrived at our polling place in San Gabriel at 8:00 AM and there were plenty of people voting. The polling place was organized and very helpful. We were in and out in 15 minutes. We had a great experience - Thank you.
My husband and I arrived at our polling place in San Gabriel at 8:00 AM and there were plenty of people voting. The polling place was organized and very helpful. We were in and out in 15 minutes. We had a great experience - Thank you.
I voted Absentee a couple of weeks ago. It should be mandatory to vote absentee. It is quick, easy and you don't have to hassle with the long lines and wonder how to fill out the form when you get there. Good Luck to everyone, it will be a long day...
I, and several of my co-workers never received our sample ballots- funny b/c in my 20 years of voting this has never happened- so the whole color coded table thing was a surprise. I arrived at 6.30 with 25+ people in front of me, once they opened the doors, it actually went quite quickly. I have never missed an election even when I was serving in the Peace Corps in West Africa- I am so encouraged that so many people are finally exercising their right to vote!
Signs (Vote Here, Vote Aqui) were missing at 9:15 am. Poll worker reported signs were taken and Prop 8 signs were put up. I didn't see those. 6755 Victoria Ave, Riverside, 92506-5048. I had no wait.
I went at a little after seven with my wife to vote, but I did not vote.
Our poling place is just down street from our house, so, despite the rain, we walked. There was a line and a 15 minute wait. When I told the polling staff I was not voting ("just offering moral support to my wife"), I got quite I reaction from other people in line. Wow!
"No, no," I said. "I just have not decided yet."
Ooops! That elicited even more consternation.
"I can help you decide," said one woman behind me in line. She was wearing an Obama t-shirt, which, I believe, is not allowed, right?
With 12 propositions, a 143-page "Official Voter Information Guide" and a 24-hour news cycle, is it so surprising I am still undecided? I don't think so.
Okay, I must get back to reading Article XXI and deciding if I'm down with the change of "Reapportment of Senate, Assembly, Congressional and Board of Equalization Districts" to "REDISTRICTING of Senate, Assembly, Congressional and Board of Equalization Districts"...
...more to come.
I voted at 7:00am at my polling place. It was not organized. They had a small room and three different color tables to mark different precincts. People who were already in line had to go back to their correct "color" table. Other than that it was easy and all the poll workers were coordial and willing to assist.
Small issues/delay in Old Torrance today with the final "ballot box" where voters are supposed to put through a reader...Lead to 10 minute delays and two lines, one for folks who had not voted and those that had voted and were queued up to turn int their ballot.
Finally an election offical, after attempts to call a "number" for help didn't go through, decided to put the ballots in a separate slot in the "ballot box"...
This sped up the line and got things back to normal...
Makes me wonder if somebody will then manually place the ballots through the reader at the polling place once the unit gets repaired or if it will be done at the "office"...
LA Registrar's website does not recognize my street address so I cannot find my polling place this way.
I have never voted by mail nor had I received a ballot to vote by mail. Nevertheless, at my polling place just now I was told that I was suddenly registered this way. Since I did not have a mail-in ballot to surrender, I had to vote on a provisional ballot. One is given a telephone number to call "in a couple days" to ascertain that one's vote was counted as valid. Very, very disappointing and disturbing in this, probably the most significant election that I will participate in in my life.
There are lots of voters in line in the Miracle Mile district. The early morning wait was at least one hour. By 10 a.m., it seems as if the line is down to about a 30 minute wait...
Have fun voting!
My husband got to our Sherman Oaks voting place at 6:55 AM and he was very far back in the line. I joined him in line at 7:10 AM. We waited in line until 8:15 AM. When we left there were still very long lines. There were two precincts voting in that area. Everyone seemed mostly patient, and there was some cheering when people left the polls. It's an exciting time and fantastic to see so many people out to vote in this historic election!
I walked to my polling location today after I walked my daughter to school. I mailed in a change of address three weeks ago and confirmed online at LAVOTE.net that I was in the system at the new address. Despite the online confirmation, my name did not appear on the roster, so I had to cast a provisional ballot. I did not need to ask for it, the poll worker immediatly pointed me to the person handleing provisional ballots. I hope it goes that easy for other provisional voters in other states. Total time in and out about 20 minutes.
In South Pasadena, we were at the polls at 7 a.m., voting by 7:30, but my husband's voter registration had been changes from Democrat to Republican!
He voted in the primaries, so this change happened in the last few months and he can't think of any sort of move on his part that would have changed his registration. Aside from changing his party registration, what should we do? I hate to think of what would have happened if he hadn't noticed.
I voted absentee. While it was definitely more convenient, I knind of miss the excitement of voting on election day.
I am from Glendale, CA.
I was in line to vote at 7 a.m. and I was the 49th person, in my line.
Everything went ok and very smoothly. There were two problems though.
1. The green line had been moved to another location but the sign was made by hand and looked ugly AND it was posted in a place where it could not be easily seen. I was not affected by this.
2. This location had two tables, orange and yellow. There was no one outside informing people to go to the appropriate line.
We had some confusion at a polling place in Glendale with ID requirements.
Usually on election day, poll workers at my polling place are bored out of their minds and delighted to see me show up. Today, there were about 30 people already standing in line at 7:20 am.
At 7:40 a guy ahead of me threw up his hands and walked away. The woman in line behind him laughed and said, "All this time in line, and he forgot his ID."
People in line all around me started fishing in purses and pockets. I peered in the door. Sure enough, people ahead of me were showing ID as they checked in to vote.
Someone in line behind me shouted, "This isn't Alabama! It's illegal to ask for ID!"
A nervous poll worker soon put things to rights. In California, we don't have to show ID except under a few specific circumstances. People put their wallets away.
On my way out after voting, the guy who'd gone to get his ID was back, trying to reclaim his place in line. There were maybe 50 people lined up in the parking lot by then. People were good-natured and seemed willing to let him go to the front of the line.
For info on voting - including ID requirements by state - check out the League of Women Voters' election site.
We voted this morning at the Village Green (just east of Culver City). We got in line at 6:40, and there were already about 40-50 people in line. There were three of us, and it took until 7:55 for us to finish. I've been amazed to hear about others who had no line, but I am thrilled that I saw so many people voting this morning, even if it meant that I had to wait. The atmosphere was very up-beat. Everyone in line cheered my step-son, who, at age 18, voted for the first time.
I voted in Atwater Village. It is the first time I ever remember a line to vote. How great is that! There were 2 precincts voting in the same location and the poll workers were great at getting everyone in the proper line and getting us in and out quickly.
I was curious about a house directly across the street with campaign yard signs. I don't think they were 100 feet from the poling place, but it's private property. What would the rules about that?
My husband & I got to our Orange County precinct a block from our home at 6:40am and before us were maybe 10 people, boy were we glad we got there early. By the time the precinct opened, the line looked like it would take an hour to get through. It took about another 20 minutes to get in, sign our the book, and vote. Both of us voted electronically with no problems, we had our sample ballots which we'd debated together earlier and made our selections so all we had to do was transfer the information to the machine, definite time saver.
My husband and I just finished voting at the La Mirada Civic Center. There was more than one precinct in the room. We arrived about 9:15 and were finished by 9:30. We had no problems and only a short wait. Everything seemed to be running efficiently.
My husband and I arrived at the Methodist Church on La Mirada Blvd/Lambert in Whittier about 7:30 am, prepared for rain, but fortunately only had dripping roof edge. Husband had purchased donut and coffee across the street where he chose to park and met me in line, where I was continuing to study my guide on a few propositions that I hadn't fully read both sides on yet. Friends of ours had gotten there at 6:45 am. Seniors and adult children, plus the two grandbabies. Several other acquaintances in line too. We were finished by 8:15 am. We had to vote by provisional because we could not find our absentee ballots, if we even recieved them. My husbands sample ballot is missing too, so I suspect that somewhere in this house, the three ballots are waiting for us to find. We can find out after 40 days if our provisional ballots had been recieved. I had not stuck my ballot down in the Ink-a-dot machine far enough so none of my dots landed on the ballot and I was guided easily in how to reposition the ballot and I went through the process again and all dots intended appeared. Poll was running just fine. I signed up to work the poll next time while I was there. This church had two precincts being served this day. Newcomers were directed to one entrance from the parking lot or the other through the front door. Looked like all was running fine. Saw two young, 18 year olds, going through the process with a parent supervising.
My experience was very good. I live in the Koreatown area of Los Angeles and I am glad to say my polling place was very well organized and there were plenty of people volunteering and working there in case anyone needed help. The wait was about 20 minutes, but I felt it was worth it as it meant that the entire community was out there voting.
Last night a KPCC announcer during the election special told people to bring a government photo ID to the polls!
Uncool!
Either yesterday or today on NPR, I hear that everyone should bring their ID to the polls because they will be required to show them to vote. I thought this was incorrect, but it seems that it has been the case for some voters at some polls.
I am on the way to my polling place now to vote and see how they are doing.
My voting experience could not have been smoother this morning. Although all the booths were occupied when I arrived at 9:15am, by the time I had verified my registration with the poll workers a booth was open. In and out in less than 5 minutes. With that said I've found the electronic voting machines used in OC (RSM area) over the last several years somewhat cumbersome, even for those of us who may be technology/computer savvy. I watched poll workers patiently work with several voters to be sure the machines were used correctly but I have to wonder, could my 83 year old mother navigate the ballot electronically to end with a successfully cast ballot? Frankly I'd be very (happily) surprised if seniors don't have a problem with the process.
After voting, I had to put my ballot into a machine that checked for undervotes or overvotes. There were three items that I just could not decide on and intentionally left blank. I told the poll worker that before putting it in the machine. The machine said my ballot was complete, but it was not. I asked him to check into that, since it obviously was not catching missing votes.
I voted in Culver City at the historic Culver City Hotel, where the Munchkins stayed during the filming of "The Wizard of Oz".
My wait was 1 3/4 hours! This is a densely populated area, with many apartments, but there were fewer than 10 voting booths. However, all went smoothly, and it's great to see Americans exercising our precious Right To Vote.
My husband and I live in Santa Monica. I waited an hour with my husband to vote. I had already prepared my mail-in ballot, but decided to wait with my husband because he had to cast his ballot the usual way. We waited AN HOUR to get to the front of the line. There were only 7 voting stations, which I thought was way too few, considering that it has been taking around 10 minutes for each person to vote, according to the signage at the location (no doubt due to the large number of items on the ballot this round). My husband registered months ago, and received a confirmation card in the mail, but was not on the roster and had to cast a provisional ballot. We are happy to vote, but disappointed by the inefficiency of the system...
I registered before 10/20/2008.
I called the County Registrar and verified my registration with a clerk.
I received a Sample Ballot with my correct name and address.
I received a voter notification card with my correct name and address, and the words “You are registered to vote” and “Registration dated 10/16/2008.”
I searched the LAVOTE.NET Voter Registration Verification page and got the message “The information you submitted does not match our voter records.”
I went to the polling place and my name was not on the Voter Roster, or the Supplemental Roster, or the Vote-by-mail Roster.
I was given a Provisional Ballot after a fruitless argument with poll workers, and showing them my voter notification card and sample ballot.
I called the County Registrar again after voting and verified with a clerk that I am an Active Registered LA county voter with my correct address, name spelling.
The clerk could not explain why my name did not make any of the rosters, even though I was registered before the 10/20/2008 cut-off.
I voted at a poll located in the Cypress area. There was a long line that moved slowly due to a majority of the voting machines not working. Only two were available, many people decided to vote using a paper ballot as the wait was taking well over an hour. Then a county tech arrived to fix the machines and they had to take down the remaining two working machines while they tried to fix the problem. It took another twenty mins to get most of them back up and running. I waited a total of 1 3/4 hours in line during the process so I could e-vote. The poll workers were friendly and did their best under the circumstances.
My husband and I live in Santa Monica. I waited an hour with my husband to vote. I had already prepared my mail-in ballot, but decided to wait with my husband because he had to cast his ballot the usual way. We waited AN HOUR to get to the front of the line. There were only 7 voting stations, which I thought was way too few, considering that it has been taking around 10 minutes for each person to vote, according to the signage at the location (no doubt due to the large number of items on the ballot this round). My husband registered months ago, and received a confirmation card in the mail, but was not on the roster and had to cast a provisional ballot. We are happy to vote, but disappointed by the inefficiency of the system...
I voted in Culver City at the historic Culver City Hotel, where the Munchkins stayed during the filming of "The Wizard of Oz".
My wait was 1 3/4 hours! This is a densely populated area, with many apartments, but there were fewer than 10 voting booths. However, all went smoothly, and it's great to see Americans exercising our precious Right To Vote.
I voted at a retirement community at 7:15 A.M. . Many of us who voted were on the way to work and
had to wait while actual retirees who came first voted. One woman was upset as she was afraid she would not make it to work on time. They had 4 electronic booths, half of what they had for the primary, and l paper booth. The table were arranged
in such a way to keep many of the people waiting outside (it was raining) and the people got
congested at the first part of the table. Once the crowds started there was little room to
move around the room while waiting in line for a booth. The workers were kind and
courteous, but no one was willing to rearrange the tables once things got started. We are lucky to be able to vote. I'd like to see more care, organization, pre-planning and consistency in our voting arrangements. In Israel work is closed on election day. In Europe they don't take so long or spend so much. Maybe some of that money could go to voting machines, hiring help to double check voters who registered, and training of volunteers.
went to my cleaners this morning - the owner is a first time voter along with his mother and father - his family voted by mail in ballot - the owner was very proud and excited about the election, in fact the past 2 weeks it's was all he could talk about - because he voted by mail in ballot he did not get a I Voted sticker - so this morning he wrote on a file card I Voted and taped it to his shirt -
as an american who has voted all her life and sometimes taken it for granted - I never will again.
So I registered to vote. I received both a confirmation post card and a sample ballot with my name on it and yet I wasn't on the roll at the polling place. The county registrar is either incompetent or likely doesn't give a f*ck. Just wait until i get that jury duty summons, straight into the shredder. If you can't do your job then don't forward my to information to other agencies.
We got in line (in drizzling rain) at our polling place in Rowland Heights (LA County) at 6:45 AM today. There were 7 in front of us and the line built up to about 25 by 7 AM. The poll workers were frantic because they could not locate their Ink-A-Vote pens! That announcement was made to the waiting group before 7 AM. A few peoople (including my husband) left because they had to get to work. Most people were calm and polite, except one woman who began loudly berating the workers for their incompetence. A poll worker drove to another location and returned in about 15 minutes with 4 pens. They opened at about 7:05 AM and I was finished by 7:15 AM. The line continued to grow steadily by the time I left. The group was quite racially mixed, and very quiet. Not much exchange of comments.
Both my wife and I registered to vote a week before the deadline; however, when I went to the polling place they did not have either name as a registered voter. I did submitt a provisional ballot, but was was very disappointed that they did not have us registered.
Has anyone else had this experiance, and if so, is there any was we can find out how far behind the registars office is in updating their registered voter list?
The polling place (Dance Studio/Orang Table 2525 N Lake Avenue) that I went to in Altadena was well organized and running smoothly. But they did have one problem, the need for an extension cord so that the ballot box devise that is used to scan the ballots for correct completion would work. Ballots collected from the early morning voters were placed directly into the box that will be taken to Norwalk. We were asked to carefully check that the ink marks were clear. It should be okay, but I know that the volunteers were feeling bad about this snafu.
Where can wee get info on the judicial candidates? This is the only area in which I feel uninformed.
I voted this morning at my local polling place, a neighbors garage, in Covina. There was only one person in front of me but many of the voting booths were full. The whole process went smoothly and I was in and out in about 10 minutes. I am so excited/nervous for this election. I just hope that together the masses can make the right decisions for the future of our country.
I was delighted with the long lines and the positive attitude of all the people. From past experience I knew to bring my mail in ballot and surrender it at the poll. I was then given
a new ballot and was able to vote.
Sandy
I voted at Pico Park in Pico Rivera, where I have been voting for 8 years. I voted at 8am.
I've never had any problems there, today was no exception.
There is multiple precints that vote there, 3 in total. We were each sent to our respective lines, asked our names and signed next to them, then another person checked off the street number and address in another book. I was given my ballot and voted with no issues. As usual i pulled out my ballot to check everything was fine and then I put my ballot in the machine and was handed my sticker and receipt. I had to wait about 5 minutes in line before and more people arrived as I was leaving, maybe about 15 people in line but things were moving quickly.
No problems.
Now I'm at work and looking forward to my free coffee from Starbucks and scoop of ice cream after work from Ben and Jerry's. :)
My polling place had no lines, so I voted with ease.
I returned home soon after and found myself weeping... with relief perhaps. And joy. This has turned out to be a very emotional election for me.
I live in Camarillo and went to my poll just before it opened at 7am. There were about 30 people in line. The line moved swiftly and I didn't notice anyone having problems. I was in and out within 30 minutes. It was a great experience at my polling place.
Listening to voter comments on KPCC and from my own experience, it seems clear that there is a disconnect between the list of voters at the polls and the list that generates sample ballots. For two years I have been trying to get the registrar to remove my son and daughter in law, who live and vote out of state, removed from the voter roll. My last attempt was after this year's primary. That time, I spoke to a live person, who assured me that they would remove them immediately. I assumed that they had been removed because they didn't receive sample ballots. But, I got to the poll this morning and their names are still on the list. Since I am hearing that people have received sample ballots, but they are not on the list, I can only conclude that whoever handles the sample ballots has it right, but that the lists are lagging behind. How is it possible that they aren't working off of the same lists?
P.S. Only a two minute wait at my polling place in Sherman Oaks.
Waited for 2 1/2 hours to vote at the Rosewood Methodist church in Koreatown/E. Hollywood area. Got there at 7 am, finished at 9:30 am. There seemed to be confusion with the pollworkers.
I live in Westminster in Orange County. I have been voting in the same precinct for 17 years and this morning when I went to vote I was not on the voter roster! My husband had no problem. The volunteers did not quite know what to do with me so I filled out the provisional ballot envelope and re-registered to vote. They then let me vote electronically and after this they realized they should have given me a paper ballot. So....I was concerned if my vote would count so I called the OC Registrar of Voters and I was on their roster. They could not figure out why I was not on the precinct roster. The also told me that provisional ballots are never electronic so if I was allowed to vote electronically it would certainly be counted. They were not happy that the volunteers were confused. I am a little concerned about my vote, but they did assure me that my vote counted....
Janet Ristow
One other thing, everyone was showing their id when they were getting their ballots.
I voted at 9:00 a.m. at the Olive Elementary School in the City of Orange. The polling place was practically desereted. I noticed only two other voters in the polling place. I walked right up to the poll worker, got my ballot, and voted in a few minutes. However, none of the voting machines was working so everybody had to vote by paper ballot.
I voted in Alhambra, CA and got in and out quickly. It took about 10 minutes total.
Angel Baltazar, the polling place in Calvary Chapel Chino Hills putting up a YES ON 8 banner is definitely illegal! There should be no propaganda within 100 feet of the polling place. SHAME on Calvary Chapel!!!
I was shocked when I was asked for an ID when I walked up to my precinct table in Long Beach. I asked if that was legal, and the poll worker didn't even know. I He did not persist, but said that it just made it easier. I told him it was probably illegal and it is not very hard to look up my name alphabetically.
I just got back from voting in my district in los feliz/silverlake. It was definitely the most voters I've seen in any election in California or in Pennsylvania where I used to vote. But everything was smooth -- some buzz in the air for sure!
My wait was 20 minute to get to the table, and another 5 to vote.
I noticed that a voter in front of me was tagged as an "inactive voter" -- a formality it seems, since they made her recite a vow in order to be allowed to vote. First time I've seen that.
Dave Garber--If you voted absentee and the ballot has been in a few days, it's counted first.
And from what I was told a couple of years ago, if you call to see if you're ballot was received, it takes 40 days from date of receipt..
I went to the polls in the venice/mar vista area at 9:30 this morning and waited in line for about 20 minutes while being served hot chocolate with the promise of free coffee once i voted. All in all a very pleasant experience!
My experience in South Whittier was fabulous. No lines, helpful poll workers, and efficient voting process. Bravo!
My voting place was bad. It took me 1 hour from the line to the booth, which is much better than I expected. If I would have brought mailed book with me it would have gone faster. Apparently on the book it tells you which color table to go to and if you know this you do not have to wait in as long of a line.
Riverside Ca Easy fast no line Go Obama!
My husband and I voted at Luther Burbank Elementary School in Altadena at about 10:30 am. Two precincts were voting in one location and we were guided to the correct table by a poll worker. We were delayed for a short time while they sorted out procedure for the man in front of us who was holding a mail-in ballot. Then everything for us was smooth.
I voted in West Hills. There was an irregularity in my sample ballot. Obama was # 8(first choice) on my sample and # 10 (second choice) on the official ballot. Ralph Nader was listed last on the sample and first on the actual ballot. Wondering if anyone else noticed this. l told the poll worker and she kept my sample to turn in and show the irregularity. I know some people don't look at the words but just check the #s
My husband and I walked over to our local polling place this morning around 7:45 am. There was no line. We got right in. I'm wheelchair bound and was able to find a small booth and fill out my ballot. My husband and I were finished within 10 minutes. We also ran into our neighbor there. When we were walking, we saw lots of neighbors, presumably walking to the polls. It really created a feeling of community.
Once again I had a very nice experience voting in South Orange County. I voted just after eight this morning. This is the same poling place I went to for the last election. The line was a bit longer this year but that didn’t slow us down at all. I was in and out in less than 20 minutes. The pole workers did indicate that there was a very large group waiting to vote when the pole opened and that this was the busiest they had ever experienced.
I also think the electronic machine we used both times I voted here is a big improvement over the method I used when I voted in the South Bay. Sorry LA county but, the OC is doing it better.
My husband and I voted in Pasadena this morning. There were two tables set up in the church gym. We walked right up to ours, checked in, and voted. The other table had about a 10 person wait. I'm not sure how that works...
My husband noticed, however, that they didn't check ID. They just asked us for our name and address and handed us a ballot. I wouldn't even have noticed. Um... that can't be right, can it?
Just a half hour ago i went to my local polling place in the lobby of the Country Villa Terrace 6070 W. Pico Blvd. in Los Angeles. As I approached the ballot table I began to notice a cd player was playing a song whose lyrics encouraged voters to "vote for change brothers and sisters". I was then greeted by a volunteer named Joe, whom I mentioned that I believe music of any kind was not legal at the polls but could also be considered electioneering. At which point he bluntly told me to "shut up and do what i came to do" and if i didn't like it i could "ignore it or leave". I felt bullied and embarrassed as he contined to stand over me as i proceeded to the poll. Then as i left he told another volunteer to turn it up and let the truth out. I don't know for sure if this is considered electioneering but i absolutely felt this entire incident was extremely unprofessional and very intimidating. I've never felt so uncomfortable or unwelcome while voting in my life.
Arrived at LA 90027 polling place on Gainsborough this morning at 6:40 a.m. and there were 11 people in front of me. I voted and left at 7:15 a.m. and there were at least 65 to 70 people waiting in line to vote. This is the largest turnout I can remember at this location since Schwartzenegger's first run for gubernational office. I wish this level of participation would occur for all elections.
i voted at church of the angels here in the west pasadena area at about 10:50 this morning. there are actually 2 precincts in this polling place - a green table and an orange table. there was no line at the orange table and about 20 people in line for the green table. since i was assigned to the orange table i was in and out in less than 5 minutes. i think people should be aware of whether there are multiple precincts voting at their polling place so they can get in the correct line. good luck!
My polling location in Los Angeles was open on time and ready to go at 7 am. I was about 25th in line at 6:30 am and by the time the polls opened there were a total of about 100 people in line. It so cool to hear the poll worker open the door and give the cry" Hear Ye, Hear Ye - the polling place is now officially open for Nov. 4." I've never been there that early to hear that. I got my ballot around 7:08 am and was finished around 7:20 am.
I just returned from voting at Joslyn Park in the Ocean Park area of Santa Monica. It took an hour waiting in line, and when I left, the line of waiting voters was even longer than when I joined it at 9:45.
The nice thing was not just the familiar faces of neighbors, but of newly registered, younger people. I knew I lived in an integrated community -- both racially and economically -- but I had no idea there were so many people of color percentagewise.
I got a sense from snippets of conversation that those of us who waited in the line knew we were participating in something very important, that this election represented a massive sea-change.
I live in Pasadena, near Caltech and PCC, where I've never had to wait in more than a few-people-deep line to vote. Today, I got to my polling place at 6:45 (in hopes that I could finish up in time to leave for an 8am appointment in east LA. There was already a long line (20-30 people) by the time I got there, and though things moved quickly when the polls opened at 7, I wasn't able to get to the front of the line by 7:15, so I had to leave. I made it back by 9:15ish, and there was still a 20-minute line. The line moved pretty efficiently, and yet the people kept coming and the line didn't shrink!
It literally moved me to tears, to see so many people getting involved in the process.
OK- I cut in line: the husband and I went to our polling spot- a local Silver Lake park- around 9:00am. When we got there, there was a 200 or so person line out side the rec center!!!! We were going to leave and come back in the afternoon when we spotted a good freind/ neighbor the front of the line (she has asked I not I.D. her) we went up to her to talk. A few minents after we started talking to her, a poll worker anounced the next 10 people in line could go in the rec center to line up in there to wait to vote. The fellow counted out the 10 people, he counted the husband I as # 7 and 8. we did not intent to cut, it just turned out that way!!
I vote by absentee ballot, but I submitted my ballot in person today at my polling place (Pasadena). The benefit is that I know my absentee ballot was received and a poll worker confirmed that it was completed correctly. Also, because I was casting a completed absentee ballot, I did not have to wait in line to cast my ballot. I was in and out of the poll in just over 5 minutes.
There are two precincts that vote at my polling place. As of ~8:30 am, one precinct looked to be about a 5 minute line; the other, 20 to 30 minutes. Only complaint I heard was that the coffee was not hot.
My story is that I have no story! And I'm so disappointed! My polling place in West Hills is where my kids go to school. I got them up early and we walked to school for the first time ever (took 25 minutes) because I anticipated traffic and no parking. We got to the school/polling place at 7:45am...and no lines, plenty of parking. I went in, was second in line for the "orange" table, and finished voting in 5 minutes.
I am so excited about this election and was looking forward to the whole experience--talking with people in line, enjoying the anticipation of inching forward toward the polls, watching as others voted, and then finally casting my ballot. Nope, none of that. My best friend waited for an hour in the rain in Pasadena. But not me, I have no story to tell my kids about the historic election of 2008.
We were at our local polling place at 6:40 am, and there were already 20 people in line ahead of us. The wait was not very long at all, getting to the voting booth within about 15 minutes of the polls opening. By the time we turned in our ballots, the line to get into the polling place was about 40 people long.
No one seemed to mind the lines, the wait, or the actual voting process.
I voted early. But I echo the concern from an earlier caller who said that people are taking their "vote by mail" ballot to the polling place, opting to give them to poll workers instead of mailing. I mailed my last Monday, but by Friday of last week, the ballot had not been received. I checked throughout the day on Friday and finally called LA County Registrar on Saturday, spent about a half hour on hold, finally talked with a worker who confirmed that the ballot had been received. This morning the status of the ballot on lavote.net showed it had been received. I think everyone is nervous about this election and concerned about their vote counting. We don't readily trust anyone or anything!
I voted in Sunland at Apperson Elementary School. There were no problems but there were lines, even though there seemed to be nearly twice as many voting booths as usual. There were two registration tables and it was immediately clear which line was for the orange table and which for the green. There seemed to be enough poll workers and they knew what they needed to do. One voter had a problem with a voting machine and a poll worker solved the problem in about a minute. I got in line at 10:30 and was voting by 10:50. I have voted in every election, national and local, since 1976, and have never needed to wait in a line. I thought it was great! Why don't we have this kind of turnout for EVERY election?!
I was at my polling place in Altadena at 7:10am this morning. I've been voting at this place for almost ten years, and never saw such a long line before. Folks were in a pretty good mood. There were three precincts at this location. The poll workers at the Green and Yellow tables/precincts were on top of things, so their lines were moving quickly, however, I was assigned to the Orange table. The Orange poll workers were slow and uncoordinated, even with the supervisor looming over them.
After waiting in line for one hour, finally I got my ballot and voted. No other problems.
I'm really glad so many people turned out for this election. I wish we had such a high turn out at EVERY election.
When I voted for my congressional rep. my choices were for Dana Rorahbacher (sp?) or Debbie Cook. I thought I was in Jane Harman's district.The two districts are close and so I thought maybe I wasn't in her district anymore. I asked my husband about it later and he said he voted for Harman. My booklet must have been wrong. Not too big of a deal but not a warm fuzzy either.
My husband and I put the baby in the stoller and walked to the polling place this morning. Talked to several neighbors on the way there and way back. No long lines. Easy process. Felt proud to participate in our democracy in this way. I hope everyone continues to be involved and informed after the election!
I voted this morning after taking my kids to school and before going to work, just after 8 am. There was a short line - maybe a 5 minute wait. There were 12 or 15 voting machines at the polling place in Orange County. I used to live in Inglewood and I wondered if it was as easy there today. I would have gladly waited longer if some of those machines could have been put to use where more were needed. I HOPE we (O.C.) didn't have plenty of machines because of the large number of McCain and Yes on 8 yard signs in the area.
Isn't it about time to do away with the electoral college? Any system that makes it possible to win the election without winning the popular vote is broken. One American, One Vote, Nationwide. It's so simple it's crazy!!
I voted three weeks ago. In my underwear.
I voted in the west end of Los Feliz around 10:30AM. Usually, I'm the youngest person voting at that time. (I'm 53) Today, I was the oldest. The line moved well, and the polling staff were friendly and efficient. I found it quite moving to be able to cast that first vote on the ballot, and paused before going on to fix it in my emotional memory - a moment I hope to long remember. Couldn't help feeling that as others in their voting booths across the country are actually confronted with the ballot and the choices, they may be similarly moved, and vote as I did. Only glitch is that the automatic ballot reader was not working, so the ballots are being held in a box to be read elsewhere.
St Bede's in Mar Vista hosted three precincts, including mine. 10AM voting was active, orderly, and quick. I looked at my earnest fellow citizens and felt good. Then I walked outside and recalled that "Karl Rove's IT fixer" Mike Connol, was ordered to testify Monday in Cleveland about his work implementing a "man in the middle" massive vote theft scheme four years ago. No media I could find carried anything about the actual testimony. A sinking feeling set in, that my neighbors and I were involved in a meaningless charade. Oh well, the weather was beautiful.
I walked into the Motion Picture hospital down the street from my house in Woodland Hills, CA. Despite the station saying I would expect an average wait of 30 minutes I was in and out within 10, mostly because I took my time reading each of the propositions. Being 20 years of age it was my first time voting in a presidential election and I thought the process went surprisingly smooth.
I voted in La Verne CA at 10 AM at the Church of the Brethren. I walked in and it was almost totally empty! Save for 5 or 6 people there were free voting booths available and no line. The whole process was smooth as silk.
I voted at 11 am, in Temecula, Riverside County. It was busy but no lines.
I voted at 10:45 am in Brea at Country Hills Elementary School. There was no line and I had no trouble at any time during the process. I just downloaded the theme song from Rocky and if my choice for President wins, I shall blast it at full volume while shadowboxing before drinking a bottle of champagne!
My parents and I have been voting together since I turned 18 (not yesterday, I swear) and we were all ecstatic to see so many people out to vote!!!! We vote at a small church near my parents' home and this was the longest line we've ever seen. We arrived at about 6:50am and we got back to their place at 8am (it's a short 5 - 10 minute walk). I know that waiting in line that long will be a problem for others, but I enjoyed it. I haven't seen this many people out to vote ever before. It's just wonderful that so many are caring this time. I've been disappointed before, but certainly not today!
I just came from the polling place in the 600 block of French St in Santa Ana. The line was only 3 people long, and all voting booths occupied. I chose to vote by paper ballot. That way there can be no mistake: Obama for president and No on 8.
The ladies from the halfway house next door were all perched on the front porch smoking. When I asked them if they wanted to walk the two blocks to the polling place with me, they all said they weren't going to vote. So did the guy I spoke to at the gas station this morning. Sad.
I drove to my polling place in Altadena about 6:50am and there were already two lines (about 100 people) waiting for the poll to open. When I voted here in the primary there were 6 of us waiting at 7am. I decided to go back home and came back at 10:45am and there were only 3 people in line. The place was very busy but there were plenty of helpful poll workers and I was out in less than 10 minutes.
My polling place was a local church. Which is great for parking and access. Just strange that the day before they were covered with all the election signs "Yes on 8". There was a person handing out fliers for "No on 8" and he was beyond the 100 feet standing pretty far off and being very casual. As more people came the pastor had the maintenance crew come out and with chalk mark the 100 feet distance in three different directions and got on his cell phone to call in the "yes on 8" people. They showed up about 15-20 minutes later. Interesting dynamic. It took about an hour to vote and the volunteers seemed to be well informed and helpful to all the voters. Just found watching the dynamics between the church employees and the people allowed to hand out information to potential voters an interesting experience. Hope everyone is able to vote today!
I've registered for the the '08 Primary and the General elections and both times I didn't receive all my voter materials. I did receive written letters from the LA County Registrar office confirming that I was in fact registered to vote in my district, and yet each time I was given a provisional ballot at the polls.
I confirmed my voter registration on the CA secretary of state website and received my sample ballot in the mail with my polling location. When I arrived at the location, I and my friend in front of me were both told we were not on their voter roster and were instructed to fill out provisional ballots. I'd like to make sure provisional votes are counted and find out why we weren't on their rosters to begin with.
It was a good experience for me. I voted at Palms Elementary School. The wait was about 2 - 2.5 hours this morning, but everyone was excited to be there. There was great energy. The poll workers were helpful and friendly. It was overall a good experience despite the long wait.
I voted in Santa Ana today at around 2:00 PM at Greenville Fundamental School. There were about 10 electronic voting machines, I did not have to wait in line. All OK.
Excellent experience in Monrovia at Whispering Pines on Royal Oaks, where they ran two precincts. I arrived at 7 am and was the 31st person in line, and waited only 20 minutes to vote. The other precinct on site had about 50 people in line. They had a total of 20 booths and the officials there were all very organized and professional. The entire process was extremely efficient and it was a joyful atmosphere where a very diverse group of people came together to make a difference. It was quite a treat to see normally jaded and water-shy Californians stand in line outside with umbrellas in the rain. God bless America!
This morning (8:15 a.m.), I voted in Belmont Shore (Long Beach) at the Leeward Sailing Center. The wait in line was about 30 to 40 minutes. The staff was well organized.
There was a "No on 8" woman who was distributing flyers. She was moving around the polling entrance to greet voters and was within 100 feet "no campaigning zone." (The only warning was a yellow 8" x 11" flyer taped to a post.) When I was living in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the "no compaigning zone" was marked with posted warning signs.
The Leeward Sailing Center has limited parking access. There was a car blocking the entrance to the polling parking. An old man was talking to the driver. I waited for five minutes which I measured with my watch. I honked my horn, hoping that the driver would pull forward and allowing us to access the parking lot. The old man continued to talk to the driver. I waited for four more minutes until I reversed out of the parking lot entrance and parked down the street. I arrived at the polling line and I saw the old man with his woman companion. I walked up to the old man asked him why he continued talking to the driver of the car blocking the entrance while he completely ignored me. He denied the incident. I told him that his behavior was rude. His woman companion told me that they were giving directions to the car blocking the parking entrance - "a kind act" - and they were rude to me - "so what." (In a perfect world, blocking car would have pulled forward allowing me to enter the parking lot. Since that didn't happen, I hoped that I would have heard, "Sorry.")
Since line was outside of the polling place, I noticed that people who were waiting in line were blocking the entrance. I decided to wait outside of the door instead of standing in the doorwary. Every few moments, I checked if there was room in the polling place. An old man standing behined me angrily asked, "Are you scare of the poll?" I turned to the old man and told him, "I don't want to block the doorway because there isn't room. You should take a look."
I'm 49 year old Hawaiian American. I am an engineering manager with a doctorate in physics. Additionally, I served in the US Navy as a nuclear propulsion officer. All I want to do is vote with out hassle. Instead, I am seen by older citizens as a immigrant who has done nothing but take from this country.
I voted today in San Bernardinoon at Harrison St. (Rescue Center) and there were no problems. It was my fathers first time voting since he became a citizen this past June (his live here in California for 30 years) and my sister she turned 18 in May. They were so excited and nervous but the volunteers were great and they voted with out a problem. I even took a picture of both of them after they were done.
All OK.
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