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Polling Observations
Nov. 3rd, 2004 09:35 amSo, yesterday, I was at the polls from 5:55 a.m. until 9:15 p.m. We had our big rush at 6:55 a.m., and the line was out the door and all way to the sidewalk until 10 a.m. And then it was quiet and uneventful for the rest of the day. We'd been told to expect a large rush around 5 p.m., but it never materialized. We heard that the polls on the East Coast were packed with people who had waited 3 hours in line. They should have been at our polling place. They'd have been in and out in five minutes.
The Diebold machines seemed to work fine. We had no cancelled ballots, and the most complicated question anyone had was how to correct a mistake on the ballot (answer: tap the box you accidentally chose again, and you'll be able to select again). 385 people voted by machine, 82 people turned in absentee ballots, and 85 people voted provisional ballots. According to the results printed and posted at the end of the night, Kerry swept this tiny part of Oakland.
Speaking of which, there was a ton of confusion and misinformation about provisional ballots. No, it is not true that provisional ballots are only counted if the race is close. Yes, all provisional ballots are checked against the list of registered voters and then counted. Yes, you can call the number on the stub you tore off the the provisional ballot envelope to confirm that your vote was counted. No, it's not true (as I heard a guest on KQED's Forum say) that provisional ballots are only given to people whose right to vote is being challenged; anyone who requests a paper ballot, even if their name is on the roster and the street index, gets a provisional ballot.
Another thing: In California, at least, you are not required to show ID unless you're a first-time voter who didn't show ID when you registered.
That said, I had a good team working with me. Three of them were High School students, but they really pulled their weight. The other was a very nice septagenarian, and while we quickly discovered that she wasn't the one we wanted checking the Roster or the street index, she was very helpful with everything else. Overall, I would recommend the experience, but I would caution people who don't like working with the public or standing on their feet all day to think hard before trying this out. It was hard work.
And now I get to say that I've done my civic duty and played by the rules. Yay, me.
The Diebold machines seemed to work fine. We had no cancelled ballots, and the most complicated question anyone had was how to correct a mistake on the ballot (answer: tap the box you accidentally chose again, and you'll be able to select again). 385 people voted by machine, 82 people turned in absentee ballots, and 85 people voted provisional ballots. According to the results printed and posted at the end of the night, Kerry swept this tiny part of Oakland.
Speaking of which, there was a ton of confusion and misinformation about provisional ballots. No, it is not true that provisional ballots are only counted if the race is close. Yes, all provisional ballots are checked against the list of registered voters and then counted. Yes, you can call the number on the stub you tore off the the provisional ballot envelope to confirm that your vote was counted. No, it's not true (as I heard a guest on KQED's Forum say) that provisional ballots are only given to people whose right to vote is being challenged; anyone who requests a paper ballot, even if their name is on the roster and the street index, gets a provisional ballot.
Another thing: In California, at least, you are not required to show ID unless you're a first-time voter who didn't show ID when you registered.
That said, I had a good team working with me. Three of them were High School students, but they really pulled their weight. The other was a very nice septagenarian, and while we quickly discovered that she wasn't the one we wanted checking the Roster or the street index, she was very helpful with everything else. Overall, I would recommend the experience, but I would caution people who don't like working with the public or standing on their feet all day to think hard before trying this out. It was hard work.
And now I get to say that I've done my civic duty and played by the rules. Yay, me.
