Voting Booth Time Limits

[JustinM]

I was watching CNN and they were interviewing people who got tired of waiting in line to vote at the poles. Some waited nearly 2 hrs before giving up and leaving. The process needs to be faster.

Otherwise; I will have to hire my attorney and complain about disenfranchisement, because that is really why we (Republicans) lost the election.

(Sound familiar)?

[cjrose]

Amen Prodigalson!!

Also, I don't think there should be a time limit since some seniors are a bit slower to read and decide. They may not drive well ( grrrrrrrrrrrrrr) but we still should be patient with them since every vote counts.

[JustinM]

hello rose,

Of course, the voting booth time limit I want would be very fair, 20 minutes or so, you shouldn't need much more time than that, but of course there will be special circumstances that come up.

[LadyRaven]

We always used poke ballots (butterfly chads whatever, youknow the ones which got pregnant in FLA a few years back).

This year we had computer ballots. I was so frustrated. I'd taken my son so he could see how you vote (it was at his school and he got extra credit for "taking your parent to vote" anyway). Well, I had a write in candidate...I typed in the name and hit save. Then the next one I wanted was republican, at the top of the ballot, so I went to press it, which accidently ALSO changed my write in candidate to the green party one. I was so miffed. This went on three times untill I finally found a pencil in my purse to use the tip (there was no wand to use, they should use wands like they do at Walmart for their cc machines). I really feel it should have asked me if I wanted to change my candidate before getting rid of it automatically.

In the mean time some nice little old lady kept walking around asking us if we needed any help or whatever (I guess to keep us moving...) There is no way I could have deliberately held up the line. She'd have been there in a flash. The machines make noise and one reason she kept hovering around mine was at one point mine wasn't making any.

[cjrose]

hello rose,

Of course, the voting booth time limit I want would be very fair, 20 minutes or so, you shouldn't need much more time than that, but of course there will be special circumstances that come up.

I agree it's fair but if you put in the mind of seniors that they have a time limit they are going to feel rushed and make mistakes which only cost more time so what is the point. Patience. You wait in line for coffee, for checkout at the grocery store, in line for other generic things that do not have time limits, why put one on voting. I'm only thinking of the older ones since I had an experience or two. It's like.. don't sweat the small stuff

Heck if I had a time limit I would feel rushed!

[JustinM]

Many people do not have the time to wait for 2hrs. They may have been told by their employer that they can only vote during their lunch hr, or that they would have to clock out before going to vote.

[cjrose]

Many people do not have the time to wait for 2hrs. They may have been told by their employer that they can only vote during their lunch hr, or that they would have to clock out before going to vote.

I do see your point. Thank you. Since I haven't worked I never thought of that. Maybe they can have a separate line or something but you may have to just get there either before work, try on your lunch, or after work. Depends on how hard you want to vote that you can make it happen without thinking about yourself but others as well.

[cjrose]

Many people do not have the time to wait for 2hrs. They may have been told by their employer that they can only vote during their lunch hr, or that they would have to clock out before going to vote.

I do see your point. Thank you. Since I haven't worked I never thought of that. Maybe they can have a separate line or something but you may have to just get there either before work, try on your lunch, or after work. Depends on how hard you want to vote that you can make it happen without thinking about yourself but others as well.

You could sign up for absentee ballot ahead of time, then you wouldn't have to wait in line at all!! Solves your dilema right there.

[Hypathia]

I heard that in Nashville Tennessee there were only two voting machines in one princinct (a black princinct, imagine that) and that it took 5 hours of waiting in line to get into one. A lot of people ended up leaving because they had jobs to go to and kids to pick up. I don't trust the republicans at all as far as voter suppression and dirty tricks go. The Tammy Duckworth thing is just another example plus in Nashville, again, black voters were called and told that they didn't have to go vote again because their vote in the August election counted now. And of course we've all seen that horrible racial commercial that worked just like it was intended to.

Edited November 10, 2006 by Hypathia

[cjrose]

I heard that in Nashville Tennessee there were only two voting machines in one princinct (a black princinct, imagine that) and that it took 5 hours of waiting in line to get into one. A lot of people ended up leaving because they had jobs to go to and kids to pick up. I don't trust the republicans at all as far as voter suppression and dirty tricks go. The Tammy Duckworth thing is just another example plus in Nashville, again, black voters were called and told that they didn't have to go vote again because their vote in the August election counted now. And of course we've all seen that horrible racial commercial that worked just like it was intended to.

Thank you for bringing that up. In California, I guess it's so easy to just go out and vote as there are so many poles all over and dedicated volunteers to see that they run smoothly. But again as I say, in an area where you know there is going to be long lines and not enough time, how hard is it to request an absentee ballot? It saves time, gas, and uses one simple stamp and requires the responsibility of getting it in on time. There is no excuse if you really want to vote that you "can't".

It is amusing to me that you say republicans are tricksters. Of course only liberal democrats would belive such an inaccurate statement to say the least.