November 08, 2005

• And vote democrat for fuck's sake. Unfortunately I cannot vote, as it's 11 pm and I'm in Australia.
• I voted Gregory Peck for President!
• What are we talking about? Can I play?
• I voted for Kodos.
• Do not defy His Noodly Appendage, Pastafarians.
• I showed up to vote bright and early this morning. Out of fourteen brand-spanking-new Diebold touchscreen machines, two were semi operational and a third was being slapped around by the poll workers. I gave up and left after twenty minutes. I hope they've got the bugs worked out before the polls close tonight. Need I add that I live in Ohio, in a heavily Democratic area? Fucking Diebold....
• Your exhortation is entirely recondite sir.
• Abstruse even.
• Esoteric.
• Yeah, I'm in Ohio, too, and we're using the Diebolds for the first time. *sigh* I'm going to go through the process of asking for a paper receipt, just in case the poll workers have been instructed to write it down when that happens. If you're in Ohio, do your best to go vote. There are several issues up (issues 2-5) about voting reform. After the recent redistricting fiasco in TX completely broke the voting power of people of color and/or democrats, I'm anxious to work this chance to keep that happening here. Republicans are working hard to defeat these measures, but I don't think it's because of their Republican-ness, necessarily. The party in power always works against voting reform. (Though I have heard that the same group that funded "Swift Boat Vets for Truth" in the presidential election are funding the push against Issues 2-5.)
• ummmm, what are we voting for? I looked at Indiana's election commision and didn't see anything about any election.
• Sometimes it's very good to live in California where all of the Diebold no-paper-trail voting machines have been declassified and decommissioned.
• And don't forget to vote in Sunday's Presidential Election! /Burkina Faso filter
• California and Ohio have similar election reform measures on the ballot. In CA it's the Democrats that oppose them. In Ohio it's the Republicans. Gov. Ahnold raised a stink by endorsing the initiaives in *both* states. The Ohio Republicans were outraged. BTW, the Diebold machines at my polling place have the paper trail option installed. It was the printers that caused the problems this morning.
• Actually, yed, the official line of both the Republican and Democrat parties in California is against Prop 77 (the redistricting measure). Just so happens that the Republican party is being a bit less aggressive about keeping their members in line about it.
• In my town, they moved the opening time for the polls to 10:00 a.m. That's great except I had to leave for work at 7:30 a.m. and won't be home tonight until after they close. Cue "no idea why there is such low voter turnout" news stories tomorrow.
• In Texas I went out early to vote against the one-man-and-one-woman constitutional amendment. I also voted to give the state authority to pay to move rail lines out of busy urban areas. This was strictly self interest, as there is a train track outside my back fence. Not that I expect any action on this for a decade.
• "Cue "no idea why there is such low voter turnout" news stories tomorrow." That's some sneaky ass underhanded shit lower than a snake's belly that makes me reach for my gun, by jesus.
• Plum tootin'. There's a contentious issue regarding building a library, and the only way the people against it are going to win is to keep the turnout low. It's a traditional Republican ploy -- make it hard to vote and people won't
• Well, I voted. The Diebold machine does print a paper ballot, but it stays in the machine. I didn't get to check it or even see it. Oh well. I asked the nice ladies working the polls how I could get a paper receipt, and she got confused so I left it at that. I also signed a petition to put raising the Ohio state minimum wage. It's still at $4.25. From what I understand, part-time seasonal employees can make the state minimum instead of the federal minimum. This covers migrant farm workers, some construction workers and people who work at theme parks, amongst others.
• urgh. I meant to say "...to put raising the Ohio state minimum wage on the ballot in two years."
• Many states have voter leave laws, allowing time off from work if there's not a sufficient gap between work and polls opening/closing (although standing next to a sign displaying the NY law at my office, a coworker and I were told by management that our company posted it, but had no intention of honoring it). Here's a link to a site that lists each state's laws: timetovote.net
• P.S. The bad part is, most states require asking in advance of Election Day, but at least it's good to know for next time.
• briank, in California, all employers are required to give (full time) employees up to 2 paid hours off at the beginning or end of the day to vote. Are you sure Texas doesn't have a similar law?
• I really think election days should be holidays. More people would vote if they didn't have to work that day. Of course, many would just go fishin', but it'd be their call.
• I think voting should be mandatory.
• me voted, now flying spaghetti monster my friend, lord and master. mmmm noodly...
• Vote Chyren! Vote Early! Vote Often!
• How dare you.
• I had to.
• I really think election days should be holidays. More people would vote if they didn't have to work that day. posted by TenaciousPettle at 07:29PM UTC on November 08, 2005 I thought all the research had pinted towards the exact opposite. As I recall, when mail-in options become more lax, not only do fewer people vote, but those that do are still submitting it at the Post Office at the last minute. To me, it seems that people are more inclined to vote when you threaten to take away their right to vote. SO, I think if you don't vote at least once every 4 years, then your income taxes double. And employers that refuse to honor the vote-window laws are like employers that refuse to honor the National Guard Duty laws; they should be dropped off in Afghanistan without any pants.
• Wow, I wish I had something fun to vote for. I live in a boring town made exciting only by trying to explain what 'town council' government is. Whoo, three selectmen.
• I stand corrected. I hear that in Australia it is mandatory. Is this true? And do you think this affects the way people campaign? An old boss (an Australian) told me that in his local elections the guys at the top of the ballot generally won.
• But Gregory Peck is dead. They let you vote for dead people?
• He's not THAT dead...
• We're talking about Liberia, right?
• "I hear that in Australia it is mandatory. Is this true? Correct. A duty better than conscription, we think. "And do you think this affects the way people campaign?" Ha ha! No. Australians are apathetic, not stupid. "An old boss (an Australian) told me that in his local elections the guys at the top of the ballot generally won." Yes, and all Americans are called Chuck and wear big fucking cowboy hats.
• I just came back from dropping off my ballot at the local polling station - it was at a fire station. While I waited for my friend to go through the line, I looked at some of the detailed maps on the wall of the town and neighboring cities. One of them had a letter posted on it warning the firefighters to take extra caution when responding to calls from a certain street and house because the person living there was suspected of building pipe bombs and storing explosive powders to make them. So yeah, GO VOTE. You might even learn something interesting about your neighbors in the process.
• TenaciousPettle wrote: An old boss (an Australian) told me that in his local elections the guys at the top of the ballot generally won. Interestingly enough, when Egypt had their first multi-party elections this year, the opposition candidate did his best to register first, which would have placed him at the top of the ballot. The reason he gave was that Egyptians being too used to voting in the one-party system coupled with the low literacy and education rates meant that many would just vote for the first candidate out of habit and lack of comprehension. All because that's the slot where Hosni Mubarak always has been. It turned out that all was in vain because even though the opposition fellow *did* get registered first, the first slot was given to Hosni Mubarak anyway. Opposition guy cried foul, but to no avail.
• ...but the real loser of this election is the Flying Spaghetti Monster. All eight of his supporters in Dover have been booted. At least there's always Kansas.
• /whisper I vote for dead people
• Heh. Gov. Schwarzenegger tried to vote on a Diebold touch screen machine and was told that the machine thought he had already voted and that he would have to use a provisional ballot.
• Hey, Chyren, I'm wondering how what I wrote could possibly be a slam or stereotype of Australians in any way. I just tell the tale that I heard told. To be fair, the Australian in question turned out to be quite the disloyal asshole, so I wouldn't be surprised if he was a liar as well. In fact, I know he was. But not b/c he was Australian. Neccessarily. I kid, I kid.
• I was kidding as well. Also I was drunk. But that's because I'm an Australian and we always are.
• Damnmbl OZZIES!! *hic*