Near riot at the polling place.

[Shiner1]

So I go to the middle school to vote this morning and a Damn riot almost breaks out. First off the folks in charge are 150 years old to start with. But godbless them for getting out and doing something. As the morning is moving along people are bitching that it takes too long to color in the box with the ball point pens. They want Sharpies instead. The old folks say "No don't use Sharpies" The Librarian pulls a TO and hands out Sharpies. The old folks say "No sharpies" No one listens to the old folks. The electronic ballot box that is supposed to scan and count the votes (I assume thats what it does) Side note: There are 2 electronic voting machines but the old folks are not sure how to use them. Anyway the ballot box is starting to shut down. One of the voters starts in with "I'm late for work" Another is bitching about standing in line too long. By this time the ballot box has stopped working completly. Another voter decides that if you hit the ballot box it will work better and he does ...several times. Another voter says he is an IT person and he can fix it. After turning it on-off several times then unplugging it he decides it's broken and he hits it a couple of times. One voter suggests to the deputy on-duty that he shoots the machine. He then says and I quote "I have too much respect for state property" Everyone who has been hitting the machine now hangs their heads in shame and gets back in line. There are 10-12 people with completed ballots and nothing to do with them. One of the old folks says put them in the slot in the side of the box and we will count them when the box is repaired. The looks on these peoples faces would not have been worse if you had farted in the middle of the group. They start yelling "I want my vote to count, I'm not putting my ballot in there" The deputy has had enough. He steps in and says "I'm not supposed to interfere with the voting process I'm just supposed to keep the polling place safe and keep an eye on the ballots but I'm going to arrest the next soul that interferes with these peoples jobs" (meaning the old folks) Eveyone is quiet and starts putting their ballot in the slot. I hope he shoots a voter. Now the old folks have called in to their supervisor who has sent help and this person arrives. She decides that the polling place is too "out of control" and wants to close it until "She can regain order". Now mind you with one quiet phrase the deputy has gotten everyone back in line without any gun play. About this time another guy shows up with a new ballot box. This one works fine. After pulling the cover off the old box he decides and announces that using the Sharpies has gummed up he "eye" and it was not able to scan anymore. Gotta love the independant voting process.

[tiffo60]

:rll: :rll: thats a trip

[gagspa]

Sounds like people now days. Everyone knows better and thinks that they shoudl be the exception to the rule.

[Wht95Lightning]

Another voter says he is an IT person and he can fix it. After turning it on-off several times then unplugging it he decides it's broken and he hits it a couple of times.

Yep, he's an IT guy alright... Probably makes more than I do too. :rll:

[Sixpipes]

Something doesn't seem right to me about this voting thing. The ACLU continually fights battles to keep religion out of schools (seperation of church and state), yet I voted in a church building today. Does that seem weird to anyone else or is it just me? :confused:

[98Cobra]

It probably has somethine to do with their tax-exempt status, just like a school building.

[Moonshine]

:rll: :rll: All good reasons to early vote. Stood in line for 0 seconds, was done and gone less than 5 minutes after I hit the door. And that was counting the time it took me to color in all the balloons, since electronic voting machines haven't made it to the sticks yet.

[WA 2 FST]

Yeah, up here at the school in Allen where I just voted, there were two ladies that honestly had to be 85+yrs old. Nice, but they were both talking and neither could hear the other very well...so they were just talking over each other. The line was short, so it only took me ~5 mins to finally get my "card" for the electronic ballot. That took all of 30 seconds... "would you like to vote straight party ticket?" Heck yes. Touch screen twice...review ballot...click "done" and I'm out of there.

[Mark #2]

Something doesn't seem right to me about this voting thing. The ACLU continually fights battles to keep religion out of schools (seperation of church and state), yet I voted in a church building today. Does that seem weird to anyone else or is it just me? :confused:

I hear you...How about voting for beer and wine sales in a Baptist church near the Mosque in Richardson? Seems very strange to me too.

[03LightningRocks]

I voted mid afternoon. No line....no hassles. Same as Wes....a couple touches to the screen and I was out of there. Electronic balloting needs to be in place across the country.

[dboat]

Thats the way I remember voting in Tx.. always in a church or school.. and always fairly fast too..

Well, WELCOME TO F'IN PENNSYLVANIA FOLKS!!!!!!!

I get to the balloting place to vote at 6:30p today.. as usual, there is a line.. last time at the Pres election, the line went out of the building, in the rain and cold, but also wrapped around the building a couple of times inside too. This time you go upstairs and the line wraps around the inside upstairs and then goes downstairs. They have the same octogenarians working here except for that special F'IN PENNSYLVANIA flavor.. you show your voters registration paper, you sign in, then you go to the old folks and they write your name in a book, not just once, but twice.. so while we had nice new electronic voting machines (touch screen no less) the hold up is the two old ladies writing down peoples names.. that and the fact they had three people doing the alphabet, one with a range of letters each.. so there were at least 4-5 balloting machines empty at all times:flaming: :flaming:
Then I have a nice older gentlemen explain to me, and every other voter, how to work the machine, even though there were written instructions right there..
So it took me about an hour to wait in line and about 30 seconds to vote..

Yeah baby, its the American way..

Dana

[Tex Arcana]

Yep, he's an IT guy alright... Probably makes more than I do too. :rll:

Must've been :ron:... :rll:

[Tex Arcana]

I voted mid afternoon. No line....no hassles. Same as Wes....a couple touches to the screen and I was out of there. Electronic balloting needs to be in place across the country.

Not until they alleviate the reliability and security concerns that they all have at the moment. And, yes, the machines are thoroughly hackable. :tex: