I voted! Yay!

[fenchurch]

Just got back from voting... there really wasn't much of a wait, but the place sure was hopping! Considering I'm often the only one in there voting when I've gone in the past, the fact that I had to wait a minute or two for a kiosk to open up is really saying something (keeping in mind that there are about 8 precincts voting at my polling place). It probably doesn't help that not only does turnout appear to be high, but we also have a whole passel of initiatives and County Charter amendments to wade through, so it's taking people a while to vote when they do get a chance.

Speaking of polling places... I used to vote at the elementary school around the corner from my house. It's less than a five minute walk from where I live and I loved going there (in part because they always had a fundraising bake sale for the school -- so I could vote, support the local school AND getting yummy baked goods I probably shouldn't be eating anyway). A few years ago, they consolidated polling places, since so many people were voting absentee (there's been a huge push for it here and it's a trend I really dislike for a variety of reasons) and our polling place got moved to a mega-church about three miles away.

Well, today I was driving by the school on my way to vote and then hit the YMCA to workout when noticed the "Vote Here" signs plastered all over, with a lot of people going in and out of the school gym. Hmmm. Okay, says I, maybe they've moved us back to a more logical place. So, I parked and went in to find the place bustling... but not finding my precinct. Nope, I still get to vote three miles away instead of at the place right around the corner. And who gets to vote at my old polling place? Weirdly, it looks like a bunch of people who live over by the church (at least judging by the precinct names). And no, I'm not kidding. Gotta love bureaucracy.

Oh well, the news I've been hearing is that this is the last time they'll have voting at the polls in our county anyway and we'll all have to do absentee for the next election, which does not make me happy.

Anyway, enough grumping around. I voted! Yay! And I got a sticker and am thinking about indulging a bit (I've left some room in my diet for having a treat today), either with some Ben & Jerry's or with a Krispy Kreme doughnut.

And in even better news, today also signals the end of all those campaign ads!! Huzzah!!! I was beginning to wonder how businesses were able to let anyone know they existed, lately... since ALL we've been getting here are political ads for the past few weeks. There was one day when I was watching the News at Noon and during a six ad commercial break every.single.one was for our Gubernatorial race. No joke. It's going to be such a relief for it all to finally be over.

Comments

[kazzy-cee.livejournal.com]

Mmmm Krispy Kreme doughnuts! :D I vote Ben and Jerrys AND Krispy Kreme.

But then I can't vote for anything else *lol*

[malabud.livejournal.com]

I've voted absentee once, but I like voting on the day of the election. It's fun participating in the civic process. Plus, I like getting the sticker. *g*

Also, good for you for voting!

[acristleo.livejournal.com]

As I was going through my sample ballot last night (so that I wouldn't have to take as long at the polls), I realized that not one of the candidates who have been torturing me with endless ads and phone calls and mailers were actually on my ballot. Not one! I've had to hear them for months for no reason at all LOL!

I'm so glad that it s coming to an end :)

[julia-here.livejournal.com]

Let us hope we never have to see another Dino Rossi ad again.

Julia, unfortunaely, mailing in my ballot two weeks ago did not magically protect me from the ads, as I wasrather hoping it would

[rosiewook.livejournal.com]

I vote at a place five miles from my house with another one a 1/2 mile away from me. These are the joys.

Interesting how they're going to close polling places. I'd only want that to happen if I could vote online, or something. I don't trust absentee voting, for some reason.

[pmgoose.livejournal.com]

Bureaucracy is weird. Congrats on voting. Yeah, I can't wait for the annoying ads to stop.

[gwyn-r.livejournal.com]

I love my place -- it's at the end of my block, and we do have a bake sale (it's a church). The coolest part is that it does double duty -- some Protestant church or other and then later in the day on Sunday, it's Pacific Islander services in other languages. So they have some gooooood baked stuff.

What is the issue with absentee ballots? I kind of like them myself, but I was wondering why others don't -- no bake sale? ;-)

[nutmeg3.livejournal.com]

How on earth can they force people to vote absentee? Isn't that illegal or something?

[tomte.livejournal.com]

Well, it's not truly "absentee" voting here in King County, but they're going to a system of all mail-in ballots. If Fen's opposition to mail-in ballots is anything like mine, it's because the mail-in process is a simple, dandy way to conceal widespread voter fraud.

[nutmeg3.livejournal.com]

My thought exactly!

[eliz.livejournal.com]

We vote about a mile or so down the road. There's a polling place basically right in our backyard. Literally.

Crazy but oh well.

[geojlc.livejournal.com]

I heard on NPR this morning that King County is required to have at least one walk in polling place, so there will be something like 3 polling places for either visual/hearing impaired or those who will not vote absentee. I don't know where, but that's what I heard. Course, I also heard that they'll be using touch screen voting machines as well...