Did my civic duty today

[jziegler]

Wow, so many people having voted already, and I haven't gotten my sample ballot yet. And the online version of the local paper has little to no information about the local races. I don't even know if there are any ballot questions (apparently there are some state ones again this year). I will be out on the evening of the 4th voting. Lines have never been long in the small town where I live with it's 4 voting precincts.

Jim

[docrowan]

There's a local option issue for our county that is hotly debated and contested. I've written two letters to the editor about it and have a third ready to go for next week. You can bet I'm voting.

My parents were both very big "get out and vote" supporters. I completely agree but I disagree with my dad on one thing. He would encourage people on election day to run down to the polls, without knowing anything about the candidates or the issues. I feel you should know something about who or what you are voting on before you walk in that booth.

It's funny to me that my parents are both rabid supporters of a particular party, but all four of their children are moderate to rabid supporters of the opposing party. Fortunately, we're able to discuss our differences and still love each other.

[dbhost]

This has come up in previous elections. I am having a very hard time with the candidates, I do not believe that either choice A or choice B is truly worthy of the office they seek, I can vote for choice C, but that would effectively dillute the voting pool in favor of choice A or choice B, which leaves me in the position of having to decide basically, which candidate is less evil.

Not which is the better person for the job. I can vote for the wet noodle wimp or the war monger. I can chose from the lawyer, or the business executive. (NOT saying that comment represents anyone in particular, just an example okay?) Aren't these the people that have gotten us in the trouble we are in in the first place?

So when there is really no choice worth making, why make the choice? It would seem that people ARE voting, with their feet away from the polls...

Okay, this post probably veered into the political more than some are comfortable with, I tried very hard to keep it non partisan, and personalities away from it. If you see your guy or gal in my comments, you are seeing what you want to see, not what I really said... I am fed up with the process because it never seems to really change things. It seems like the deals are already done and the people are just the tool to be used like a saw, or a clamp, to get the work done...

[Kristofor]

In this country only about 60% of eligible voters are registered, as opposed to over 90% in Canada.

You need to move across the river. We were at 84% registration as of September 26th (and MN does allow same day registration/voting, so it will keep rising). The target by the Secretary of State is 80% turn-out, which may still be a bit optimistic if depressing. And MN traditionally does lead the nation .

More generally, on the subject of long lines... What's the hold up? Understaffed? Not enough voting locations? Ineffective voter registration system/lists? People who need help reading? Running out of materials? This isn't rocket science, why is it still a problem that makes the news every election?

I've voted in every election since I turned 18 (even the goofy spring/summer levy/school board ones), and don't believe I've ever had to stand in a line for more than 90 seconds except for the time I did an absentee ballot ahead of time at city hall (kidney donation scheduled for the day before election day). That has been in a number of suburbs from tiny (~2K) to fairly large sized (~90K) though not in Mpls/St. Paul (the year and a half I lived downtown managed to avoid having residency for an election)

Kristofor.

[cwithboat]

As in Mark's case our county is vote by mail. Whilst filling out and preparing the ballot, I fell to pondering whether the $0.42 stamp was not a form of poll tax.
It wasn't a bad year, I only had to vote for Mickey once (there is no option for None of the Above except write in)