I had trouble voting today. Did you?

I live a few buildings away from the nearest polling place (Woonsocket RI) so I walked there at about 9:15. Four people stood in a circle in front of the doorway, so I appeared to be eighth in line. There were people waiting behind signs "A to K" (which I couldn't see for a minute) and "L to Z." As I stood there confused a lady approached asking about the first letter of my last name. It's C, so she said I had to wait for the A to K people. The circle didn't move so I knew my time was approaching. As the lady at the desk signed forms authorizing each voter to proceed she had to shout to another lady at another table facing her. They had trouble hearing each other because the quartet in the circle were talking too loudly.
When I got to the table she demanded my driver's license. The DMV people didn't change the address when I renewed it in 2008. She had my address from 2010 to 2011. The driver's license had my address from 2001 to 2007 (all in Woonsocket.) I told her I moved in September 2011 and my tax bills had found me. She directed me to another lady at a fourth table. She studied my license and listened again to my story, repeating the fact that I was supposed to tell the Board of Canvassers. She wasn't sure if this was the right place, noting that district lines had changed recently.
The man ahead of me in line was a young black man. A man was explaining why his license wasn't a valid ID. He would have to go to City Hall and register and only be allowed to vote for President and Vice president. His wife was behind me in line and had a similar problem.
The woman referred me to the man standing beside her. She told him my story. He called City Hall and then told me I would have to register, get back in line and proceed.
I used my own pen, leaning against the wall and returned to the first table with the completed form. She signed it, filled out another form which I then signed, and I proceeded to vote.

 

That's what happens when you are not responsible enough to take care of your personal matters. And I am curious why you use the term she "demanded your drivers license", you knew you had to show didn't you just have it out and didn't she just ask you for it?

I walked up to the table with the H, showed them my ID, my drivers license, signed on the line and got my slip to get my ballot. Went to that table and got my ballot. Sat down and marked my choices and slipped it into the optical reader and was gone. About 10 minutes total and they were crowded, a good turnout and my wife who voted this afternoon said they told her it had been busy all day.

 

done in less than 10 mins

 

Glad you didn't leave and you voted anyway. . .it's important enough.

I didn't have a problem, in fact it was very quick.
I went with my husband and a couple of friends. It was my first time voting ever, and I was a little nervous, but it went very smoothly. I just wish there had been a way to assure that my vote was recorded by the computer for the RIGHT GUY (Obama).

One thing that was a little uncomfortable was the fact that, all the attendants I knew personally (about 12 out of 15), where VERY active, extreme Republicans. Somehow, I think that the polling place should be manned by a representative number of people from all parties (maybe based on the last election).

Although I don't think any of those 12 people would commit any wrong doing, but who knows in other districts?

 

What type of voting machine was it? They print out a receipt you can ask for if it is an optical scanner.

Machines are calibrated before the election several times with numerous test ballots run through to insure proper counting. Then after the final count they are checked again with more test runs. Representatives from both parties are there as polling officials to observe those runs.

 

machines should be outlawed for voting. send em to Vegas. their rigged anyway

 

Human counters are worse, they are prone to errors and can be bribed.

 

and they always break down at just the right time

 

You had a driver's license for four years and never bothered to check to see if the address was correct?

 

That machine in Pennsylvania that wouldn't recognise an Obama vote has a sibling, which has also been "retired"...

 

Since I had recently moved I had to register to vote, but I was in and out in 10-minutes.

 

no, that's what happens when partisans play political games

 

No it was a clear example of someone not taking care and being responsible for themselves.

 

in regards to the constitution, bureaucracy/qualification prerequisites shouldn't abridge the right to vote

 

I notified the registry when I moved in 2007. They kept the old address when I renewed it in 2008 so I didn't bother telling them about the moves in 2008,2010 or 2011. I did have my driver's license out, but I wasn't sure if they would demand it automatically. In all past elections I started with my address and they looked at me and guessed which one I was from the list of registered voters at that address.

 

Great difficulty, yes.

 

It's your responsibility to make sure it has the correct address not the DMV.

 

as per the constitution, that shouldn't abridge the right to vote

 

I live in WA which is a mail in vote states (along with OR). You have to mail it in on or before election day (final official results take a while in WA). Mailed on Monday 11/04/2012 with no problem. If voting is to be in person election day should either be a holiday or elections should be held on weekends.

 

I did early vote by mail because I was in a different state on election day. The only problem I had was that they tried to make me interpret the ballot for some Somalian people that didn't speak English. I don't know where the (*)(*)(*)(*) they got that brilliant idea. Needless to say it wasn't very successful and they had to wait until someone who actually spoke their language could come help them.

The ID laws are really annoying because they're aimed to disenfranchise college kids and people who rent their living spaces.

 

Quote the section that says what you claim and you DID get to vote didn't you.

 

What? Who was voting that couldn't speak English?

Oh yeah THAT's why we require citizens to prove who they are before they can cast their vote........... I guess that's why we make people provide ID in order to get medicaid to keep college students and people who rent from getting it.

 

yes, i voted without having to wait in line or show an id, as it should be

even though the state of mississippi recently passed a voter id law, the federal government squashed it for this election

Amendment XV, Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

http://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_Am15.html

 

So why shouldn't you have to prove you are the person listed on the voter roll before you vote? And you will have such a required next cycle as we have had in Alabama for several years now.

Amendment XV, Section 1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

[/QUOTE]

I asked where the Constitution said that having a proper ID was a violation of a right to vote..............try again. ID's don't even show race, color or servitude and neither can the government deny you an ID based on any such criteria.

 

maybe so, mississippi and alabama are probably the most racist states of all

asking for id's often scares minorities away from voting, it's a historic fact

poll taxes and tests weren't overtly racist either, but they were effectively racist and discriminatory against blacks and the poor