I just voted - loooong lines in Collin County Texas

[Skittles]

I've never before had to wait in a long line to vote. Is this good or bad? I voted on a Diebold Touch Screen - no way in freaking HELL do I trust those g.d. things.

[billybob537]

1. Greater turnout said to favor dems. n/t

[MsTryska]

2. So what were the lines like?

Did you hear any idle chit-chat that gave away who was supporting whom?


btw - i'm firmly in that camp that believe people don't jump into long lines in order to support the status quo.

[Skittles]

7. it moved fairly quickly

alas, I was at a rec center and a jazzercise class was in progress; it renewed my hangover headache. No chit chat in the lines that I heard but it's funny, I could just look at people and know who they'd vote for. The uptight assholes are definitely Bush/Cheney folk.

[MsTryska]

16. So how many uptight

assholes did ya see? compared to normal people anyways?


i'm curious as to who's really going out and taking advantage of early voting. especially in Texas.

[Skittles]

21. in Texas, uptight assholes are always the majority

at least in this f***ing county

[MsTryska]

26. that sucks.

i know the feeling tho. most of my friends won't step foot into my county if they can help it.

[michigandem2]

3. when turnout is high...dems usually win

and to have that turnout in Texas makes me warm and fuzzy...they know that the state is going to most likely go for bush but they aren't going to give up..they are going to try! GREAT NEWS!

[realFedUp]

4. better to vote early in long lines I guess....

than on the day of.

[Texas_Dem]

5. Collin County has lots of repug vipers there. What did you make of the

people showing up to vote?

[Skittles]

8. it looked mixed to me

I saw more younger voters than I usually do and that gives me hope.

[Wright Patman]

6. Collin County

high turnout favors GOP, unless the economic and demographic profile of that county has changed drastically almost overnight.

[Skittles]

10. yes, I am in republican hell here

very rare to see a Democratic sign around these parts.

[Reciprocity]

29. Same here in Angelina county. I'm in Bush hell. n/t

[MoJoWorkin]

9. If that is McKinney, Tx

I have relatives there, and they are Wingnuts--I think all of Dallas area outside of the poorer areas are RW territory, so it is probably NOT good news. Of course, I don't live there--you do.

[Skittles]

12. I'm in Plano

surrounded by wingnuts. You're correct; the high turnout could just be nervousness over how close the election is.

[TexasChick]

27. I live in McKinney and voted for Kerry on Oct. 18th!! Huge Repuke area...

but not alot of enthusiasm for the chimp as it should be; no yard signs and very few bumper stickers!!! Could be bad or could be good, don't know, but I'm guessing Texas may go deep purple this year. The chimp will probably get the electoral votes, but I have a feeling Kerry will do okay. I have seen a few Kerry supporters here in McKinney with their bumper stickers, was even invited to a house party for Kerry.



Jennifer

[derby378]

11. If you don't trust Diebold, why the hell did you use their machine?

This has been a sore spot with me. Crispini has been working with Harryette Erhardt's group down here in Dallas, and we're using ES&S touchscreens for early voting. At least she's more comfortable with the process because she actually voted on the machines and is helping to make sure the process is fair in Dallas. I still lean towards insisting on a paper ballot, but I trust Crispini.

Long story short, if you don't trust a voting machine, don't use it. Insist on paper. I don't mean to rant - your vote will probably be counted correctly (did you get a paper receipt?), but we all know the score for Diebold here on DU.

[Skittles]

13. I did check around

it's all Diebold

[derby378]

17. Even on November 2?

If so, I sympathize. But I hope you got a paper trail to confirm your vote.

You might find this humorous:

http://www.boomchicago.nl/Section/Latest-News/BoomChicagoVotingMachine

[Skittles]

19. I couldn't vote on Nov 2

have to work 6PM to 6AM, sleep during the day.

[tanyev]

20. Not much choice in Collin County

There are very specific requirements to qualify for an absentee ballot. They are only giving provisional ballots if your name is not found on the roll and the local Dems are not confident that the provisionals will end up getting counted.

[Skittles]

34. I wondered about that, tanyev

sounds like the standards for absentee voting are certainly more lax elsewhere than they are here.

[amber dog democrat]

14. I thnk its a good thing.

Especially so in the local elections. As for the Diebold... I am with you 100%.
On all the Zogby pollis I have responded saying I have no idea if my vote matters or it it is COUNTED.
How in hell CAN you know ? This has to end ASAP.

[tanyev]

15. Hi, Skittles

Where did you go? I monitored at a rec center Mon, Tues and Weds and the wait was consistently 40-45 min. I went to vote this morning at the Allen library and there was a line, but the wait was only 15-20 min. IMO, there are more people going to the rec center, but there also were some things they were doing at the library that made it more efficient.

I read on another thread that there was a Repub phone campaign to get the party faithful out for early voting, so high turnout may not be as good for us as we think (in TX, anyway).

[Skittles]

18. Carpenter Rec Center

Coit and Spring Creek

[tanyev]

22. Yep, that's where I was.

I've been going there for walking/jogging too. Usually MWF, but one week I ended up going on TTh and I had to listen to that blasted jazzercise the whole time. Mental note to not ever go back there on TTh mornings.

[Skittles]

23. LORD it was freaking LOUD

speaking of phone calls, here is one I received yesterday:

HI! My name is Amber and I'm working to get the vote out for Bush/Cheney!

Before she could continue I interrupted with this: AMBER is it? Now listen to me Amber: I WOULDN'T VOTE FOR THAT LYING, THIEVING INCOMPETENT BASTARD BUSH IF YOU PUT A GUN TO MY HEAD. DO NOT *EVER* CALL ME AGAIN.

I slammed the phone down before hearing a response. Gawd it made me SICK.

[MoJoWorkin]

24. Austin, and a few other areas will be the exception in TX

I visited my daughter(frustrated teacher) in Austin last month, and hardly saw a Repug sign. Kerry everywhere. I got a lot of bumperstickers at Two Unemployed Dems.com there. Austin--the island in Tx.
I am encouraged here in Springfield, MO, as I have never seen so many Dem signs as this year. I know the Repugs will win everything here, as usual, but it is heartening to see Dems stand proud, again.:kick:

[Skittles]

25. I lived in Austin for 17 years

great town

[Zen Democrat]

32. Houston and Galveston will go Kerry -- Galveston has paper ballots.

[psychopomp]

28. I voted today, too

Sent my CA absentee ballot by mail...typhoon kept me from the PO yesterday.

Kerry, baby.

[aquart]

33. Are you in Japan?

[aquart]

30. Is anyone doing exit polling?

I'm really concerned about the count not being taken till November. It isn't being tallied and posted daily, who knows what the hell is happening.

[Skittles]

31. I've never been exit-polled

ever

[crispini]

35. Dallas county early voting

did another 20,000 yesterday. We are on target for my predicted Dallas County turnout of 65%, up from 49% in 2000 (when city of Dallas went for Gore, county of Dallas did not.)