My Support Forums - View Single Post

(JD) · Nov 02, 2010, 04:52 PM

I voted!

I met the postal clerk at my mailbox, who had already begun talking to me about how carefully she delivers mail.

I had put a misdelivered magazine into my box last week, as well as a HOA proxy vote for my neighbor. I ignored all that, and asked where my absentee ballot was. ????? No form to track it. Why not call the PostMaster (no phone number.)

So I then called the Supervisor of Elections office again... and waited and waited. Then the lady said my phone was breaking up (:doh not.) I ignored that, and repeated things slowly for her. She said they didn't have my ballot yet, and did I realize that it's the last day to vote????

Well, she insisted I could "just" go vote and proceeded to tell me where the precinct was/is.

And ... if they didn't let me vote, to call them tomorrow.

At the precinct they still haven't moved the parking spaces for handicapped near the voting area...at a school they are set up for the main offices, not the gym! I told a few people they need to remember to put that on the list of complaints. As I approached the door, I realized I had left my cheat sheets in the car; too tired already to go back for them.

In line, the guy I was behind used to be a poll worker and he tended to agree that they wouldn't let me vote. I told him the lady on the phone said it was never that way (if you don't bring blank absentee ballot, you can't vote) so maybe they changed that???

Inside, I began the process, driver's license swipe, sign here (which I quickly did and then... she says NO WAIT! ah...

I had already signed in. Then they suggested that my ballot would be a provisional one..and I said no. "But you had an absentee mailed to you?" Yes. But I never received it.... on to the next table.

The next line for the next table... well, I'm in a pain flare these few days so I stepped out of line to sit by the table. (OH?) Handicapped.

My turn...they want to send me off to stand to color in ovals? No thank you, I'll wait on the gentleman sitting. "You'll wait?" Yes.
After 10 minutes (3 page ballot and if you hadn't gone over the issues prior to, could take time) another lady came in with a radio, very official and told the workers at the table, "I have a handicapped lady that I need to move to the front of your line." (Hmmm I had already waited in 2 lines and now was in the third.) The worker pointed to me, and I said, "THAT WOULD BE ME! " Oh? You're handicapped and waiting already too? hmmm So she went and dug up another folder barrier and set it in front of me so I could fill in my ballot. (Good. I was about to whip out my pen and do so without any barrier.)

Sigh. Done. Took it over to the ballot registrar's register. She leaves ... I wait... she says, "feed each page in separately, continuously like you're bowling." (HUH? I think) I say, "I gave up bowling years ago, and I'm handicapped so I'm not sure ..." and voila' the machine begins beeping, ballot error, unread ballot, ballot something else... sigh. It takes a few more steps and bells and whistles for it to clear and though it had already eaten my first page, it took the next two ok. Not sure the main page registered, had governor and senator on it.

I said to her as she seemed exasperated with me, "I warned you I am handicapped." She chuckled and admitted I had indeed.

Once back to the car, I looked at my cheat sheets and think I only mixed up on maybe one office, and not a biggie imo. (I mean, they are all crooks, right?

Too much effort. I wonder how many people don't vote because of the hassle.

Now, do I bother trying to track down where the absentee ballot went, if it went at all?

Thanks for suffering with me.