[(JD)]

I'm working very hard at not being LIVID right now.

I STILL have not received my absentee ballot to vote.

Everytime I've gone to the precinct to vote, there have been issues. I don't need that drama. So I try to vote absentee.

One year, my ballot was found in a desk drawer at a courthouse precinct, who accepted my absentee ballot (and forgot what to do with it?)

NOW, on the 26th, I did receive a postcard from my County director, giving me information on how to TRACK my ballot!

Okay, so I went to that website and saw that my ballot had been mailed TO me on the 22nd of October.

It's too late to mail it now, even if I get it.
I can always take it to the precinct (oh what a hassle that will be) and vote directly...

I've already written Tallahassee...this has to change. On the website where I went for the County tracking...it says absentee ballots are ONLY counted if there's a close race. That has to change. With more and more of us not physically going to vote, and our military too... those ballots need to be counted by midnight of the day of voting, IMO.

But ... I'm still without my ballot. Perhaps today?
I'm trying not to worry, or become angry, or ...well, or care. (Not sure that last one is really a good solution.)

[Perna]

I assume you will be trying to vote for the people who are interested in fixing this? :-)

You all are just incompetent stuffing envelopes!

http://washingtonindependent.com/944...es-begin-early

[(JD)]

I've contacted ONE of the offices of the people running for Governor. One of them has NO contact information (email, onsite note) I've contacted TWO of those running for Senate. (Again, I can't find how to contact one of them. ) So they "all" know ME now. Hey, I could be a good media issue, disabled woman prevented from voting. no no no I just wanted my ballot.

I also shared that I want the system to change on absentee ballots not being counted unless there's a close race. That could be eliminating THOUSANDS of votes. We all have the RIGHT to have our vote counted.
GRRRR.

Breathing.

Breathing.

[madisgram]

idk but would contacting the supervisor of elections help any?
also if it were me i'd contact local news television stations and newspapers. you have some very valid points. exposing the info would be a good start. hope this helps, just not sure since i'm unaware of this issue but your post definitely got my attention. thanks.
ps it might not help you right now but it could raise issues that need to be addressed. sounds like you could be that advocate.

[(JD)]

I've called the SOE office before (not this event) and they only have pat answers for glitches. Until it's past mail time on Tuesday, they can't be bothered, then, they can't do anything about it.

Saturday mail came and went.
I wonder if my receiving my neighbors local HOA proxy ballot, and not my own, has any connection to the lack of mail service. Of course it does. This is why I pay for a post office box for important mail. Well MOST of my important mail. Guess I should have gone through the hassle of trying to have it mailed there instead.

Thanks for the replies!

[Rhiannonsmoon]

JD this is such an important issue. How many people don't have their vote counted and what affect does that have on the overall count? When it comes down to close ballots it is really important.

Stand up before the election to ensure your rights are fulfilled. You have that right and if it changes the course of history then it is vitally important.

In Oz we are fined if we do not vote, though it is easy enough to have the fine recalled by saying that "I am exercising my democratic right not to vote" they are unable to touch you if you make that statement.

I prefer the US way of voting; one person one vote and no preferences, at least you know you vote is not given to a party that you don't approve of, but who have made a deal with ine of the major parties to give them their votes. To me that is undemocratic and creates autocratism.

Bu I agree with the others and say stand up and be counted, you have that right and it is an important one. A matter of one vote can change the outcome,

Good luck with it,

Rhiannon

[(JD)]

Still no ballot in the mail. I will get mail tomorrow about 5 pm I think. If it doesn't come, I won't be allowed to vote, as they will not have the ballot in hand to let me use the machine, etc. don't do one on one confrontation well I don't have a photo id with my home address on it, which is one of the reasons I vote absentee anyway.

This is really not a social chat, community team members. The angst I'm feeling about authorities not doing what they should is a real battle. But, then, people in power rarely do what they "should" right? Put it into PTSD if you wish because of course it's all me, and has nothing to do with anything. Me neither. Triggered? Yeah, too many attacks here and paranoid feelings about the opposition...

...now I truly wonder if I were registered Independent if I would have receive the ballot? I had a choice of which card to send in, since everyone running sent me a blank request card. Guess I selected the wrong one. I tried using a democrat one, but put my P O box on it and that requires so much to have it delivered there rather than residence, I took a chance. I tore that one up and used another, probably one from a republican candidate. So now I don't know if it's the lack of decent mail service or that I used the wrong card.

This won't be the first time my vote hasn't counted. I guess I should just get used to it and quit trying to vote, like the enemy wishes. I should just give in to all my enemies everywhere, and quit talking, posting, going anywhere, opening my mouth or thinking I have a whip of brain that I could be accepted by anyone, even those you-know-who 'brothers and sisters" etc.

Why can I never stay under the radar? If someone is shooting at me, why can't they at least be a good shot and end this misery?

[madisgram]

oh jd i think you got a lot of support here. perhaps we weren't who you referring to. your issues are incredibly valid about your right to vote. i encourage you to see what happened through this botched up process. if nothing else you can try to avoid their glitches next time...like the big one in 2012.
if nothing else...like you may still get the run around.. but you've stated what happened. i'd do it in multiple mailings to assure this problem is resolved. maybe someone will pick up the ball and fix it. so many ppl vote absentee to avoid the long lines and many elderly and disabled to mention a few.
and good for you for trying to do your civic duty and vote!!!

[(JD)]

Thanks for the support, truly. I'm just too upset --in toto-- of so many things being botched in my life lately.

I'm human, not superhuman.
I've fought this problem since I moved to this county 10 years ago.

I don't know why I want to vote anyway, they're all crooks down here. R I D all of them.

I know I'm overreacting. I came back to delete the whole thing, but sigh... you had already given me support.

[BugsyMalone]

I'm so glad you posted this JD, and sorry that you are having such a hassle. I can't believe absentee ballots aren't counted unless there's a close race! As you say, this is ignoring the ballots of lots of people who (for one reason or another) can't get down to the voting station.

In the UK absentee ballots are becoming more popular. Still not many people use them, so they don't affect too many races, but in some places (e.g. districts with big military bases) election results are always given a few days later than the others to make sure all the postal votes have been counted.

It's worrying how open to abuse it all is. Most problems can be explained away by simple incompetence, but it's only a short step from realising that a number of election staff are incompetent, to refusing to fix that incompetence because it supports your side's electoral chances.

[DancingAlone]

Dear JD,

I'm so sorry you are having so much trouble voting. That's unacceptable. I know it is too late to do this, and didn't you say you are in Florida? Here is the web site for future elections where you can download forms for an absentee ballot and also track the status of it (Item #6). Oh dear, i reread your post and you did this! There's also a way to automatically receive your ballot if you indicate you want to vote in consecutive elections (Nov. 2010, 2012, etc.) So sorry. I wish you well.

http://www.longdistancevoter.org/florida

[(JD)]

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.

[DancingAlone]

kudos JD!
good for you for your patience and perseverence!

[BugsyMalone]

Wow, quite a mission! Well done for going and making your voice heard JD. When I've been to the US, I've always been amazed/impressed/surprised by how much democracy there is - that sounds silly, but I mean that every job seems to be up for voting - sheriff, comptroller, sanitation commissioner, yada yada yada.

In the UK, it's literally just once every 5 years for your Member of Parliament, and a similar sort of time scale for your Member of the European Parliament. Normally local elections for your councillor are done at the same time as one of those, to increase turnout. That's pretty much it.

Our voter turnout is terribly low already - I'm not sure many Brits would bother if the voting form was three pages long, rather than about 6 names long as it is now. Well done for your perseverance!

[pegasus]

So glad you got there in the end!

[(JD)]

mm mmm Guess what? That email I sent to the browardsoe via the address they give on the site? It just now bounced. How's that for service? grrrrrr Well, at least now I have more proof that I tried to notify them of the situation. Oh! Mail just came out front...wonder if my ballot is being delivered?

Nope.

[lonegael]

Unbelievable. Just unbelievable.