Yeah, I voted. Still not happy.

[Bill Mattocks]

Voting all done. Voter #254 and no line at all, which is nice because it is cold out.


Yeah, voted. by Wigwam Jones, on Flickr

On the other hand, on the way out, I saw an Oakland County Sheriff's Deputy parked in the parking lot of my polling place, running radar.

I find that a bit disconcerting. While I always support law enforcement, and I have no love of speeders in school districts (my polling place is a school, but obviously closed today), I am concerned that this could be seen as voter intimidation.

Imagine someone who has an unpaid ticket or some other reason to fear contact with the police. He or she still has the right to vote. So they drive to their polling place and there's a marked police unit right there in the parking lot. Fearing arrest, they choose not to vote. Not good.

I wrote an email to the Oakland County Sheriff's Department and asked that they consider moving the unit somewhere else; they can catch speeders in front of the school any time, but on voting day at a polling place is not a good way to go about it.

 

[Master Dan]

Voting all done. Voter #254 and no line at all, which is nice because it is cold out.


Yeah, voted. by Wigwam Jones, on Flickr

On the other hand, on the way out, I saw an Oakland County Sheriff's Deputy parked in the parking lot of my polling place, running radar.

I find that a bit disconcerting. While I always support law enforcement, and I have no love of speeders in school districts (my polling place is a school, but obviously closed today), I am concerned that this could be seen as voter intimidation.

Imagine someone who has an unpaid ticket or some other reason to fear contact with the police. He or she still has the right to vote. So they drive to their polling place and there's a marked police unit right there in the parking lot. Fearing arrest, they choose not to vote. Not good.

I wrote an email to the Oakland County Sheriff's Department and asked that they consider moving the unit somewhere else; they can catch speeders in front of the school any time, but on voting day at a polling place is not a good way to go about it.

Your ritght but I know how many Republican's feel especially those who have moderate to six figure incomes they look at the voting lines in many areas and say look at those fat, minority, wellfare people voting they should not be allowed to vote just trying to get my money? In there mind anyone uneasy for any reason including financial should not be allowed to vote

 

[Josh Oakley]

Your ritght but I know how many Republican's feel especially those who have moderate to six figure incomes they look at the voting lines in many areas and say look at those fat, minority, wellfare people voting they should not be allowed to vote just trying to get my money? In there mind anyone uneasy for any reason including financial should not be allowed to vote

...huh?

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[Touch Of Death]

your ritght but i know how many republican's feel especially those who have moderate to six figure incomes they look at the voting lines in many areas and say look at those fat, minority, wellfare people voting they should not be allowed to vote just trying to get my money? In there mind anyone uneasy for any reason including financial should not be allowed to vote

lol

 

[Instructor]

Your ritght but I know how many Republican's feel especially those who have moderate to six figure incomes they look at the voting lines in many areas and say look at those fat, minority, wellfare people voting they should not be allowed to vote just trying to get my money? In there mind anyone uneasy for any reason including financial should not be allowed to vote

Aahh sweet music....

 

[Tez3]

Your ritght but I know how many Republican's feel especially those who have moderate to six figure incomes they look at the voting lines in many areas and say look at those fat, minority, wellfare people voting they should not be allowed to vote just trying to get my money? In there mind anyone uneasy for any reason including financial should not be allowed to vote

Bit random that.

 

[punisher73]

As someone who has a more conservative lean in my voting. I agree with Mr. Mattocks on this one. You can't have political signs/groups a certain distance from the polls for a reason as well.

I would also say it is improper because the Sheriff is up for re-election every four years as well, and this could be seen as trying to influence that vote.

As to Master Dan's post......well, I'm sure the hypocrisy of projecting what people think when they see voting polls is not lost on those whom he claims to be against. Prejudice is prejudice is prejudice no matter what form it takes.

 

[Carol]

I also find it disconcerting, based on the stories that the LEOs that I work with have told me about abuse of the driver's license/auto registration databases...something that was just a topic of conversation yesterday given that the a 911 Director from the Chattanooga, TN area was just indicted on such charges.

http://www.chattanoogan.com/2012/10/30/237499/TBI-Arrests-Cocke-County-911-Director.aspx

Such abuse is not rare. It may be stupid, but it is not rare.

http://www.startribune.com/local/174052311.html?refer=y
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20121009/ARTICLE/121009588

 

[Balrog]

Your ritght but I know how many Republican's feel especially those who have moderate to six figure incomes they look at the voting lines in many areas and say look at those fat, minority, wellfare people voting they should not be allowed to vote just trying to get my money? In there mind anyone uneasy for any reason including financial should not be allowed to vote

With all due respect, that statement is hogwash, sir. You owe Republicans everywhere an apology for that.

 

[Master Dan]

My polling place is a restored Russian Catholic Church the city got 3.5 million to move and restore as a historical building in the late 90's use for public functions. It great no waiting you know everyone including the polling volunteers. Voted for Obama two demcrats and one republican plus bond issues and a city run off race. Hope evryone votes today

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I got a reply from the Watch Commander. I'm satisfied that the issue has been addressed.

...The Deputy was completing a police report and was not enforcing traffic laws at that time or location. He stated he was far enough away from the east end of the building where the sign and polling location actually is, that he did not consider this to be a perceived issue. I assure you, the location he picked to stop was not in any way, shape or form an indication of voter intimidation....

With that said, the Deputy has been made aware of the perception issue and will avoid this in the future.

 

[Carol]

Nice! Wonderful to hear that they were so responsive.

My local newspaper opened up a question on their Facebook page -- where did you vote, and what were the lines like? Some folks reported a quick in-and-out, others reported lines like they haven't seen in years.

One comment concerns me:

Main Dunstable school...a little congested but organized very well...concerned that some ballots going in upside down though and no one correcting it...(????)

In New Hampshire, you are given a paper ballot, and you vote by drawing a black horizontal line next to the candidate of your choosing. A polling volunteer then loads the ballots in to an optical scanning machine. In my own personal experience, many polling volunteers READ your choices before putting them in the scanning machine, which pisses me off.

If the ballots go in upside down, they cannot get scanned properly.

 

[Master Dan]

With all due respect, that statement is hogwash, sir. You owe Republicans everywhere an apology for that.

With all due respect your wrong my ears work just fineand my eyes as well I’ve had to stomach listening to comments from Republicansconstantly in person the last two years and the media both blogs and networksas well what’s owed is an apology from the people who make those statements andthe networks who support that hogwash. Liberal should not be a dirty word andDemocrat should not be linked with the exact statements above time after time.People being judged by their income color and body type all wrapped up in aPita bread of Christian moral majority mentality. Are there good Republicansyes I voted for one and others in the past but in general anyone who disagreeswith the GOP platform is berated as an undesirable whose vote should not countmy point you don't agree that’s fine. But I owe no one anything except therespect for having basic human rights to exist

 

[billc]

Dont worry Billmattocks, all future tickets given to you by that officer will have nothing to do with your e-mailing the sherrif. It will just be a coincidence...:angel:

 

[WC_lun]

Bill M, happy or not, thanks for voting.

 

[Sukerkin]

Indeed so, lun.

As an aside, BillM is one of the major players here on this forum that persuaded me with good arguments that my almost life-long withholding of my vote (as a protest against a rigged system) did no good at all - you have to play in the game to influence the game. In effect shouting "Boo! Fixed!" from the sidelines does noting to alter the course of political events; you have get on the pitch and have your kick of the ball.

 

[Tez3]

I always vote, I do believe everyone should even in elections as small as those for the committee in your chosen leisure activity's club. As a woman I believe I actually have a duty to those women (and some men) who fought, suffered and even died to get women the vote.
It's hard for any electoral system to be really fair even if everyone is willing to be honest but not voting means nothing will be fair ever. I don't like our current system of first past the post but if enough people got off their backsides here voting would make a big difference even under this system. It's the getting off your backside that makes that difference.

 

[Big Don]

My voting place has been the little Catholic church around the corner for over a decade. Today there were more cars there than on most Sundays. I walk in, there are maybe 15 people inside. I don't get it but, whatever, no line for me...
I step up to the table, give the girl my name, she looks, sends me to the other table, no big deal...
I step up to the table, give the girl my name, she asks where I live, I tell her, she says go talk to the supervisor, OK, not worried.
He looks at the map of the precincts, shows me how my neighborhood, because there are "Too few registered voters" has been eliminated, and can either cast a provisional ballot or vote by mail.
It is a point of duty to me to go to my polling place and vote, and a point of pride that I do it every election. Now, I am being told that basically, because my neighbors are slackers too lazy to register to vote I must vote by mail?! I am beyond pissed right now, the County Clerk's office is closed, I'll be there when they open tomorrow to *****, loudly and eloquently about how stupid this BS is.

 

[Sukerkin]

Quite right, Don. For democracy to have a hope of working, purposely excluding those who have a legitimate right to vote has to be high on the list of "Do not do this".

 

[cdunn]

Voted - Was #161 at around 6PM. I was kind of sad about that, until the old lady at the table told me that we have less than 350 voters in my precinct - and off year elections usually see less than 100 people turning out. My machine worked. Maybe. Dunno. You don't get a receipt here.