Early voting report

We have early voting in my state. (Technically, it's called "In-person absentee ballot"). It started yesterday. I had planned on going out this morning to vote, but then I thought, "Eh, I'll just drive over there and see how bad the line is."

Well, the line was well out the door but then I thought, "I'm over here, I might as well wait. Waiting in line here will be more pleasant than going to shop at the Wal-Mart this afternoon and if I vote now I can do that tomorrow morning."

So I got in line. Everyone around me was very good-natured about it, jovial, no one was bugged by the wait. People coming out after voting reported on what their wait-times were (the consensus figure was an hour and a half.) It was a warm but not hot day so it was pleasant enough standing outside.

It did take a while. It took me about an hour and fifteen minutes in line. A couple times I did sit down; I would get light headed (and, yes, my blood pressure was down a few more points when I took it last evening, it looks like the medication may be beginning to work). No one objected to someone ducking out of line to sit down; there was no, "Hey, you got out of line! Go back to the end!" (There was one woman using a walker who had to sit the whole time; when her "turn" came, the man behind her in line called to her and made her a place).

I had read the ballot ahead of time (in addition to the Presidential race, there were a number of "State Questions" and you ALWAYS have to read those ahead of time (IMHO) because they're written in bureaucratese and you have to sit and suss out what's being said). So I knew how I was going to vote already.

The rate-limiting step was getting checked in. There was one woman with a computer who took your Application For In-Person Absentee Ballot and checked your ID (yes, here we are expected to show a photo ID. I know that law has been floated and challenged in other states. It's not a big deal for me as I always have my driver's license on me but I could see for, say, an elderly disabled person who didn't drive and didn't get out much, it might be a problem). And then once you checked out with her, she passed your form to another woman who got you to sign a document where you "Swear or affirm" that you are not going to try voting Tuesday. (I think the "swear or affirm" language is interesting. I'm wondering if the "...or affirm" is for people of faiths where swearing an oath to other than their God is forbidden...)

And then you get the ballot and a pen, and go find a station to fill it out at. And then you put it through an optical scanner that records your vote. It shows a number - I presume that was the number you were in line to vote. (I was 417. Yesterday was the first day of early voting).

The line was a bit shorter by the time I walked out but then again it was about quarter to five and the place closed at 6 pm. The election workers did mention that anyone in line at 6 pm would get to vote, no matter how long it took, but I suspect a lot of people didn't want to chance it.

So now I'm done. I can ignore any and all campaign ads now. (Not that I paid much attention to them before). And Tuesday I don't have to wonder if I can fit it in between my morning and evening classes.

I know some people really dislike the idea of early voting and I am not sure how I feel about it for states like Ohio where it starts a month early, but I appreciate having a couple days' window where I can go in when the time is best for me and vote. (I prefer the idea of having the weekend before Election Day be open for early voting over another idea I've seen, that of making Election Day a Federal holiday. Because I suspect that wouldn't improve voter turnout at all, and maybe even make it worse, as people would treat it as a "party day." And for folks like me....we'd probably still have to work on that day, so it would make no difference.)