javasaurus (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
javasaurus) wrote2006-11-08 07:21 pm
javasaurus) wrote2006-11-08 07:21 pm
Gah, voting experience from heck
My voting location is an "evangelical cathedral" in Bowie. Whopping enormous church. It's across the street from Six Flags, and when it was being built, we thought it was an enormous indoor roller coaster. Nope, it's a church.
So that's my polling place. Blueeowyn and I got there at 8 in the morning, to see a line going out the door. After 45 minutes, I needed to leave for a meeting at work, and we had made it through maybe a third of the line. I found out later that Blueeowyn took more than two and a half hours to get to the machines.
I don't get to leave work until about 6, so I arrive at the church again at 6:45 (bad traffic, rain), and the line is just as long as in the morning. Fortunately I had a book. Actually a recent issue of Fantasy and Science Fiction. The woman three in front of me had her child with her. His name was A.J., aka Anthony when his mother was serious. Within ten minutes, everybody in the church knew his name. It was like the Bill Cosby routine about Jeffery. So for the next two hours, forty minutes, I read three novellas in my magazine (two of which were very dark), and heard the name A.J. about four thousand times as he slammed his little umbrella down on the ground, slammed himself against the wall, tried to open doors into other areas of the church.
There was a receptionist at the church directing voters to the end of the line (the line was like Disneyland -- winding this way and that all over the giant foyer of the church -- at least we didn't go through the santuary, winding our way through the pews, eh?). It was tough to find the end of the line without direction. The receptionist also made sure that everybody was invited to the church's Christmas pageant.
Speaking of which, the pageant was rehearsing while we waited in line. They were in the main part of the church, the santuary, which has a stage and lighting and a whopping enormous sound system. We got to hear the sound system as it played what I might call gospel hip-hop, and Christmas carols.
The receptionist had on her desk (the line goes past the desk twice) various political fliers and a photocopy of a Washington Post article accusing the Republicans for misrepresenting Democrats as supporting Steele for the Senate.
When I finally got to the voting area, I was shocked to notice that the line was only ten feet behind the minimally screened voting machines, that I could see how several people voted.
When everybody else at work tells me that they only stood in line for 10 minutes, or had no line at all, I feel a little miffed (maybe a lot!) when I have to stand for almost three hours. I'm also disturbed by the lack of church/state separation, the political fliers and article inside the polling place, and the lack of privacy while voting. But I have no idea where to lodge my complaint. The precinct always has long lines, but this was the worst ever, and it's not fair.
So that's my polling place. Blueeowyn and I got there at 8 in the morning, to see a line going out the door. After 45 minutes, I needed to leave for a meeting at work, and we had made it through maybe a third of the line. I found out later that Blueeowyn took more than two and a half hours to get to the machines.
I don't get to leave work until about 6, so I arrive at the church again at 6:45 (bad traffic, rain), and the line is just as long as in the morning. Fortunately I had a book. Actually a recent issue of Fantasy and Science Fiction. The woman three in front of me had her child with her. His name was A.J., aka Anthony when his mother was serious. Within ten minutes, everybody in the church knew his name. It was like the Bill Cosby routine about Jeffery. So for the next two hours, forty minutes, I read three novellas in my magazine (two of which were very dark), and heard the name A.J. about four thousand times as he slammed his little umbrella down on the ground, slammed himself against the wall, tried to open doors into other areas of the church.
There was a receptionist at the church directing voters to the end of the line (the line was like Disneyland -- winding this way and that all over the giant foyer of the church -- at least we didn't go through the santuary, winding our way through the pews, eh?). It was tough to find the end of the line without direction. The receptionist also made sure that everybody was invited to the church's Christmas pageant.
Speaking of which, the pageant was rehearsing while we waited in line. They were in the main part of the church, the santuary, which has a stage and lighting and a whopping enormous sound system. We got to hear the sound system as it played what I might call gospel hip-hop, and Christmas carols.
The receptionist had on her desk (the line goes past the desk twice) various political fliers and a photocopy of a Washington Post article accusing the Republicans for misrepresenting Democrats as supporting Steele for the Senate.
When I finally got to the voting area, I was shocked to notice that the line was only ten feet behind the minimally screened voting machines, that I could see how several people voted.
When everybody else at work tells me that they only stood in line for 10 minutes, or had no line at all, I feel a little miffed (maybe a lot!) when I have to stand for almost three hours. I'm also disturbed by the lack of church/state separation, the political fliers and article inside the polling place, and the lack of privacy while voting. But I have no idea where to lodge my complaint. The precinct always has long lines, but this was the worst ever, and it's not fair.
no subject
i completely agree that there should not have been political flyers of any sort inside the polling place (in fact, i believe that's illegal - at least it is in virginia, but don't take my word for it)
sounds to me like the receptionist was trying to be friendly, can you imagine sitting there all day as everyone files past you? you have to say something eventually :-) - of course i wasn't there and didn't see it
as for complaints - i would assume the local board of elections maybe? around here they're always looking for folks to volunteer at the polling places, i'm sure if you contacted those folks they'd be able to tell you where your concerns could be voiced and heard
no subject
no subject
i found this, but i'm not sure if that was only active yesterday, or exactly what group is sponsoring it. If you encounter any problem in the voting process call 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683)
and "Justice Department officials reported that the number of calls to the Voting Rights Hotline dipped sharply on this national Election Day compared to the last, with roughly 200 calls having rolled in by 6 pm EST. At the same time on Election Day 2004, 1,200 calls had come in."
so... there has to be a way to search on that.
no subject
http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/2006/results/localcandresults.html
on the harford county page anyway, there's a link on "contacting officials." maybe your county's page has something similar.