Gari. N. Corp | November 7, 2006 08:46 AM

I'm not eligible to vote, despite bestowing a healthy bounty on the Internal Revenue Service each January (grrrr), but I did watch my wife vote. It was very moving.

NicoleW | November 7, 2006 08:46 AM

Hell yes, I voted! There was a surprisingly long line at my polling place in Northern VA this morning, too. Nice to see.

John | November 7, 2006 08:47 AM

Hellya! Satisfied the early part. Will try this afternoon to satisfy the often.

Roger | November 7, 2006 08:52 AM

already voted by absentee ballot. Yes for civil unions that would allow my partner, if I can ever stop being picky about that, to have the same rights as married couples. A straight democratic down the line for everything else - though I sometimes held my nose.

Danjite | November 7, 2006 08:57 AM

I voted weeks ago, so my ballot would get to LA before today.

I am pleased that I got my ballot at all, as frequently expats and soldiers don't get ballots until it is too late, if at all.

My voter information guise showed up two weeks after I sent in my ballot. My sample ballot a week after that.

G. Jules | November 7, 2006 09:04 AM

I voted! Straight-ticket Dem, not that that's hard to do in MA, where the opposing party is as likely to be Green-Rainbow as Republican.

Vardibidian | November 7, 2006 09:05 AM

Voted in West Hartford, CT, pulling an old-fashioned lever. There was a short line, a PTO bake sale, and no stickers.

No stickers?!!?

Thanks,
-V.

Dave | November 7, 2006 09:07 AM

I did at just after 7AM this morning. It felt good.

There were 10 standard paper ballot booths and 2 touch screens. It appeared that the touch screens are plague bearers. Beware!

Scott Mactavish | November 7, 2006 09:13 AM

Done.

And now I need a shower, despite taking one just before I voted.

mazianni | November 7, 2006 09:14 AM

Voted this am in MA, nearly straight party Democrat. I voted Green/Rainbow party where there wasn't a Republican opposing the Democrat.

KevinQ | November 7, 2006 09:17 AM

I voted today, triumphing over the obstacles in my path. 3 precincts from 2 cities voted at my polling place, so first I had to find the precinct list with my name on it, so I knew which line to get into. The lists were in two different places. Signs all over the polling place let us know that in Ohio, if you accidentally vote in the wrong precinct, they won't count your vote at all. No pressure.

Once in the right line, they asked to see my ID. I showed them my passport. The person checking IDs had apparently never seen a passport before. First, she couldn't tell what my name was. Then, to prove that she had checked my ID, she needed to write down the last 4 digits of my social-security number. Passports don't have SSNs. So she simply asked me what the last 4 digits of my SSN were, apparently without irony. I stared at her for a few moments, waiting for her to laugh, and then gave up the digits.

Voting wasn't too bad - we have optical scan ballots, so I'm not worried about Diebold stealing my vote. Then I got in line again so that I could feed my ballot into the reader. Then I got my sticker and left.

K

Eric R. | November 7, 2006 09:17 AM

I voted...I think. I moved and registered in time (Ohio, 30 days before the election), but the address on my driver's license is not up-to-date. So I brought a utility bill. All kosher.

But they spelled my last name incorrectly in their roster book, even though the voter verification card (I brought that, too) I got in the mail has the correct spelling. So a notation was made and they let me vote. Paper ballot, scanned into a machine (I didn't see any touch screens at my polling station).

I'll never know if my vote is considered legit. But I'm sporting the sticker anyway! Speaking of which, mine looks different than yours, Scalzi. It says "Vote Your Conscience" in red letters instead of "Vote" and their is no URL. Odd. Do different parts of Ohio get different stickers for some nefarious purpose?

KevinQ | November 7, 2006 09:21 AM

Eric, apparently there are at least 3 different types of stickers for voting. I think Scalzi got the oldest version, because I remember those from elections past. A couple of years ago, Ken Blackwell, as Secretary of State, unilaterally added the "Vote Your Conscience" slogan, which is apparently the slogan of a right-wing religious group.

At my polling place, however, they were giving out stickers that simply had an American flag, and the words "I Voted." No Ohio, no website, no slogan. I'm okay with that.

K

Jessie | November 7, 2006 09:24 AM

Hey, I didn't get a sticker either! What's up with that? And I vote in an elementary school, so you'd think we'd be all about that kind of positive reinforcement.

Mark J Musante | November 7, 2006 09:26 AM

I done voted, pardner.

Charissa | November 7, 2006 09:28 AM

Hell, yes, I voted, at 7:15 this morning. Mix of Democrat and Independent candidates. In and out in 10 minutes. Bonus: No electronic voting in my state yet. We're old fashioned pen & paper ballot folks.

Captain Button | November 7, 2006 09:31 AM

I voted, but it was on a Diebold touchscreen, so who knows what it got recorded as. Got the usual "I'm a Georgia Voter" sticker, with an underlying picture of a peach.

Chris Gerrib | November 7, 2006 09:33 AM

I voted - Illinois 6th Congressional District. Not much of a crowd, and DuPage County uses paper with optical scan ballots. They had one (1) touchscreen, which nobody used while I was there.

FS | November 7, 2006 09:34 AM

7:50 am in PA-04. Straight Dem, and no on the question. Electronic voting, hope it counts.

No stickers, though.

Jim | November 7, 2006 09:37 AM

I voted and all I got was this lousy sticker.

Bearpaw | November 7, 2006 09:37 AM

You betcha I voted. Not much suspense in the races I voted in (Massachusetts), but my breathing is gonna be a little ragged until the returns come in across the nation.

Walter Davis | November 7, 2006 09:40 AM

Early voted, both my wife and myself. Glad to be able to vote for a few of these guys here in Tennessee, esp. Duncan who had the moral courage to oppose the mess in Iraq from the get-go and glad to be able to vote AGAINST the state constitutional ammendment banning gay marriage. Just wish I thought the damn fool thing wouldn't pass anyway.

As an old-school Conservative Republican, would like to reitterate a few things: first off, the central role of a Conservative Republican is to Mind Your Own Damn Business, not to try to run everyone else's. Second, the Constitution of either a state or the US of A should be about protecting and defining the rights of a citizen, not about restricting their rights. Governments are already very good at STOPPING people from doing stuff, they don't need any more help. Finally, I am NOT a neo-conservative and I deeply resent being lumped with those demagogues and opportunists.

Jenny Rae Rappaport | November 7, 2006 09:40 AM

I voted in NJ today. Straight-ticket Democratic, except for Township Committee, which had no Democrats nominated for some inexplicable reason (so I didn't vote for anyone for those). My polling place was doing some nice brisk business too. =)

But oh boy, on the subject of voter ID... all I had to do was give them my name and sign my signature in the voting book and on the record slip. The poll worker didn't want to look at my license or my voting registration card, even though I offered both to her voluntarily. They weren't necessary, she said.

Jinnet | November 7, 2006 09:41 AM

Voted around 6:45 or so in Ohio; we had paper ballots with an optical scanner, I got the "vote your conscience" sticker, and I voted pretty much a straight Democratic ticket.

Our voting location was not exactly prepared, though, especially for the small rush of those of us who wanted to vote before going in to work. They were already running out of pens and plaintively asking if anyone had extras to donate. Yikes.

Mike | November 7, 2006 09:47 AM

My district in Washington State votes entirely by mail-in ballot, so I voted a few days ago. And they mailed me the sticker, which was nice. I love those li'l stickers.

Cheers!

alsafi | November 7, 2006 09:47 AM

I voted early, and had an hour wait to do that, which cheered me. Didn't get a sticker, but my partner got a pin, which she passed on to me. Yellow dog Democrat, Hell No on the stupid "marriage amendment." -.- It'll probably pass anyway (I hate TN), but at least I tried.

Anne | November 7, 2006 09:49 AM

Yes! I voted. Straight Democrat, too. I was the second person to vote at my location, which was sort of odd, but very cool at the same time. (I was there at 6:50am)

Jon | November 7, 2006 09:50 AM

I voted. Longest line I've seen at the polls since I moved to Virginia in 2001, which is encouraging. Unless it just means that more people vote in the morning, and I've usually done it later in the day.

John Popa | November 7, 2006 09:53 AM

Voted and done. In Ohio even.

SaraS | November 7, 2006 09:55 AM

I went to the polls right when they opened. They weren't quite open yet as I was parking the car, and there were a bunch of people waiting outside in line already!

Of course, since I work from home, no one is going to see my "I voted" sticker other than the cats and dogs...

Montana has the paper ballots and the scantron machines...I felt like I was taking the ACTs again.

Lis Carey | November 7, 2006 09:58 AM

Voted, shortly after 8am. Another MA voter, and I voted straight Dem except for Sec. of State. Galvin thinks we need to experiment with electronic voting machines, so I voted for his challenger, Jill Stein, Green-Rainbow party. He'll still win handily, because he has mostly done an excellent job, and who's ever heard of Jill Stein? But in the unlikely event of an upset, I think she'd do a decent job.

(For the benefit of non-MA residents, maybe one of us should explain that the MA Greens are not confused about the rainbow. We used to have another small party, the Rainbow Party, which reached its high point when it very nearly got Mel King elected mayor of Boston. They faded after that, and eventually merged with the MA Green Party.)

Jemaleddin | November 7, 2006 10:01 AM

I voted and was surprised to see that the line was longer (at the same time of day) than it was in 2004.

Jason M. Robertson | November 7, 2006 10:02 AM

Voted at about 8AM in Hyde Park. My precinct was using optical scan ballots, which can become very tedious it all the down ballot judge retention components. No irregularities with the exception of having to return an extra ballot that had stuck to the back of the one the poll worker had given to me.

I voted the machine picks in the general, save the IL governor's race, where I voted Green to encourage someone to challenge from Blagojevich's left, and the Cook County Board President, where I wrote in the name of the defeated challenger because I can't bear to vote for succession-by-nepotism, or a Republican.

Rich | November 7, 2006 10:04 AM

My wife and I dropped the sprout off at daycare and wandered over to the polling station. She went to the correct table whereas the table i went to told me i was not registered to vote. I a gave sound similar to that of a confused dog and was directed to the table my wife went to. Isn't it always that way?

I then entered the booth with the mechanical voting machine (with the lever you throw to the right to vote, flick some switches and then move the lever left to record the vote) and pondered the many choices for supreme court judges, state senator (Klein or Savino) comptroller (where I realized that Alan Hevesi was running opposed), congressman, senator (Hillary Clinton or the sacrificial Republican lamb), governor (Spitzer - pro-choice and pro-gay marriage or Faso - pro-life and no gay marriage)

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions. And I made them and can now bitch freely about my duly elected officials.

Scott | November 7, 2006 10:05 AM

I voted two weeks ago. Here in Oregon our voting is done entirely by mail, and the ballots were sent out Oct 20. Won't be counted until today, of course.

Lanna Lee Maheux-Quinn | November 7, 2006 10:06 AM

I voted on my way to work today. I work at a University and I will wear my "I Voted Today!" sticker all day. Hopefully that will help remind some of our students to vote.

John N. | November 7, 2006 10:13 AM

I took the unusually delightful opportunity to vote against a sitting Speaker of the House this morning. (Yes, yes, I know, voting against a powerful Speaker is technically probably bad for IL, for Chicago's Western 'burbs, for my district as a whole. Consider that me and my family taking one for the betterment of the republic.)

Polling places seemed largely empty when I was voting around 7:00 a.m. All the better - that means my vote counts proportionally more.

katre | November 7, 2006 10:14 AM

Voted on my way in to the office, 7:30 am EST. The polls weren't very busy, I was done in 5 minutes once I found the right area.

Kizz | November 7, 2006 10:15 AM

Varbidian, I live in Brooklyn and had an identical experience. I'm pissed about the sticker thing. The whole reason I get up early to vote is so that every time some electioneering yahoo gets in my face I can tell him/her/it that it's too late. A sticker would make it so much easier. Stickers...or lollipops, some sort of prize.

Gary Boyd | November 7, 2006 10:17 AM

For what it's worth in this very red state of Texas, I cast mine this morning after dropping the daughter at school. Living here and refusing to vote for a Republican means leaving a lot of "no selections" on that new fangled electronic ballot...In past elections there were a number of “Greens” on the ballot, not this year.

Leo Z | November 7, 2006 10:19 AM

I voted today (in MA). pretty busy voting place, but no real problems - optical ballots.

Democratic ticket throughout

Marty | November 7, 2006 10:19 AM

I voted on the way to work. Paper ballots. Short line. No stickers. Michigan.

Brenta | November 7, 2006 10:21 AM

I voted this morning in rural Virginia (aka, in ROVA - the "Rest of Virginia"). I have no worries about there being a paper trail for my vote, since, well, I enter my vote with black ink pen on paper ballot. I personally fed my ballot into the optical scanner. At least on my ballot, I was able to *see* Jim Webb's full name.

The rain here seemed not to have deterred to many voters; I was #299 to vote, which is a pretty good number for a non-presidential election. They don't give out "I voted" stickers or buttons where I live.

On my way out, I made a small donation to the area's volunteer fire department.

Saundra | November 7, 2006 10:22 AM

I voted first thing this morning, but I am sadly without sticker. (On the upside, we have optical scanners, and it had already posted 133 votes on that side of the room, half hour after the polls opened. Last non-general election, I voted much later in the day and it had only posted about the same. Turn out looks pretty good so far, at leas tin Indiana!)

jess a. | November 7, 2006 10:23 AM

I voted this morning, and am pleased to report that everything was running smoothly in my precinct here in Oxford, OH -- which it almost always is.

Now I'm debating as to whether or not to pay any attention as electoral results roll in, or just to ignore it until tomorrow morning & play Guitar Hero 2 while drinking beer all night. :P

Deanna Hoak | November 7, 2006 10:26 AM

I voted. I'm glad of all the reminders from folks, too, because I'm wiped out enough from WFC that I might have forgotten.

The con was a blast, though. Too bad you weren't there, John--it would have been even more fun!

Adrienne | November 7, 2006 10:26 AM

Just got back from voting, which in my tiny Upstate New York town took all of two minutes. Could have taken even less time if I could remember which Ward I lived in and only had to visit one table of helpful people rather than two.

Stickers: yes. But rather than the traditional "I voted" stickers, we now have American flag hearts.

Mechanical Ballots: yes.

Line: no.

Baked goods: yes. Free, even.

Krista | November 7, 2006 10:29 AM

Voted here in Maryland before going to work. It was the longest line I've seen yet in my 5 years here. Our only option was the electronic Diebold machine. Got the "I Voted/Yo Vote" sticker. One for me and one for my 2 year old.

CoolBlue | November 7, 2006 10:31 AM

Just returned from voting. John will be happy to know I voted for 3 (count 'em; 3) Democrats. He will be disappointed to know none of them were for national office, though one was for a State office (Attorney General).

Despite my best efforts, however, Vermont will probably send the first ever socialist to the Senate.

But that's Democracy too.

Tim Walker | November 7, 2006 10:33 AM

Voted last week here in Texas - got a sticker.

Stephen G | November 7, 2006 10:34 AM

Voted when the polls opened here, and on a nice shiny paper ballot.

Randy | November 7, 2006 10:35 AM

Voted. Split my vote for Governor and Congress. I'm hoping the state of Ohio will be better run by a TRUE 2-party leadership.

Tanya | November 7, 2006 10:39 AM

Hell yeah I voted!

Despite problems with the electronic voting cards. :/

Tanya D
Chicago, IL

cisko | November 7, 2006 10:43 AM

First voter at my precinct. Thank goodness we're still using the scanned paper ballots. They take a long time, but at least I know there's a record of my vote, sitting in a box somewhere.

Laurie | November 7, 2006 10:48 AM

Voted before work today. Mostly little old people around me, optical scanner ballots, no stickers, a bake sale, and a tiny line to get in.

Voted straight Dem in MA (except one Green Party candidate who is a friend) and "no" on all our referendum questions.

Kevin | November 7, 2006 10:48 AM

I voted for the first time today. I had never bothered to register and vote before, but this year I got some of the right kind of prodding and was just fed up with certain elected officials. So I decided I needed to become a part of the process.

GSLamb | November 7, 2006 10:48 AM

Voted at 7:30am in Michigan.

Just dropped my wife off to vote.

Annalee Flower Horne | November 7, 2006 10:50 AM

I cast my Maryland ballot yesterday by absentee. No sticker for me, though, and they made me pay for postage. Not that the sixty cents was really much of a burden, but I feel bad about it on principle.

I remember the first general election I got to vote in-- the last presidential election-- being an absolute blast. We had a big line party at the polls. They probably shouldn't have let us do that at all, but it was pretty awesome. No one was talking politics; we were just having a big 'it's election day' glee fest. We clapped for all the first-timers. Bilingually, even. All day around the neighborhood, it was "Voted yet?" "!Claro que si!" and people falling all over themselves to offer rides to and assistance at the polls.

GSLamb | November 7, 2006 10:50 AM

As I told my son: We vote so that they will stop showing campaign commercials. It's like taking medicine to get rid of a cough.

Maggie | November 7, 2006 10:51 AM

Hubby and I just got back.

We thought we were going to have trouble because we had forgotten to update our address, but the poll worker just handed us COA cards and waved us off to vote. Toledo is largely Democratic, and I think the whole entire UAW showed up to vote this morning, judging by all the stickers on the zillion Jeeps in the lot. (We live a mile from the Jeep plant.)

I hope Kenneth "I Hate Poor People, Black People, and Those Nasty Faggots, Too" Blackwell gets his ass handed to him. Preferably ground into pate.

flaring | November 7, 2006 10:51 AM

Here in Virginia I voted absentee a couple of weeks ago (really, I was planning on being out of town)(no, really). No stickers for absentee ballots.

One thing that bothered me is that there was no provision made on the absentee ballot for write-in candidates. Does that bother anyone else?

Jon Hansen | November 7, 2006 10:51 AM

Voted. A little more crowded than I expected, perhaps in an attempt to dodge the rain. It always rains on Election Day, for some reason.

Buck | November 7, 2006 10:54 AM

I voted, then went and bought the latest Barry Manilow CD for my sister for her birthday (she asked for it).

Which do you think made me feel ickier?

By the way, I voted straight Whig.

Denis Moskowitz | November 7, 2006 11:02 AM

Yep, voted this morning. Somerville, MA. Mostly Dem, 011 on state questions, 100 on local questions.

Heather | November 7, 2006 11:05 AM

I VOTED!!!! Dem straight down the line...except I did vote for Arnold (he takes no pay).

Audrey | November 7, 2006 11:05 AM

I dropped off my ballot yesterday. (yay Oregon vote by mail!) It's been pouring rain for the last couple of days, though, so I was drenched before I had walked even halfway to the drop box at the library. Everyone voting from home is a good thing for the people out on the coast this time--they're getting significant flooding in several areas.

Tom_B | November 7, 2006 11:09 AM

Western Massachusetts checking in. Voted at 8:00 this morning, and was encouraged there were 8 times as many ballots in the hopper already this morning than there were when I voted in the primary.

Looking forward to waking up tomorrow to the news MA has elected a Democratic party governor for the first time in my voting life.

Rob Wynne | November 7, 2006 11:10 AM

Voted via absentee ballot some time ago. So my vote is in the system here in Georgia.

Alison | November 7, 2006 11:15 AM

Filled out my absentee ballot and left it with the parental units last weekend -- they probably went in before work, so I've probably voted by now. MA, so that warm & fuzzy "I'm making a difference" feeling is a bit muted, but still.

joehill | November 7, 2006 11:18 AM

You betcher ass.

JD | November 7, 2006 11:21 AM

I voted, Oklahoma. Paper ballots read by a scanning machine. Decided I was improperly ready when some of the names on the ballot I only recognized from yard signs and had no idea on their platforms. So I abstained on those smaller races. But I knew the big ticket guys.

Anyone else for banning yard signs that don't tell you anything about the candidate? I would much rather see a 1 page spread in the newspaper of "Here is who I am and what I stand for and my voting record if I have one."

David Kirkpatrick | November 7, 2006 11:21 AM

No chance in hell that I wasn't going to vote today... there was a nice turnout at my polling place (Saint Paul MN).

Therese Norén | November 7, 2006 11:21 AM

Yup, I voted. Almost two months ago. Straight party ticket for local, regional and national (with personal preference checks for people I know and a certain homosexual member of parliament), and yes to toll roads. No stickers, and I had to make my own baked goods. (That's our party symbol on the marzipan. In the same gallery, there are pictures from when I made Schadenfreude pie.)

Tripp | November 7, 2006 11:24 AM

I voted in unseasonably warm MN. Hopefully the weather will encourage a large turnout at the polls.

For identification I simply had to spell my name and recite my address. They had no use for any photo id. I signed the registry and noted that my wife had not yet made it to the polls.

We've got paper ballots with an optical reader - the only way to go in my opinion. No fancy machines or booths, just some small temporary 'booths' and some people sitting at a table voting.

We get a simple red 'I Voted' sticker.

Jason L. | November 7, 2006 11:37 AM

I voted, New Jersey. Menendez got my vote because Kean is anti gay marriage, is against raising minimum wage, pro social security privatization, and has a hard-on for Bush's tax cuts. I love it when pro-choice Republicans try to pass themselves off as moderate. It happens a lot here. Plus, Menendez gets super-mega brownie points for voting against the war in Iraq back when he was in he House.

Christopher Davis | November 7, 2006 11:37 AM

I voted at 1000, and was #222 for my precinct (Cambridge, MA, Ward 2 Pct 1). Scantron ballots, so there's a paper trail.

Not too many real decisions to make, since the MA GOP can't even run as many state office candidates as the Green-Rainbow folks do. I just hope the package stores finally take down their "if grocery stores sell wine we'll all DIE" signs. (Didn't they say that about Sunday sales, before that passed?)

No stickers, though I saw some on the streets. Perhaps my polling place gets neglected because a big chunk of its constituency area is public housing....

Luis | November 7, 2006 11:38 AM

Yup, voted here in Colorado Springs. Voted for the Democrat for the House Seat, which a Democrat has never one in this district. It's a close race, so it will be interesting to see what happens in this conservative stronghold.

MAB | November 7, 2006 11:40 AM

Yep; the wife and I voted on the way to work this morning.

Cassie | November 7, 2006 11:43 AM

We moved a year ago - still in Ohio - but last year's election had no waiting for me to vote. This year I waited about 15 minutes and there was a line behind me.

Right behind me was the first challenged vote of the day: the guy (my neighbor, no less) brought in the wrong sort of ID and was offended that he had to vote provisional. Read the paper, bud. It was a headline on the front page of the local paper yesterday.

One lady there had several problems with the electronic voting machine and someone had to loudly read every issue to her. I guess we all know how she voted.

But I didn't get a sticker. The line to vote was right in front of the table, so I passed. I think it looked like yours, John.

shannon | November 7, 2006 11:47 AM

I voted Nov 2nd.

Chas | November 7, 2006 11:49 AM

Damn straight I voted.

Gina | November 7, 2006 11:52 AM

I voted here in IL. Based on the lack of parking at the polling place, we should have a much higher turnout than usual. We had a choice between paper ballots fed into an optical scanner and electronic voting; I took the paper. I like the new system here--instead of punching a hole, you draw a line to complete an arrow next to the candidate of choice. The ballot was clear and easy to read, and would be unmistakable in a recount.

Miscellaneous Steve | November 7, 2006 11:53 AM

Voted Sunday, mailed it yesterday, woke up with a cold this morning. Feel like I've been run over by a train...though that could be more from the last-minute bombardment of politics (phone calls, email, TV ads) than the pesky virus.

And I got a sticker with my mail-in ballot.

Jason | November 7, 2006 11:53 AM

Voted and was enthused by the turnout, the first I have had to wait to vote in two years.

JohnL | November 7, 2006 11:54 AM

I voted.

Ryan Freebern | November 7, 2006 11:54 AM

I voted a couple hours ago. Paper ballots, mark 'X' in a box. Very simple.

Jason | November 7, 2006 11:55 AM

Voted and was enthused by the turnout, first time I have EVER had to wait to vote in my ward!

Berry | November 7, 2006 11:57 AM

Voted!

Gwenda | November 7, 2006 11:58 AM

We walked Emma the Dog down to the polls and voted first thing this morning. Heavy turn-out for a mid-term, despite bad weather. (Our precinct is heavy with Dems too.) The line was moving slowly, mostly due to a longgggg ballot and people getting tutored on the electronic voting machine.

Bill Blum | November 7, 2006 12:00 PM

Voted just after 7am in Springfield, OH--- there were 50+ voters already by the time I got there.

COD | November 7, 2006 12:02 PM

Took me an hour at 10 AM EST - has never taken more than 5 minutes in the past. Heavy turnout plus 5 touch screens replacing the dozen odd fill-in-the-bubble stations from the past is to blame. I live in a deep, dark, red county though, I hope other parts of the state vote heavy to offset us.

Dr. Matt | November 7, 2006 12:03 PM

Voted. No line, but a steady trickle of people in and out. (At 11:something a.m., maybe that's not surprising.) The person checking IDs seemed a bit bemused by my passport, but all was well once I pointed out where the expiry date was. No sticker.

Karen | November 7, 2006 12:05 PM

Voted last week by absentee. Mostly Democrat, but also Green, Independence, and independent. I might have voted for Rep. Ramstad (R)--he's a moderate, and has done a good job. But then he voted for the torture bill. Automatic red card, in my book.

Nathan | November 7, 2006 12:06 PM

Voted here in NYC. No problems signing in. No problem (I assume) with old fashioned lever voting machine.

I even chased an electioneering twerp who was too close to the polling site away.

Matt McIrvin | November 7, 2006 12:07 PM

I voted, and brought my baby daughter along in an observer capacity. Everyone was charmed. I figure I want to get into the habit of showing her how it's done.

We were using optical-scan ballots of the connect-the-arrow variety. There was no waiting, probably because I went in the middle of the day, and partly because this isn't a hotly contested district in the Congressional race.

The big historic race in Massachusetts is for governor, where Deval Patrick is trying to end the Republican hold on that seat that has existed since 1990, but he has a comfortable lead (which didn't deter me from going to vote for him, of course). The exciting races are for a couple of ballot questions about wine sales and fusion voting.

Courtney | November 7, 2006 12:11 PM

Voted at 10:30 EST in Michigan. Loved that George Perles is a Democrat (he's running for the Board of Trustees at MSU). My ex-boyfriend's head may explode during that decision-making process.

Big lines here in West Michigan, where Dick DeVos is the hometown boy. And few people under the age of 40.

Alison B. | November 7, 2006 12:12 PM

My husband & I took turns preventing Petra, our daughter, from dashing into the street while the other voted. She took both of our "I voted" stickers and tried to eat them.

Misty G | November 7, 2006 12:14 PM

Just voted in our nice new community center/library. Probably paid for with Democratic money! Woot!

Catherine | November 7, 2006 12:15 PM

Voted this morning in Madison, WI. Paper ballot, optical scanner. Even the new touch screen voting machine for the disabled prints out a paper ballot to be fed into the optical scanner - we are NOT giving up our paper ballots.

excentricat | November 7, 2006 12:24 PM

I voted. A mix of Democrats and Republicans. I want them to have to fight and compromise to get things done so they don't run off to the far corners.

Jim | November 7, 2006 12:25 PM

I voted today. New York, at least in my district, still uses the old lever machines.

Chris Barrus | November 7, 2006 12:25 PM

Hell yes, I voted! I got to my polling place in L.A. at the 8am opening and there were people already in line. We used the wonderfully brain-dead Inkavote system which has served us well for years now.

Allison | November 7, 2006 12:26 PM

Voted in Ypsilanti, MI!

Normally for mid-terms my precinct has about 100 voters for a full day.

This morning I had to stand in line and by the time I got to the ballots I was #80. So I'd say a very good turnout.

John League | November 7, 2006 12:26 PM

Northern Virginia. No state reps or delegates this year, so a very short ballot. And a very short line. Don't know whether that's good or bad. Convenient, certainly, but not necessarily good.

Karen Burnham | November 7, 2006 12:27 PM

I voted at 7:30 AM, California time. Tossed out incumbents left and right, used an excellent optical scan system, and got my "Sticker of Smugness," as I like to call them. It's just the one with the flag and "I Voted" on it.

Lisa | November 7, 2006 12:30 PM

I voted a week ago. It's all vote by mail here in Oregon. No lines, no levers, no Diebold. I hope that means no fraud and innaccuracies as well (or at least far less chance than some of the horror stories of the last few elections.)

Dan | November 7, 2006 12:31 PM

I got a sticker! That's the first time I've gotten one in all the years I've been voting.

I was blown away by the turnout. I voted at 10:30, and my number was 497. I wish I could remember the election prognosticator who said that this election would have a record low turnout. It seems to be heading toward a record high turnout. Which is very cool.

Aside from that, one referendum on our ballot was about whether or not we should start an immediate withdrawal of our troops. That was completely swept under the rug during the campaigning as everyone was stumping for the amendment to "protect" marriage from Teh Gay. Should be neat to see how that all turns out.

T. Jaxon | November 7, 2006 12:33 PM

Voted early - my 6-year old got the sticker.

Nice mix of progressive and regressive measures here in liberal northern California. Tons of bonds for state improvements as well as rail transit locally. I tend to side with Kevin Drum on the state bonds issues - these should be dealt with by the legislature...but if they are going to ask me my opinion, I'll give it directly.

Today will be spent cleaning the back yard and checking the national results starting around 3pm Pacific. Have you picked up your Republican Bingo card yet?

Jon Marcus | November 7, 2006 12:34 PM

I voted in suburban Chicago.

Cook County president race was pretty much the only interesting thing, and I actually voted Republican in that one. Voted Green for governor: Blago's a shoe-in anyway and I couldn't bring myself to vote for either of the major party candidates.

As a special added bonus I was dripping sweat since I'd just had to run home to fetch the backpacks my kids had forgotten. So of course there were half a dozen people I knew waiting in line or working the polls.

Bobarino | November 7, 2006 12:38 PM

Here in the Bay Area I voted absentee for the first time. I sort of miss seeing the poll workers and getting one of the stickers, but filling out the ballot while researching the candidates and issues online is mighty convenient. And as someone who's worked with computers for over 30 years, I much prefer using a paper ballot to trying to work one of those kludged-up voting machines.

Mark K. | November 7, 2006 12:39 PM

I voted. It took a temporary driver's license, an expired passport, and a certified copy of my birth certificate to do it--but I did it. It would have taken actual police dragging me off to actual jail to get me out of the polling place without having voted. And none of them provisional ballots for me, either, thanks.

(My new home state, Colorado, is insane about identification because a large enough portion of our population lives in fear and loathing of Those Demonic Trespassing Brown People. I had to show my birth certificate to get a $50 city rebate for buying an Energy-Star rated washer, for heaven's sake. My Massachusetts driver's license was not valid ID).

Ben Dyer | November 7, 2006 12:43 PM

Voting old-school Conservative. Which, in this day and age, means voting Libertarian, but whatever. Doesn't matter much here in Texas: Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-AT&T) will be reelected handily, but at least not by my hand.

Hugh | November 7, 2006 12:43 PM

Good to see such a good turnout - here's hoping!

from across the water

Naomi | November 7, 2006 12:45 PM

I live in Minneapolis. I was voter #562 at my polling place at 11 a.m.

Mark K. | November 7, 2006 12:45 PM

Oh, and...

who's ever heard of Jill Stein?

Me! I'm pretty sure I voted for her when she was running for governor in '02.

Djscman | November 7, 2006 12:49 PM

I voted. Got up early, turned off the alarm, promptly fell asleep again, woke up a few hours later, walked the three blocks to the polling church in South Minneapolis, voted, picked up Guitar Hero 2, came home, and reported that I voted.

I'm disappointed, though. We always get the "I Voted" sticker, and I always write "Kiss Me" on mine. Not that that's ever worked, but hey. Anyway, the goshdarn thing fell off already and vanished forever. I hope that's not an omen of my imminent voter disenfranchisement.

Whoops, gotta get ready for work!

David Moles | November 7, 2006 12:52 PM

Absentee. Gotta love that my new state-of-residence-for-voting-purposes (FL) doesn't have an actual security envelope for you to put the ballot in, just a little paper sleeve like an anemic Pee Chee folder. Also, that there's no voter's guide to tell me which special interests are backing which citizen initiatives, and that none of the candidates for any of the local races in Jacksonville have web sites. Well done, Katherine Harris.

Jill Smith | November 7, 2006 12:56 PM

Checking in from London (business trip). Voted absentee last week in Montgomery County, MD. They have poppies on their lapels here instead of "I Voted" stickers. I'm jet-lagged and a bit out of touch, and consider it very strange that we'll probably know at least most of the story when I wake up (back in my home after a whirlwind 36 hours on this side of the pond) on Thursday morning.

Jeff Hentosz | November 7, 2006 12:57 PM

All is well in Columbus, OH-I-O. No-name-brand touch screens with an on-board paper confirmation record. I got a ring with a whistle in it. No wait, that was at the dentist. At the polls I got an oval sticker that just says "I voted." Just under 1,300 people voted in just my precinct before noon, but I'm new here so I don't know if that's good, normal or what.

Djscman: did you check the sole of your shoe?

Billy Oblivion | November 7, 2006 12:59 PM

I voted this morning. At my polling place they had an issue with the electronic machine, so they whipped out the "old fashion" blacken in the square ballots and voting proceeded as normal.

Voted mostly Repugnican (I don't like a lot of what they've done the last 2-4 years, but on every issue that matters to me the Dems are far, far worse) with a couple of Libertoonians sprinkled in where either the Repub was a shoo-in, or didn't have a chance in hell--mostly as protest votes.

anghara | November 7, 2006 01:03 PM

Hell, yes.

Dan | November 7, 2006 01:05 PM

I have a feeling that we're going to hear a lot about people wanting the polls to stay open later with the turnout being what it is. I think a lot of folks are waiting until after work, and those lines could be very long.

Dave Munger | November 7, 2006 01:11 PM

Yes, I voted. Lines were relatively long for a midterm election in my posh suburban district.

Aaron Haynes | November 7, 2006 01:13 PM

Voted Saturday, North Carolina. Lots of unchallenged Republicans for state government, and Sue Myrick's race is not one of the close ones as I recall. Even so, got to vote for a decent dude for NC school board.

Lost track of my sticker. :(

Lauren | November 7, 2006 01:14 PM

I voted at 7:02 in California. It was inka-dot technology fed directrly into a reader. It would have been ok if I had been given a RECEIPT. All I got was a small piece of paper that says OFFICIAL BALLOT 000603. I don't know where it came from and I'm now not sure how my votes will be registered.

But I got a sticker.

Erbo | November 7, 2006 01:15 PM

Voted early last week...no stickers though.

And I was pleased to see that the electronic voting machine printed out an actual paper copy of my votes where I could see it, before scrolling it off into a box where it can be used as a backup if they need to recount. Those are exactly the kind of voting machines I approve of.

And no, I'm not saying how I voted. That would be telling. :-)

I'm Erbo, and I approve this message.

oshee | November 7, 2006 01:16 PM

I just voted. No lines at my polling place, but that's probably because they reworked it here over the last year. There were horrible lines two years ago and so they split the precincts up a bit more.

I am also grateful I am able to vote during the middle of the day. All those who have to go before or after work are the ones who end up waiting.

Steve Buchheit | November 7, 2006 01:16 PM

Went to vote this morning at 6:30, figured if I was going to be late to work, might a well be for a good reason. All four booths were in activity and eight people in line. I'll vote on the way home (probably around 5 or 5:30).

PixelFish | November 7, 2006 01:16 PM

VOTED!

(San Francisco. One of those ballots with the little arrows. The machine beeped cheerfully as I fed my ballots into the slot.)

It turns out two of my co-workers weren't registered by October 23rd. Meeps. (I went around asking everybody in the week prior, but I think they were out of town.)

Adam Rakunas | November 7, 2006 01:22 PM

Third in line. Inkavote. Sticker. Head stuffed from forest fire ash and Santa Ana wind garbage. Looking forward to Daily Show and Colbert Report and a gigantic bowl of chili.

Jon FD | November 7, 2006 01:23 PM

Hell yes, I voted! Though I live in DC, so the only real race today was for school board--the Democratic primary amounts to the mayoral election, and instead of one of them fancy representatives we get a delegate, who really does do a great job in spite of the fact that she doesn't have a vote.

Doctor Memory | November 7, 2006 01:26 PM

Hell yeah. Voted against Arnie, for all the good it did me. (Dear CA Democratic Party: please stop being fucking fratricidal idiots, KTHX?) Voted Green for both congressional races: Pelosi is gonna have to tack right to be an effective speaker, but I didn't move to sodom-by-the-bay to be represented by a moderate in congress, so it's good to remind her where and what her base is. (DiFi is just scum-- I'd sooner vote for Arnie.) And finally got to satisfy a small, weird lifelong ambition of mine by voting against each and every single CA state ballot initiative. It felt good, and I look forward to doing it every year I live here.

mds | November 7, 2006 01:36 PM

Hell Yes, I voted. About 7:30 AM EST.

Voted in West Hartford, CT, pulling an old-fashioned lever. There was a short line, a PTO bake sale, and no stickers.

Well, we had stickers. And the old-fashioned, oh-so-satisfying lever. And have I been too sleepy during previous general elections, or is the PTO bake sale a new thing for CT?

Nan | November 7, 2006 01:43 PM

I think I voted....

It's West-by God-Virginia. We've been stuffing ballot boxes for years without the help of them thar newfangled touchy-feely contraptions, but today we had 'em anyway. Streamline the corruption, I suppose. There weren't many folks there when I went, but the poll workers said they were SLAMMED this morning, which is good (until I consider just how red this state is...) But it's still better for folks to vote, however misguided they are.

I did mostly a Democratic ticket, except I just couldn't force myself to vote for the pork-is-good, conservative-in-Dem-clothing Byrd for US Senate. I went for a third party alternative. Machine politics being what they are in the state, I'm sure he got all of three votes - mine, his own, and his mother's.

M.A. | November 7, 2006 01:50 PM

Yup, I did it. No line, but there are lots of Cal students in the neighborhood and they don't seem to bother getting registered, so I wasn't surprised. Disappointed, but not surprised...

casey moore | November 7, 2006 01:51 PM

I voted before coming into work this morning. No sticker though (weird how that bummed me out). Voted in Kenner, LA, a suburb of New Orleans.

John B. | November 7, 2006 01:56 PM

Yep. 8:00 this morning in a suburb of Toledo. More dems than usual got my vote today, since I'm disgusted with much of my party.

JonathanMoeller | November 7, 2006 02:09 PM

Voted!

In the US, you don't so much as vote *for* someone, as you vote *against* someone. I like to vote, because it's always fun to tell a group of rich and powerful people to go screw themselves, in the electoral sense.

I only wish we had a viable third party, so I could simultaneously tell two groups of rich and powerful people to go screw themselves.

PeterP | November 7, 2006 02:12 PM

Voted.

Of course, it was on a Diebold voting machine, so all bets are off as to whether it will get counted, but I voted.

Codrus | November 7, 2006 02:13 PM

Luckily, my home town ISN'T flooded right now. So yes, I voted. :D

Harry Connolly | November 7, 2006 02:14 PM

I voted. I'm in Seattle. No sticker, though.

Suzanne M | November 7, 2006 02:24 PM

Hell yes, I voted. Westchester County, NY. I love our old lever voting machines. Almost no one at my polling site, but I suspect it only gets at all crowded before and after people make their commutes to and from the City.

No stickers. That makes me sad. I would like a sticker.

Also, I sometimes feel like I'm the only person I know who gets a thrill out of voting. Going to the polling site, signing in, pulling the lever... It's awesome.

Dave C. | November 7, 2006 02:28 PM

I voted, and wrote in candidates to give the unopposed a tiny run for their money.

JesterJ | November 7, 2006 02:38 PM

I voted in Virginia. If I had used a pencil, I probably would've broken the graphite several times while etching an elaborate and extremely dark "NO" next to that pointless and discriminatory marriage amendment. I also voted for not-Bush for Senate, and being uneducated skipped the House election. I am still wearing the sticker, though it is curling up around the edges and has lots of sweater lint on it.

Scott Wyngarden | November 7, 2006 02:43 PM

I voted this morning and while I was shuffling through the bit of a line at the table the election officials were sitting behind, I overhead one of them remark that they were glad of the extra help, for it had been quite a busy morning so far. I was cheered.

I was even more cheered by the fact that I was able to vote for a straight Green Party ticket for the executive offices in Illinois. Hooray for the potential for more voices to be in on the discussion than just two.

Kristy | November 7, 2006 02:48 PM

I really, really want a sticker.

I also really, really want the experience of actually going to a voting booth and physically voting, something I've never gotten to do. I voted absentee in college, and now I'm in Oregon. I've heard the vote-by-mail thing is fairly secure and traceable, but it loses glamour for me. Plus, no sticker!

Kristy | November 7, 2006 02:51 PM

Oh, and because of the mail-in-ballot thingy, I'm actually voting right now. Then will walk across the street and drop it in the nearest official drop box.

Chang, at the control of women | November 7, 2006 02:55 PM

CHANG VOTE!!! CHANG VOTE HAPPY!!!

Chang, at the control of women | November 7, 2006 02:55 PM

AND CHANG IS ALSO SEXY!!!

Dave Klecha | November 7, 2006 03:00 PM

Ayup. About an hour ago.

cofax | November 7, 2006 03:00 PM

Voted absentee last week. Woohoo.

Ardaniel | November 7, 2006 03:04 PM

Los Angeles, CA. I live 230 feet from the polling place for my precinct; nice short early-morning walk, no lines, InkaVote paper ballots. And yes, I got a sticker.

Hugh | November 7, 2006 03:09 PM

Yep. Voted around 2pm in my suburban Cincinnati precinct. Voter #300. :-)

In Hamilton County, we use eScan™ optical scan paper ballot (fill in the box with ballpoint). Scans the ballot, and keeps the paber form you filled out, which could be re-scanned, or even hand-counted, if necessary. Also a touch-screen system available for disabled voters. Works fro me. :)

Jack Zall | November 7, 2006 03:13 PM

I'm half-dead from a head cold and the overwhelming majority of the races in my area are shoo-ins, but hell yes I voted!

But they didn't give me a sticker, the bastards! There were three of them stuck to the sidewalk, too, so it's not like they didn't have 'em.

Tim Walters | November 7, 2006 03:20 PM

Voted in San Francisco this morning, optical ballots, no lines. Our stickers just say "I Voted!" in English, Chinese, and Spanish.

Bryan W | November 7, 2006 03:25 PM

Hell yeah. Voted against many incumbents for max satisfaction.

Ann | November 7, 2006 03:30 PM

Damn straight I voted. Took the kids with me for educational purposes. And also so I'd have someone to hold my coffee and my keys. There was a line, which I'd never seen before, but it's also the first time I've voted with the "before work" crowd. I also got a sticker for the first time ever! "I voted! Did you?"

I just got home and read that in a precinct very near mine, people voting for McCaskill had their votes show up for Talent. I myself had no difficulties. Now, what happens when they actually "count" the votes is anyone's guess...I suppose I'm going to have to put my faith in the paper trail.

Adrienne Travis | November 7, 2006 03:30 PM

Voted in Festus, Missouri at 8:15 this morning, after getting into a fender-bender outside the polling place. -sigh-

Voted mostly Democratic, including for Claire McCaskill in our hugely close Senate race. Voted Yes on Amendment 2 to allow embryonic stem cell funding, No on Amendment 3 for adding a tobacco tax into the Constitution (i'm all in favor of more tobacco taxes, but our Constitution isn't the place to put them), No on Amendment 6 to tax-exempt certain real property belonging to nonprofits (again, Constitution isn't the place to put that), Yes on Amendment 7 to revoke the pensions of elected officials removed from office for misconduct or felony. And Yes on Proposition B to raise the minimum wage to $6.50 and tie future increases to the CPI.

Oh, and i voted No on all five of the "Should Judge xxxx of the (MO Supreme Court/MO Court of Appeals) be retained in office?" Because (a) i have something of a personal grudge against the MO Supreme Court at the moment, and (b) i really don't like judges getting too complacent.

--Adrienne

mk | November 7, 2006 03:31 PM

Last week, via absentee ballot. I sat down at a table with my father and brother, argued a little with Dad over certain choices, explained a couple of things about the city charter ballot to my brother, and then we had dinner. The teenager is working at a polling station today.

Rita | November 7, 2006 03:36 PM

Oregon, last week.

After reading through the comments, i'm almost wishin' wa had a scalz-o-meter showing where on the planet we all are, kinda like
http://www.frappr.com/sliceofdragon

Andrew Cory | November 7, 2006 03:40 PM

hell yes I voted! And have a nice tri-lingual sticker to prove it...

Tam | November 7, 2006 03:40 PM

I voted this morning in Lakewood Colorado (a suburb of Denver).

derf | November 7, 2006 03:46 PM

I was #224 in the R-Z section of my precinct.

Jamie | November 7, 2006 03:47 PM

I voted, and have been out running around for much of the day. So far I've seen three different stickers in my area, and ours are the lamest. I gave mine to my cat. (ok, so it's not bacon - but it still amused me)

Voting in my district is strictly by touch-screen with no form of receipt or anything. I hope my vote meant something!

Lis Carey | November 7, 2006 03:55 PM

Mark K. pointed out:
who's ever heard of Jill Stein?

Me! I'm pretty sure I voted for her when she was running for governor in '02.

Well, yeah, but you know how many people did that.

In fact, if you wanted to, you could know exactly how many people did that--which is one of the reasons I voted for her, rather than writing in John Bonifaz, Galvin's opponent in the primary. Votes for Jill Stein will at least get counted and reported in some meaningful way, while there won't be enough write-ins, for Bonifaz or anyone else, for them to bother reporting it.

But I stand by my position: 1. There's no chance she'll win. 2. If by some weird freak chance she does win, it won't be a disaster. So this is a safe protest vote, and I think more effective than my other options.

And with the nasty stories coming in of even Republicans, even major elected official Republicans, having troubles with electronic voting, maybe the enthusiasm for it will die down.

Eric R. | November 7, 2006 03:55 PM

To jump back about 150 posts, "Vote Your Conscience" sounded an awful lot like a right-wing, "value voter" loaded phrase to me. I guess that poli sci major did teach me something.

Eric R. | November 7, 2006 03:56 PM

To jump back about 150 posts, "Vote Your Conscience" sounded an awful lot like a right-wing, "value voter" loaded phrase to me. I guess that poli sci major did teach me something.

Jim | November 7, 2006 03:57 PM

Yes, I voted -- South Kingstown, RI -- paper ballots that you feed to a scanner (and the ballots are retained in a locked compartment in the scanner to provide a paper trail & in case a recount is needed).

Got a sticker: "I Voted"

Our ballot has a field for voting a straight party line and I deeply resent that my vote may be cancelled out by some moron who would actually do such stupid thing. No party runs the best candidate in every single race. I voted for Republicans and for Democrats -- also one for the Cool Moose party candidate (for Lt. Gov.) and for school board it was pick three from a list so I picked two Democrats and one Independent.

I don't agree with Linc Chafee on many of his positions, but he is a thoughtful and independent character who votes his conscience and not a party line, so I voted for him rather than his Democrat opponent who is just another hack politican from the deeply corrupt R.I. Democrat machine.

Bryan Price | November 7, 2006 03:57 PM

Done.

Anonymous | November 7, 2006 04:02 PM

My Mom just called and I guess my brow-beating paid off. She had told me she was embarassed because she didn't know how to use the voting machines (located in the lobby of her apartment building). I convinced her that wasn't a good enough excuse and that there were people there to help her.

She called and said that she just finished voting, and added, "I just couldn't let that beady-eyed Amway guy in as governor. He looks and sounds too much like Bush."

PS- I didn't get a sticker, either.

handdrummer | November 7, 2006 04:07 PM

Voted. The new electronic wizzbangs seemed to be working well, though without a paper trail how would we ever know otherwise?

Did my part to deep-six Santorum.

Got a swell 'I voted' sticker.

abi | November 7, 2006 04:13 PM

Voted in late September, about 3 days after my absentee (California) ballot arrived. The clerk in the post office looked at me slightly oddly when I said it had to get to its destination by November 7.

But whaddaya gonna do, voting absentee in Scotland?

No stickers, naturally. Still, no obnoxious poll watchers, autodialling phone calls, or attack ads on the TV. So I'll live with the lack of stickers, somehow.

Jamie Chew | November 7, 2006 04:14 PM

Voted!

(...running up a nice tally here, wanted to de-lurk to add to it.)

Janiece | November 7, 2006 04:19 PM

Hell, yeah! On October 23rd, as soon as early voting opened up. Democracy rules...it's shiney!

JT | November 7, 2006 04:22 PM

I voted (on a Diebold machine). Just got a little rectangular sticker that says 'I Voted in (county name withheld because I just live here, I don't claim them) County'.

I voted mostly republican, because I agree with most of the republican candidates stances on things, but I tossed out a couple democrat votes too on the ones I felt I agreed with more. I think the 'Vote Your Conscious' slogan is a pretty good one, regardless of where it comes from. Maybe we could tack '...and Not Your Party Line' on there.

Evidently our neighbors here (Missouri) changed their voting this year where you don't have the option of selecting to vote party line and let the machine do the rest anymore. Why was that even an option?

Roger Dodger | November 7, 2006 04:23 PM

Did the deed in RI. I am a firm believer in the Turnover Theory of Government...if they're in, throw 'em out. Give the noobs a chance, let's see what they can do to screw things up. In the event the alternative was worse than the incumbent, well, I punted.

Jay Lake | November 7, 2006 04:28 PM

Voted.

Dave Sanford | November 7, 2006 04:37 PM

Early voting in Texas, did it days ago, sadly being in Texas means that I will still be stuck with the same Senators and Congressmen.

Geof F. Morris | November 7, 2006 04:37 PM

I voted in every teenage boys favorite precinct number: 69! Awwwww yeeeeeeaaahhhh boooyyyeeeeeee!

Wolfgang Baur | November 7, 2006 04:38 PM

Voted in lucky precinct 13.

Matt McIrvin | November 7, 2006 04:45 PM

It would have been ok if I had been given a RECEIPT.

A receipt that you could use to prove to others how you voted would be bad, not good, because it could be used to buy or coerce votes.

Various people are now concocting systems that give you a receipt that doesn't decipherably show how you voted, but can be checked against a webpage to assure you that your vote was counted. They aren't being used in governmental elections yet, however.

Kelsey | November 7, 2006 04:45 PM

I'm glowing with democratic glee.

I pity the person who had my voting machine after me. I've got a bit of a cold and left some snotty fingerprints.

Carol Elaine | November 7, 2006 04:50 PM

Voted this morning at 7:38am PST in Burbank, CA. Even took pictures of my ballot, with each page featuring the names. I wanted to make sure I had proof of my vote.

I used the InkaVote system, but this year the polling places had optical scanners right there. Ostensibly it's to make sure that the ballot bubbles have been completely filled out, but I'm very leery of that.

This is the first election day since the Mayoral primary in March 2005 that I haven't taken the day off for either poll working, poll watching or GOTV work. It's weird.

(Well, I did work on the California Primary election day back in June, but I was working for a congressional candidate, so it's a little different...)

Kenneth | November 7, 2006 05:03 PM

Voted this morning at 9 (#302) in Somerville, Mass., on a paper ballot. Many races were unopposed Democrats, which I don't tend to like. (Unopposed races, that is, not Democrats.) So I voted for a couple of Green-Rainbow Party candidates and a Socialist Workers Party candidate. It's irresponsible--because I don't know anything about them--but I'll be damned if I'm going to contribute to any party thinking they're the only one. And so it should be no surprise that I also voted for allowing more than one party to nominate a candidate.

Michael Rawdon | November 7, 2006 05:05 PM

I voted this morning. A nice 15-minute walk to my polling place (each way) in 60-something sunny weather.
I voted for more Green candidates than I'd expected to: Neither major-party California gubinatorial candidate interested me, and I didn't want to vote for Diane Feinstein (who co-sponsored the ban-flag-burning amendment earlier this year, for instance), either. But I did mostly vote Democratic, and I voted against every amendment, proposition, ballot initiative, and/or bond measure on the ballot, save for one city measure. Boy do I hate ballot initiatives.

OtherMichael | November 7, 2006 05:30 PM

I was 7th in my precinct at 7:05 am. And one of the electronic vote-stealers was already down for the count.

Tom | November 7, 2006 05:34 PM

Yup, I voted..

Blaine | November 7, 2006 05:41 PM

Done, sir.

Alex S. | November 7, 2006 05:41 PM

Done.

SW | November 7, 2006 05:45 PM

Voted! (Central MA. Very crowded, considering the population of the town.)

Regan | November 7, 2006 05:48 PM

So nice not to have to vote in a church for a change....

Kevin R | November 7, 2006 05:56 PM

Voted this morning (in Sterling, VA). Offered some other people ahead of me in line a choice between a touchscreen or paper. Didn't give me a choice, just handed me a paper ballot. I felt so 20th century!

Only had two races for people -- Rep and Senator. Ended up going R for both, which I surprised myself with. (In a previous year, I would have more likely voted for the Libertarian running for Rep, and just left Senator blank. Or do a write-in.) Honestly though, don't care much either way. I more or less support the R's more than the D's, but a D win would lead to delicious gridlock. (The only times federal government spending has really been under any sort of control in the past several decades were under a D congress with Eisenhower, and the R congress with Clinton.) With Speaker Pelosi knocking down the door, I'm sure Bush would manage to find his veto pen wherever it is he dropped it six years ago.

We also had three constitutional amendments to vote on -- a gay marriage/civil union ban, an irrelevant procedural thing, and something about allowing localities to let people out of real estate taxes. Voted no on the marriage thing of course, and yes on the other two.

Loudoun county also had about 9 bond questions. That's a whole lot of money if all those pass. (though, Loudoun is one of the top 5 fastest growing counties in the US, so I suppose they may need it.) In Ohio, when we voted on school funding, it was always in the form of x mill tax levies... down here it seems to always be $x,000,000 bonds. At least with the levies you'd know how much it's actually costing you.

Paul M. | November 7, 2006 05:57 PM

Voted this morning. Scanner of paper ballots.
Line seemed short, until I got around the corner and saw that they had tripled the number of "booths" from 2004. Wife went at lunch; election workers told her the line had stayed about the same length all morning. Nice job, White Bear Township Pct. 1!!!

Gwen | November 7, 2006 05:58 PM

"I think the 'Vote Your Conscious' slogan is a pretty good one, regardless of where it comes from."

Or, better, "Vote, You're Conscious."
(I think you meant "conscience", but it's not your fault that "conscious" sounds cooler. Like the time I was talking about "cognitive dissonance" with my mom and she told me she didn't even know what "cognitive dissidents" were. Perfect. "I'm a cognitive dissident. Are you?")

And no, I didn't vote. And yes, I wish I could have. And yes, I think that lowering the voting age is a good idea.

Scott Mactavish | November 7, 2006 06:01 PM

Good on all of you.

At this rate, we may indeed pass bacon cat, which was at 247 posts earlier today.

All without a Fark bump.

I know this because today, I decided to check out of civilization and do nothing but vote and monitor the two threads.

Kristiana | November 7, 2006 06:02 PM

I voted about 2 hours ago.

Scorpio | November 7, 2006 06:08 PM

Oh yes. Wouldn't miss it.

Byron | November 7, 2006 06:25 PM

Done and done. They seemed to be having trouble with the new machine misreading the ballots (it's the type that is really just an addon to the old system, which is my favorite type of e-voting system since the old system is still in place). My sticker shows me how to write "I voted" in Chinese.

Maria Lima | November 7, 2006 06:30 PM

Voted first thing this a.m. - got to the polls at 7:30 and wow, a nice long line. Took about an hour, but hey, that's what paperback books are for. :)

Nice to see the turnout.

CJ-in-Weld | November 7, 2006 06:31 PM

Voted Friday! On a Diebold machine, but it printed a little ticker tape that seemed to reflect my vote....

Steve Buchheit | November 7, 2006 06:36 PM

Voted at about 5, ran into other people I know there who were voting (2 other councilmen and their wives). I know all the pole workers by first name, still showed my drivers license.

After scanning in the paper I went into the garage of the fire station (polling is in the hall) to climb over the new (to us, it's a 1991) fire engine/pumper/tanker back from the painters. They did a great job and added a bunch of new diamond plate to make it look even nicer. Boys and their toys. The new (to us, also 1991) ladder truck should be here next week.

Tapetum | November 7, 2006 06:58 PM

All done here. I made it in about half an hour before the polls closed (needed to wait for husband to watch children). Paper ballot, so no nefarious machines.

I did have the odd experience of voting for a Libertarian senator, due to there being no Democrat on the ticket. It was Libertarian or Republican only.

punkrockhockeymom | November 7, 2006 06:58 PM

I voted! Always makes me feel so warm and fuzzy.

Emily | November 7, 2006 06:59 PM

I voted before classes today, and wore my sticker with pride.

Todd | November 7, 2006 07:17 PM

I voted!

It made me happy to vote for Darcy Burner, since the first time I heard her name in an election ad was when her opponent was accusing her of throwing mud, complete with sound effects and lumps thrown into the 'camera' all through the commercial.

Eddie | November 7, 2006 07:28 PM

Voted on my way home from work. Austin Texas. Couldn't resist voting for Kinky Friedman. I'm a fan of his writing and his heart's in the right place. Too bad he doesn't stand a chance against the Republican imcumbent.

Voted mosly Democratic although I'm becoming a closet Libertarian in my old age.Why isn't their party more successful in reaching the mainstream?

jlwright | November 7, 2006 07:35 PM

Yep, voted today in Palmer Alaska. Just a couple of hours behind the rest of you folks. Big turnout at the polling station, was actually a line today - 3 people! Holy Crap, it's getting crowded here, time to move further north. Fairly polite local race this year, no robo calling (at least for me) but that may be because most Alaskans are armed and we know where the politicians live...

I'm a Navy Mustang Officer (23 years, this year) and like most career military I've been a life-long Republican. Today I voted straight Democrat and one Independent (I changed my party affiliation to "undeclared" during the primaries). I feel pretty damn good about it too, BUT if things don't get better I intend to blame you, Scalzi! (First rule of military operations: Assign the Scapegoat FIRST! Different from the Democrat rule of blaming the Neocons, and the Republican method of blaming Clinton...).

AND I got a sticker, a big blue one with the Alaskan state symbol on it!

dan | November 7, 2006 07:40 PM

just did.
college park, MD.

on a provisional ballot. so i hope i get counted. although the alternative was a diebold machine. as seeing as how the head of the company has vocally backed bush in the past? that makes me a little uneasy...

but i'd like to say that i reside in the district belonging to the next speaker of the house.

Anon | November 7, 2006 07:52 PM

I voted WEEKS ago. Yay absentee.

Ben | November 7, 2006 07:54 PM

I got my vote on in Kansas. Everyone knows the chicks dig the "I Voted" sticker.

Troutqueen | November 7, 2006 08:02 PM

I voted today, despite having spent a good portion of the night in the emergency room with my husband.

Because voting's important. And women went to jail and fought for this right.

Sharon M | November 7, 2006 08:10 PM

I voted at 8:15 this morning in Texas - boo touchscreen, yay sticker (choice of two), boo lack of baked goods.

Scott Spiegelberg | November 7, 2006 08:19 PM

Voted at 8:00 this morning in Indiana's Bloody Eighth. Straight Dem ticket, plus a write-in Joe Kernan for senator, as the Democrats didn't see fit to run opposition on Lugar. In Putnam County many of the local races were also uncontested Republicans, who I left blank as a protest non-vote. I will not vote for the torture party.

Jae Walker | November 7, 2006 08:29 PM

Hell, yes, I voted. Women haven't had the vote long enough for me to take it for granted. I took a folding chair with me in case there was a long line (bad knees) but it was actually very quick. They said it had been busy all day - I think I hit the dinner break. The counter on the ballot box said I was voter 794...

I hope it did some good.

Don Perrin | November 7, 2006 08:30 PM

Yes I voted, yesterday absentee.. I DIDN'T get a sticker. Voted DEMOCRAT all the way. Also FOR STEM CEL RESEARCH and to increase the minimum wage here in Missouri.

The Other Katherine from Madison | November 7, 2006 08:34 PM

I've cast my vote in Madison, WI. Not much of a line around 5:30, but everyone was cheerful. Pen and paper, connect-the-arrows with an optical scanner. I like those ballots and will be very annoyed if we ever get rid of them.

Voted NO to both the death penalty and the anti-gay marriage amendment. Voted all Dem except for the Green running against Herb Kohl. I'm extremely confident that Kohl will win, and I wanted to encourage the Green.

Tim Elliott | November 7, 2006 08:34 PM

Painless parking and voting in SoCal using tried and true Ink-a-Dot technology.

The indelible ink *did* offer people the temptation to mark their preferred candidates on the ballot template itself. I called the marked template at my station to the attention of the poll officials.

They did a quick check and found two other stations' templates had been marked with the same candidates. They pulled all three stations until the templates could be replaced. Subtle manipulation, yes, but no one hesitated about pulling the marked templates and replacing them.

No baked goods, but the equally tried and true flag banner "I Voted" stickers were welcome door prizes.

Kayjay | November 7, 2006 08:36 PM

Also, not stickers. I don't think I've ever gotten one. I think if I did, I would want to go right out and give blood, so I could get that sticker, too, and feel terribly smug. :)

darren | November 7, 2006 08:37 PM

Mailed in my Oregon ballot last week! Way to exercise our democracy John!!

Dave Sorgen | November 7, 2006 08:38 PM

Voted last thursday here in San Antonio. Lotsa other folks in line. Usually means good news for the Dems. Cast my ballot mostly for Dems, a few Reps and a coupla Libertarians in strategic offices (state comptroller needs a mean SOB).

Did NOT vote for Kinky for gov. Didn't vote for either the Rep or Dem either. Sigh...

Note to Chang: Get a grip, preferably NOT on yourself. (snark)

Dave

La Gringa | November 7, 2006 08:43 PM

voted. :)

Kate Elliott | November 7, 2006 09:04 PM

I voted here in Hawaii - there was a bit of a line to feed the paper ballots through the scan machine.

In Hawaii, election day is a state holiday, which means the schools are closed. So my (high school) sons were working the polls, a job available to anyone 16 and up. After I voted, I brought them sandwiches and a soda.

Anonymous | November 7, 2006 09:04 PM

I voted about one hour ago. The polls are now closed here in NY.

Nate Von J | November 7, 2006 09:08 PM

Voted, figured I'd give my Republican governor one last chance, went dem for the congress, and voted mostly dem the rest of the way. as far as initiatives, yes to gays at least getting a snowballs chance at a married life, no to ousting abortion entirely *can you guess what state I'm from?* and no to medical marijuana, just because I'm still iffy. Hate me if you wish.

Anonymous | November 7, 2006 09:11 PM

Craig and I just voted in Chino, CA. Long line here but friendly poll workers. This is good since people are tired after a long day at work. Don't want a repeat of the kitty cat paper weight!

Dr. Phil | November 7, 2006 09:30 PM

Voted about five hours -- finally got back online to this little neighborhood. Optical scan paper ballot, mixed bag of candidate selections (though I didn't vote for that beady-eyed Amway guy for governor either) based on their records. Five propositions, some brought/bought in by out of state interest groups -- some good ideas which should be solved by the legislature, not by inserting more legal text into the state constitution. The machine for my precinct listed me as number 513 -- for 4pm that's pretty good. I think I was number 612 once in a Presidential year.

Dr. Phil

Mark | November 7, 2006 09:36 PM

Umm, maybe? I moved a bit over a month ago and back around Oct 21st updated my driver's license. The DMV told me they would forward the updated info to the county auditor so my voter registration would be updated. Something went wrong as the state still has me registered to vote in my old county. If that wasn't bad enough, when I got to my polling place there were 6-7 people ahead me to talk to the one poll worker who supposedly knew what to do... Only she didn't really and kept leaving the area to use a phone in a different area to call the county auditor's office to find out what she should tell people like me. After about 30-45 minutes of waiting around, filling out paperwork she decided I could fill out the provisional ballot.

I wouldn't have minded so much, except that I'd already discovered earlier in the day, talked to the county auditor myself and gotten instructions to use the provisional ballot.... Which I explained to all 3 pollworkers I talked to when I showed up. *sigh*

Craxy | November 7, 2006 09:41 PM

I voted!

Steve Rogers | November 7, 2006 09:44 PM

Voted Libertarian, Democrat, and Republican as appropriate for the race. Turnout seemed heavy for Lyons, CO.

Laurie Mann | November 7, 2006 09:45 PM

Not only did we all vote, we all helped to DUMP RICK!!! YEAH!

We voted using touch screens for the first time, and it was pretty easy.

Mary | November 7, 2006 09:48 PM

I chalked my X on the slate. I even got me a sticker for my trouble. I am happy.

John H | November 7, 2006 09:49 PM

Voted - straight Democratic ticket...

Matthew X. Economou | November 7, 2006 09:55 PM

Did my civic duty this afternoon. I thought John's recommendations were reasonable, so I followed them for the most part (I live in Ohio, too). I didn't mark any entries where there was only a single candidate, and I alternated Democrat/Republican for the state and federal legislature. We'll see tomorrow how the returns are going. I strongly doubt Ohio will go fully Democrat, but stranger things have happened.

David Gorsline | November 7, 2006 09:57 PM

Voted this morning. Turns out that I actually know someone at the check-in table, so I got some socializing in as well.

Soni Pitts | November 7, 2006 10:07 PM

Ages ago. Early voting rocks!

rochelle | November 7, 2006 10:13 PM

First time voting in my new state--Wisconsin. Unfortunately, it's not looking so good for the constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage or unions or for the referedum on the death penalty. Hoping for an overnight miracle.

Janice in GA | November 7, 2006 10:15 PM

Not just yes, but HELL YES.
But it looks like the GA will still be sending Republicans to Washington, dammit.

Alice | November 7, 2006 10:27 PM

I voted about an hour ago. Straight Democratic ticket, which I find annoying since I don't want to be a yellow dog. Bubble-in ballots that were filled in with pen, which feels so wrong after filling them out in pencil for tests at university. No sticker, which I am very aggrieved about.

John E. | November 7, 2006 10:32 PM

My wife and I voted this morning here in Westchester County, N.Y. As Suzanne M. noted above, we have old-fashioned lever machines here that make satisfying clicks and ka-chunks. We both voted straight Democratic, except when it came to comptroller, where incumbent Alan Hevesi has lately gotten in trouble for misappropriating state property and services (in the interest of his dear sick wife, but still). I abstained and my wife voted for the Green Party candidate.

anonymous | November 7, 2006 10:37 PM

I voted. My wife voted.
yay democracy!

Thinking about how to get more people in my district to...
1. be registered (mail them reg forms with attached stamps?)
2. a map to the precinct polling location (county provides those. I wonder how many I can snag for free)
3. be reminded to vote?

Espana Sheriff | November 7, 2006 10:40 PM

San Francisco: Just voted, on my way home from work. Happy to see a lot of young volunteers at the polling place (old neighborhood was mostly retirees) decent line, more people coming in behind me, too.

Mostly Dem, third party in spots. paper ballot, optical scan voting machine. Makes for nice fast results :)

Chris Lehmann | November 7, 2006 10:41 PM

7:15 this morning, thankyouverymuch.

Cathy | November 7, 2006 10:44 PM

10:30ish my time. Just checked to be sure it was a totally futile gesture, but it always is in this part of Texas. We just have to keep trying.

Jim | November 7, 2006 10:55 PM

John E, tell your wife I voted Green for the Comptroller too!

Anonymous | November 7, 2006 10:58 PM

Craig and I just voted in Chino, CA. Long line here but friendly poll workers. This is good since people are tired after a long day at work. Don't want a repeat of the kitty cat paper weight!

rayyy | November 7, 2006 11:00 PM

Yup, made my electronic 'X's down here in GA at 10:30 this morning.

Would've posted here sooner - but I didn't want to to tip-off the other side, if you know what I mean ;)

josh | November 7, 2006 11:01 PM

Me and my wife both in Anchorage, AK

Jim | November 7, 2006 11:15 PM

I just got back from voting after waiting two and a half hours in line in Denver. We were assured that we could vote as long as we were in line by 7 PM. Die, you stupid electronic voting machines. I was told by one of the volunteers that there were not enough servers for the system and that there had been crashes all day. Best of all though, us voters waiting in line this evening were offered free grub and water from people who lived around the polling station. They were awesome!

Greyweather | November 7, 2006 11:18 PM

I voted around 10am EST if I remember right. Columbus, OH. Electronic touch screens at my polling place, which was nearly empty while I was there. Voted straight democrat, which I would not do under normal circumstances. But after what happened last time, I'm taking no chances this year.

Voted against every state issue except Issue 5.

Got my sticker.

Lee | November 7, 2006 11:19 PM

I tried to vote earlier. This morning there was a long line of senior citizens. Tried again at lunchtime and there was a long line of office worker types. Finally, tried again at 7:00 pm and waited about 15 minutes for a voting machine to open up. Grrrrr... it was a diabolical Diebold!

Anyway, had dinner with a friend afterwards in a Vietnamese restaurant. I saw more "I Voted" stickers and happy faces than I did at Wal-Mart.

Perhaps, people who are denied that right appreciate it more than those who take it for granted as their birthright. So there is still hope for this country and its electoral process but it is not the "Great White Hope" that has been trumpeted before.

Natalie | November 7, 2006 11:26 PM

Lurker, here. Hell yes, I voted. It took about 20 minutes at 7:30 am in Montgomery County MD. If I could've, I would've voted a few more times. :-) Going to bed, because I can't stand the suspense and the projections. I ain't believing anything until the Republican concedes...

Anonymous | November 7, 2006 11:38 PM

Hell yes. I even got exit-polled! (Okay, it was about a local transit measure, and the reporter was rather testy because she was trying to find somebody who voted against it. But still.)

Tom Nixon | November 8, 2006 12:14 AM

Yup. Me, too. Granted, my votes were all foregone conclusions (in either direction).

Rachel Brown | November 8, 2006 12:20 AM

Voted as soon as I got out of jury duty, so today was all civic responsibility, all day.

Mary Robinette Kowal | November 8, 2006 12:29 AM

I voted. I biked, in the rain, to the polling station because I left my absentee ballot in Iceland. I realized that, because Oregon does mail-in ballots, this is the first time I've gone to a polling station since I was in college. It was sort of festive.

Kristin B | November 8, 2006 12:37 AM

Voted today in Johnstown, PA. As we left the polling place, I said to my husband, "I love voting. I wish we could do it more often." Not really, but it's still very satisfying.

6 years ago, when I turned 18, I didn't vote. Yet another piece of evidence that I was an idiot when I was younger.

Karl Cook | November 8, 2006 12:40 AM

Dropping in late, but yup, I voted (yesterday) morning around 9am in Fairfax County, VA- had a nice, quick, voting experience- no waiting either at the registrar's table nor for the voting machine. In and out in about 10 minutes. Now if the *results* would only be as kindly...

Ron Avitzur | November 8, 2006 12:49 AM

Here in the City of Berkeley, we even had a measure on the ballot to vote for impeachment. I got to vote for Barbara Lee, the lone voice of dissent against H J Res 64.

Phillip J. Birmingham | November 8, 2006 12:53 AM

Nice short line in Ringwood, IL. "War Pigs" was coming on the radio when I was about a mile or so from the polls, and I had time to vote, check over my ballot, clean up my filled-in ovals a bit, and get back to the van before the song was over.

mensley | November 8, 2006 01:07 AM

Waited for about 30 minutes in Knoxville, TN, but saw no real problems and was (slightly) relieved that our voting machines weren't Diebold.

There were kids in line with their parents, and all were very good but for one who didn't melt down until his mom was finished voting. I think he wanted to press the big red "cast ballot" button himself.

sem | November 8, 2006 01:10 AM

Hells yeah, I voted. Last Friday.

Dan Geiser | November 8, 2006 01:33 AM

Hell yes, I Voted. 2 weeks ago in fact.

Stephen Eley | November 8, 2006 03:01 AM

I voted. Not that it did much good in Georgia, in John Linder's district, but I did my part.

Josh | November 8, 2006 08:40 AM

Not that anyone cares, since it's Wednesday, but

a) I voted.
b) It was a tremendous pain, because I had to drive to work (35 minutes), drive home (35 minutes) and then drive back to the town I work in (35 minutes). Oh, and visit the dealership, where they told me the alternator on my car could go at any time.
c) The only two items that were important to be on my ballot 1) Won by a massive margin that didn't require my vote and 2) Lost by a massive margin that didn't require my vote.

Yossarian | November 8, 2006 11:35 AM

Voted 8 AM yesterday. Let sit overnight, enjoy results with an ice cold beer.

Dan Geiser | November 8, 2006 01:58 PM

JoshGD, you rock! Vote absentee next time if you can.

glinda | November 8, 2006 03:51 PM

on Saturday, by mail... (late to this thread, sorry...)

but yay! (except it looks like Reichert is going to win in WA, and he's a Bush-rubberstamp...)

Val | November 15, 2006 01:40 PM

I voted straight Republican in Michigan. What choice did I have?
1) a baby killing Governor (Jenny Granholm)who thinks is OK to kill a baby that is outside of a mother womb with the head only inside by puncturing the skull of the little chum and sucking his / her brain out. The medical description of it is D&E (Dilation & Extraction) completely sanitized.
2) A senator (Debbie Stabenow) whose greatest accomplishment during her first 6 years (confirmed by her pre-election ads) was that she opposed Michigan importing garbage from Ontario: as if Michigan was doing it for free).
Hence my choice for Republican ticket in Michigan: Yes I know Republicans lost.

I am convinced that if they eliminate corruption and walk the talk of moral values (see Mark Foley incident) they will recapture the majority in 2008. USA is a center - right nation, most likely due to the influence of Christianity in its founding.