Buckeye State Blog - Why I like to vote on election day in my swing voting precinct - Comments

I also left a message

scurrvydog — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:06:56 -0700

with a " Sheri" at the SoS's office, who I was told was in charge of poll worker training, about this Tues. I'm still waiting for a response. In our powerpoint training program for Montgomery County BOE pg 17 is this- under processing voters- "NO Discussions or criticisms about voting systems.-No thoughts, opinions, editorials, etc."

right here

scurrvydog — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:47:47 -0700

http://www.ohioelectiontraining.com/7_6.htm

I'm the same way

BuckeyeNation — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 11:48:19 -0700

And you may be onto something about the "Catholic ritual" aspect, because I'm the same way. I like seeing my neighbors and the neighborhood boothworkers at my precinct in Columbus. In fact I will take the Catholic ritual a bit farther and vote wiht my wife and college-aged daughter who will be home on "Spring" break next week. I like the option of voting early, but I'm a tradionalist (and perhaps a ritualist) who likes voting at the voting booth on election day, even if I have to stand in line to wait.

BOE mailer says you "will be given a paper ballot"

Tim Russo — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 10:47:03 -0700

scurvy, that makes no sense. more detail please. the mailer from the Cuyahoga BOE with voting instructions says the following.

"Step 1 - You will be given a paper ballot"

can you clarify?

Be sure you REQUEST

scurrvydog — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 10:26:53 -0700

a paper ballot. At poll worker training we were told that we were NOT ALLOWED to offer paper ballots to the voters. They must ASK for one. Spread the word.

Why I like to vote on election day in my swing voting precinct

Tim Russo — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 09:57:00 -0700

I'm getting a lot of emails from Obama for America reminding me to vote early. That's cool. It shows they are targeting early voting, shows they have a strategic turnout operation, and I like it. I'm not gonna vote early though.

I like walking in, getting a ballot, going to a booth, and making that mark. I think it must be the Catholic in me - us Catholics like ritual. We really do. It separates us from all the posers out there (that's a funny - attempt at humor, self-deprecating irony even). There's no ritual more American than voting on election day.

Most of all though, I also think it's the election observer in me. Having observed so many elections abroad, my eyes are trained for looking around a polling place. I like getting a feel for the polling place. I like to see if there's a line. I like to see if the poll workers know what the hell they are doing, which, in Cuyahoga County, is never a fair assumption. And I like to see who is voting. In my swing precinct in Middleburg Hts. (read, lots if I's and R's), these things kind of matter toward the result.

I also like to find out if there's potential for chaos. If there's a problem in my polling place, like not enough ballots or booths, confusion in the poll workers, or long lines, there is likely to be the same problem in bigger, far more important precincts in Cuyahoga County. Which is when I start dialing my phone.

So, Paul Tewes, keep ginning up that early vote. But I'll see you at the Middleburg Hts. Library on March 4, probably around 10 or 11 am. It's my ritual.