Will you wait for your voice to be heard?
By relundad
@relundad (2310)
United States
November 2, 2008 11:10am CST
I have already voted. I took advantage of advance voting. I waited in line from 7:45 am until 12:45 pm to cast my vote. The average wait time in my area was 4 hours, however we had cases in some counties of 8 hour waits on some days due to computer glitches with the state's system and voter turn out.
Today my state is asking for extended hours, as they are not sure that the normal 12 hours will be sufficient to get everybody in.
Have you already cast your vote? How long was your wait if you already voted? If you haven't voted will you be discouraged by the amount of time that it may take you to vote?
3 people like this
11 responses
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
2 Nov 08
I will not be voting early - I want to make sure that all possible cards are on the table before I vote.
2 people like this
@relundad (2310)
• United States
2 Nov 08
We had a couple of counties that allowed advance voting on yesterday but for most Friday was the last day of advance voting. Even though our early voting was for 45 days, I only voted last week. 45 days ago was still a little early for me. This is the first year in my state that you could vote early or in advance without a reason.
1 person likes this
@newtondak (3946)
• United States
2 Nov 08
When candidates are so openly encouraging early voting, I become suspect that they are afraid something will come out that will change our minds.
2 people like this
@kdhartford (1151)
• United States
2 Nov 08
I voted early because I do not live in my state of residence. I'm in the military, so I voted absentee ballot. When I move back home, I can't wait to actually go down to the polls and vote. It seems like a little thing, but it is the act more than anything else.
1 person likes this
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
5 Nov 08
Why do you have to wait so long and what do you do while you wait? Please don't tell me you have to stand in line. Here in Australia when we vote it takes a few minutes....we go to the desk and have our name checked of the electoral roll, we are given our ballot paper/s and then we go to the booth and vote. We then post our vote and that's it.
@relundad (2310)
• United States
5 Nov 08
Our process is the same as yours. The wait is due to thousands of people being in one line. For early voting there are only a select number of places that you could go. On the election there are many polling places but still I live in a state with millions of voters.
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
2 Nov 08
This is one of the reasons why I use the absentee ballot. I do all my research early, and pretty much know who I'm going to vote for well in advance of election day. So now that in Ohio you don't need a special reason to get an absentee ballot, I vote along with my family in the privacy of my own home, and send it off in plenty of time for the board of elections to get it counted and squared away. This way, I don't have to deal with long lines, and computer glitches and the like. Mine is already done, no fuss, no muss.
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
2 Nov 08
My husband and I will be voting on Tuesday. We live in a small county and our regular polling place is right down the street so we're not expecting long lines, especially since they've been promoting early voting at the courthouse in town.
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
2 Nov 08
My state has now decided to open voting early due to the exspected high turn out. So starting yesterday you could go and start voting.They said the wait was about 4 hours yesterday. The long lines do not discourage me. Voting is important so it takes as long as it takes. It is nice to see that more of american's eligible voters are showing up to vote. I wonder what the percentage will be by time it is over. I do not think it will hit 80% but I think it will be a lot higher than normal.
@relundad (2310)
• United States
2 Nov 08
My state was trying to get the approval to allow additional days but it was not approved for this weekend. They are trying to get approval to be open until 9 on Tuesday. I just hope that everybody that wants to vote will be able to, no matter how long it takes.
@mehale (2200)
• United States
2 Nov 08
My husband and I will both be voting on Tuesday, no matter HOW LONG the wait! The direction our country will go can, and will, be determined in a large part by the outcome of the election. Voting is very important and I will not be discouraged by long lines.
@relundad (2310)
• United States
2 Nov 08
I feel the exact same way! As I told some people it amazes me the number of people that will be turned off by the wait, but will spend the night in the parking lot of a department store to get their kid the most popular toy at the After Thanksgiving sale. Just watch for those lines and no one will complain. I have seen people wait days sleeping in tents for tickets to a rock concert. Do you remember the lines when the IPhone was to be released?
@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
2 Nov 08
I got an early ballot but couldn't make up my mind and now it's too late. I guess I'll have to stand in line for hours after work on Tuesday. 
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
2 Nov 08
I've been spending too much time helping with the campaign to get into the early vote. The wait time has been about 4-6 hours, they only have one place in our county to vote early. So I will wait in line as long as it takes on election day.
@savypat (20216)
• United States
2 Nov 08
We get to vote by mail in our state, it's very nice because the ballots come about a month before election day so you can spend all the time you want studing them. We voted a week ago.
