Election
I voted this morning, and what looked to be a potential disaster turned out to be OK.
I left the house at 6:40AM, expecting there to be a group of line-formers like me there - the polls open at 7AM in PA. I met a neighbor on the way out, which was nice, but I was a bit concerned when we got to the polling place because there were no machines set up there, yet.
Although the machines did arrive just after 7AM, the crowd of about 150 people was informed that all three of them were “broken,” -- and what had been a good pre-voting vibe turned a little sour. The mechanic, we were told, was on his way, but a good number of people had to leave; others were making inquiries about provisional ballots; someone called the Obama campaign; someone went home and called CNN. A lot of the patience was drained out of the room when a poll worker informed us that he simply didn’t have enough provisional ballots for everyone in line, and that only the folks who absolutely had to leave would be given one.
But I’m happy to report that things turned around: the mechanic arrived at 7:30AM; some poll officials showed up around the same time, as did some reps from the Obama campaign.
The first vote was cast at 8AM -- by an African American woman who left the place to cheers and with tears on her face.
I voted at 8:45AM, which was not a bad wait, all told.
I left the house at 6:40AM, expecting there to be a group of line-formers like me there - the polls open at 7AM in PA. I met a neighbor on the way out, which was nice, but I was a bit concerned when we got to the polling place because there were no machines set up there, yet.
Although the machines did arrive just after 7AM, the crowd of about 150 people was informed that all three of them were “broken,” -- and what had been a good pre-voting vibe turned a little sour. The mechanic, we were told, was on his way, but a good number of people had to leave; others were making inquiries about provisional ballots; someone called the Obama campaign; someone went home and called CNN. A lot of the patience was drained out of the room when a poll worker informed us that he simply didn’t have enough provisional ballots for everyone in line, and that only the folks who absolutely had to leave would be given one.
But I’m happy to report that things turned around: the mechanic arrived at 7:30AM; some poll officials showed up around the same time, as did some reps from the Obama campaign.
The first vote was cast at 8AM -- by an African American woman who left the place to cheers and with tears on her face.
I voted at 8:45AM, which was not a bad wait, all told.