Today, I Voted.

[Northwind]

One less Texan vote for Bush, one more for Kerry.

Early voting was today for my area. The girlfriend and I arrived exactly as the polls were opening. We here in and out in less than 20 minutes. Lots of other people there, mostly older, we were the only youngish looking people. One yuppie/freeper moron was standing in the line, next to the "Turn off all cell phones" sign...talking on his cell phone. She was the only person we saw advertising his choice, via her "W 04" pin. Natrually she was the biggest crapweasel there. No GOP opertives trying to interefere. They figure they have Texas sewed up tight, so they don't bother with it here. May we prove them wrong!

As for the voting process:

First I went to a woman stationed at a computer. She took my ID, compared its info to my registration card, then scanned the bar code on the reg card. She then gave me a registration confirmation receipt and sent me to an adjacent table. The elderly lady at that table took my confirmation, had me sign it, then gave me a little chit with a reg/precinct number on it, and sent me around the corner to the voting booths.

A young woman led me to a voting booth. The voting machine was a small tablet style computer, about 18" high by 12" wide. It hade the name "iVoteronic" emblazoned on the lower edge. There was no stylus, it was finger-touch sensitive. At the top edge, there was a large, red, oval button labeled "Vote"

My helper entered the reg/precinct number on my chit via the screen, then had me confirm it against my chit and my registration card. She then inserted a large cartridge (which I learned afterwrads is an electronic security key) into a slot on the left edge, then pulled it out and told me to just touch the screen to make my choices, and call if I needed help.

The screens were asy to use and laid out logically. No difficulties in lining up names with check boxes a la Florida Butterfly Ballots. The first screen presented one with the option to vote straight Dem or GOP ticket. I did not do this. I wanted to manually enter every vote. Also, in some cases, an office may be uncontested by Dems, but there might still be a LIbertarian or other lesser party candidate challenging. In those cases, I vote the Liberatrian option (or whichever is best) in order to deny the GOP a vote for that office, and make them work for it a little. I ended up voting Libertarian for two judgeships. Once I had cast all my votes, I was presented with a screen to review all my choices. At the same time, the big red "Vote" button at the top started flashing. As all my votes were as I wished them to be, I then pressed the big red "Vote" button to lock in my vote, at which point the machine let out a shrill beep to indicate I was done.

The system was easy to use. There was no obvious cheating going on. If that will translate to my vote going where I want it to, I have no idea. November will tell.

[liberalmuse]

1. That must feel good!

I can't wait to vote. I opted out of mail-in or absentee. I'm going to the school up the street. We still have punch cards, and like you, I will not vote straight ticket with one punch.

I am going to every candidate, because I read a horrors story on Daily Kos about someone's friend who did the straight ticket punch, but when she was re-examining her votes, realized that the Bush/Cheney was punched, so she got another punch card and voted again. Hell, let's face it, I would've re-checked anyway.

I hope everyone is as careful in their voting as you were. I have a feeling Dems, especially, will be after what happened in 2000. Thanks for sharing!