So who here has actually pulled a lever to vote?

[needledriver]

When I was a kid, my parents took me along when they went to vote for President - the choice was Nixon or Kennedy.

They took me into this little booth that had this huge and imposing machine (OK, I was 5) full of intriguing levers and a big red handle that opened the curtain when you pulled it.

It thought this was way cool (or the 1960 equivalent).

Over succeeding elections my parents took me to other elections. As I got taller the machines got less huge and imposing, but no less fascinating. I couldn't wait to vote for myself!

Then I turned 18 and moved to California. Never got a chance to vote in a NY election. In California, I voted on punch cards. Boring.

So - - "pull the lever" is one of the main descriptives for voting, but I've never had a chance to do it.

In these days of touch screens, punch cards, inka dots - who still pulls a lever?

[maddiejoan]

1. NY born and bred

have always pulled the lever :)

[DinahMoeHum]

2. I do, in New York (Westchester County)

No touch-screen Diebold bullshit for us there!

:kick:

[backscatter712]

3. Nope, never used a lever machine.

When I first turned 18 and started voting, my county used punchcards - you slid a punchcard into the slot on the voting booth table, opened up the book mounted on top, and punched through the holes to make your selections - just like the infamous hanging-chad punchcard ballots in Florida in 2000.

Now, we use either Diebold touchscreen machines or optical scan ballots - fill in the little ovals. And every time I had a choice, I refused to use the touchscreen machines.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

4. I did in WNY

but in Minnesota its a bubble sheet..

[havocmom]

5. Been there. Done that.

And used butterfly ballots without problem. Have used pencils to make Xs and fill in little bubbles.

Have also done duty as election judge and counted/verified ballots.

Gads, I a OLD.

[madokie]

6. nope, no levers here in my voting history that I can remember

[rsdsharp]

7. I did, the very first time I voted.

It was in the 1972 Iowa primary. That was the only time. I voted absentee in elections after that while i was in college, and by the next time I voted at an actual precinct, most of Iowa was using paper ballots and optical scanners.

[tomg]

8. I love the lever. The weird sound it makes is

awesome. In fact, I've never used anything else. And that curtain thing is great.

[PDJane]

9. I'm a Canadian.

We use #2 pencils and x marks the spot. We still count by hand, thank you, with real people doing the counting.

[HockeyMom]

10. I miss those levers

This was my first time using a touch screen in Florida. Different machines for different party candidates. So they not only knew what party you belonged to, anybody walking by could actually see who you voted for (not curtains, nothing).

NY should keep those levers. I hear we here in Collier are going back to those fill in the blank votes. I hated those things when I was in school. I either didn't fill them in enough or did too much. UGH. Give them the LEVERS. If something works, DON'T TRY TO FIX IT.

But what can I say? Welcome to Florida.

[Warpy]

11. I know I did at least once

and I think it was when I lived in Maryland, just outside the DC line.

It felt like playing the slots.

[Lars39]

12. Yes, a few times in TN,

then touch-screen was introduced just in time for the 2000 elections. :(

[aquart]

13. I LOVE MY LEVERS!!!!!

[TahitiNut]

14. Of course. I've been voting since 1964, in Michigan and then New York.

Voting machines had been used since the beginning of the 20th century.

[TreasonousBastard]

15. Many times here in NY, and several times in...

NJ until Joisey got rid of them.

This is, alas, the last year for NY's lever machines-- we get new scanners next year. There must be 10,000 tiny little parts in those old monsters that are over 50 years old and they are fast becoming impossible to repair. They also weigh a ton, so are a bitch to move around to the polls and the "handicapped access" is a joke (you open some doors and jiggle some stuff, then use this huge crank to lower the business part of the machine to wheelchair level-- I've never seen it actually done)

Other than that, they are one of the few things I've ever seen during my lifetime that have been so reliable and accurate.

RIP lever machines (removes hat).

[blondeatlast]

16. I did for James Earl Carter in 1980--my first GE vote. nt

[CK_John]

17. I pulled the lever on SuperTues here in NY, may be the last usage. n/t

[HeraldSquare212]

18. NY still uses those machines - pulled the lever on Super Tuesday.

I've also been to the warehouse where they store them, to check the reported outcome. That was kind of fun, too.

[Forrest Greene]

19. I Did Until 2004 Or So

...in Connecticut. Worked just fine.

[Orsino]

20. Silly rabbit. We have *machines* to vote for us now.

I can't wait to find out which machine they elect.


x(

[EstimatedProphet]

21. I have, several years ago

[PA Democrat]

22. This is what we voted on until I think 2 years ago.

[Raejeanowl]

23. It's Been Many Years

I hated the confusing rows of stiff levers and the claustrophobic little booth and curtain. I didn't trust the mechanics of the thing. The interim systems with punch or fill-in cards weren't much, either (I guess we had hanging chads for a while). I love the ease and simplicity of the touch-screens. Just wish I could believe in a secure backup should it crash, and a failsafe firewall protecting the integrity of the results.

[ThomWV]

24. We were still using the lever pulls in south Florida in the early 70's

I don't remember the last year I used on but it would have been '74~76 or maybe even one cycle later than that.

[MiniMe]

25. My first election we had levers.

[MonkeyFunk]

26. Yup

lived in NY until I was 23, so I got to vote on those monsters. I loved 'em.

Moved to California where I mark a ballot with a pen - not nearly as much fun.