Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forumVoted in SC Democratic Primary this morning
A couple of things to note. Initially, they couldn't find me in the database. I had verified my name was listed before I went to the polls, so I knew I was in the database. They asked me for my voter registration card, which, thankfully, I brought with me along with my passport, in case there was an issue. They did finally locate me on the database and I continued to the voting machine. SC has new voting machines with a paper backup, so it's a two-part voting experience. At the first machine, you enter a voting card, make a choice from a list end print the card out. All straight forward, right? Well, not exactly. The names aren't in alphabetical order by last name. So, Biden isn't first on the list, Bernie is. WTF? If you're voting in SC pay attention. You can go back and make a change, which I did. Once you make your choice, print out the card and verify who you voted for. Next you bring the "paper ballot" to a scanning machine, which scans your vote and keeps the "paper ballot". That's it. Not too bad, but you will still need to stay alert.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
gredinger
(86 posts)Why would it be in alphabetic order? Seems like it'd be worth a name change to be at the top of a ballot.
As far as I know, ballots have always been randomized order (per ballot).
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Gothmog
(145,176 posts)For the general election the party who holds the governor Is first. The state party is suing to change this law
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
yellowdogintexas
(22,252 posts)Here in Tarrant, we have it at the CDEC meeting, with most of the precinct chairs in attendance. The county chair conducts the draw, and there is a hat or bowl with numbered slips. For example, in our US Senate race, we have 12 candidates, so there will be an envelope with numbers 1-12 and each candidate (or a representative) will draw. That will be the ballot order.
Each contested office is handled the same way. It is a lot of fun because there are always supporters in the crowd and there is lots of cheering etc. Some of the candidates will make funny comments when they do their draw.
I have not attended a ballot draw in a presidential year, so it is possible that for the presidential line, the State Democratic Executive Committee does the draw so that all ballots in the state have the same order. I shall have to ask my county chair about that
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
yellowdogintexas
(22,252 posts)Gothmog, do you know the answer to my question below?
I know that we draw at the CDEC for the Congressional, Legislative, county wide votes. Does the SDEC do the draw for all the statewide offices, so that every ballot shows the same order across the state?
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
LiberalFighter
(50,912 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
yellowdogintexas
(22,252 posts)Our system could never do that. It sort of gives me a headache to think each precinct has its own ballot order.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
honest.abe
(8,678 posts)That makes zero sense unless they have random list order for each voter.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
That's what I said. It's random *per* ballot.
So, each ballot is in random order. For someone else, they'd probably have Biden first.
Why not actually read the names instead of just checking boxes?
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
honest.abe
(8,678 posts)It would be good to hear from others voting in SC to confirm that is the case.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
yellowdogintexas
(22,252 posts)I know our machines are not designed to resort the ballot every time someone else comes up to vote. Our check-in generates a barcode which is scanned to produce an access code. The voter uses that code to open the voting machine, the proper ballot for their precinct displays and the voter uses the touch screen to make his/her choices. When the voter decides everything is the way he/she wants it to be, the voter prints the ballot and takes it to a scanner which is where it is actually counted.
The machine that assigns the code has no memory and that bar code only contains the precinct and the ballot form numbers. so the right ballot comes up. The actual voting machines have no memory either.
The scanner has memory; we print a ton of tapes when we close which show the totals, and that all goes to Election Central with the scanner and the ballots.
It is pretty slick but definitely not designed to give every voter a randomly sorted ballot.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Sloumeau
(2,657 posts)There is a reason why there used to be so many businesses named "AAA" in the phone book. It is because people used to just pick the first name that they saw. This is why so many states randomize the listings. I live in Arizona. The state randomizes names. Biden was at the bottom of a bunch of names.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
vlyons
(10,252 posts)nt
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
True Blue American
(17,984 posts)We have here!
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
yellowdogintexas
(22,252 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Laurian
(2,593 posts)Thanks for the helpful information.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Sloumeau
(2,657 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
duhneece
(4,112 posts)Each county elects delegates to go to the Democratic (or R) convention to vote for their candidate. A candidate must get at least 15% (or maybe its 20%). Whoever gets the most votes is listed first on ballots at the primary....not until June.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
yellowdogintexas
(22,252 posts)We do a bunch of other things as well, all part of the runup to the state convention, like preparing and approving the resolutions which go to the state convention and help form the platform at the national.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Iliyah
(25,111 posts)has all the presidential candidates listed, even the ones that dropped out and VP Biden is on the back page.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
MrsCoffee
(5,801 posts)Im near San Francisco.
But yeah, I was surprised to see all the names on there. A couple I didnt even recognize.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
onetexan
(13,040 posts)These cheaters will do everything & anything to discourage people from voting.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
yellowdogintexas
(22,252 posts)at the wrong voting location for your precinct. The judges have a list and can tell right away where you should go to vote.
We now have this absolutely wonderful thing called voting centers! All of our existing precinct voting locations are now called voting centers, and since we can generate a ballot based on your precinct # you can vote anywhere in the county! No more arriving at 5 til 7 only to find out you need to be across the county. It is so nice.
If the difference is due to an address change, we can fix that right there.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
DemoTex
(25,396 posts)Early voting (they refuse to call it that) is at the city/county office complex in Greenville. It took me 45 minutes to vote in the Democratic primary.
There was also voting for a sheriff's runoff election, which threw in an element of confusion. But they would alow you to vote in only one election at a time. After voting in one, you could get back in line and go back through (show ID, etc) and vote in the other election. After I finished voting in the Democratic primary, I decided to come back next week to vote in the sheriff election. Early voting turnout for that election next week will be very, very light.
My early voting experience went well. I have voted in several elections now where the paper ballot backup is used. The only difference that I can tell from Joinfortmill's experience is at the very end: in Greenville County the paper ballots are scanned, then returned to the voter to be placed by the voter in a locked ballot box.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
yellowdogintexas
(22,252 posts)at least all of our candidates are on one ballot in one election. Sheriff, County Commissioners, JP, Constable are all primaried at the same time as the Lege, Congress, president, etc
Geez Loueez we have enough trouble getting folks to vote as it is without throwing all the county votes into a separate ballot.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
warmfeet
(3,321 posts)Not sure if the ballots are randomized here.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
LiberalFighter
(50,912 posts)It may be worthwhile to contact your county Democratic Party and let them know and even the local Election Board so they know what to do.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
yellowdogintexas
(22,252 posts)and usually they can locate the voter.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
still_one
(92,187 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Frances
(8,545 posts)Why did you choose Biden?
Like most DUers, I will vote for a tomato before I vote for Trump
I worry that while Joe is a decent guy and I value decency, he wont generate excitement
But now I hear hes thinking of Kamala Harris as a running mate
What do you think of that possibility?
By the way, am I breaking any rules by asking this question?
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
still_one
(92,187 posts)Believe he has the best chance to win the general election
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden