Best Polling Location

[Stan Austin]

I voted at Roosevelt School today.
Great poll workers, good atmosphere.

I drove into the YMCA this morning and was greeted by candidates at the driveway entrance. Great way to start off a workout.

What's your favorite voting experience today?"

Stan Austin

[dl meckes]

Went to Grant for the first time. I don't know if I'm going to vote in person anymore. I used to like it, but it seemed like a lot of hoopla to vote for three people.

[Danielle Masters]

I always enjoy voting at Grant. I walked the kids in as the first bell rang and was done voting by the time the second bell rang. I guess though empty polling places aren't necessarily a good thing.

[Bryan Schwegler]

I agree about Roosevelt, they did a great job.

[Ahmie Yeung]

I love our precinct workers at Grant. They recognize my family and greet us so warmly. We always take a family picture of the kids helping one or the other parent vote (usually with me, we always make sure our family are the only ones in the frame) and some guy we'd never seen before tried to harass us about it in November and the ladies actually came over and stood up for us, telling him that we do this EVERY election (including primaries). They give me extra "I Voted" stickers for the kids' scrapbook and were so obviously tickled when I stuck one on my belly for the baby I'd just found out I'm expecting a few days before the primary.

I really like that it's the same poll workers each time. I really don't like that my ballot number was under 50 after 6pm (but, that DOES say something about how many people turned out at the community forum on the 15th - if about 50 people voted in person at my one precinct, then it's fair to assume that more than 300 people voted in this pretty low-stakes primary throughout Lakewood especially with mail-ins, but I haven't looked up the actual total number of ballots cast).


Ahmie

[Colleen Wing]

Ahmie,

I have to laugh because as I read that you took a picture inside the polling location I actually gasped out loud. It is a really nice ideal and totally well intentioned but you really aren't legally allowed to do that. Sorry to be a wet blanket.

I know, I know, but thems the laws.

Colleen

[Ahmie Yeung]

Ahmie,

I have to laugh because as I read that you took a picture inside the polling location I actually gasped out loud. It is a really nice ideal and totally well intentioned but you really aren't legally allowed to do that. Sorry to be a wet blanket.

I know, I know, but thems the laws.

Colleen

Point me to the law you claim exists. I researched it. We're taking them for personal use, of our own household members, not as members of the media. Different laws. I actually spoke to Jennifer Bruner's office about it the day it happened and they said that there's no law preventing someone from taking pictures of themselves, or their family members. My husband holds the camera, or I do. We have been doing this for 5 years, at several different polling locations (we had 5 addresses in our eldest child's first 30 months) and that was the first time anyone had ever challenged us about it. I have pictures of my now-5-year-old dropping my punch ballot into the metal ballot box at our old polling location in Old Brooklyn when he was 5 months old in November 2004. Some democracy protection organizations even recommend people take pictures of themselves with their ballots - it's only a secret ballot if the person voting chooses to keep their votes secret. You can't pressure/coerce/whatever anyone into telling you how they voted, but they can voluntarily tell you without violating any laws whatsoever, and documenting your own voting record is legal too.

[Colleen Wing]

You're correct, the law doesn't specifically say picture taking (ORC 3501.35 ) I prefer the low key approach-vote and go...you are also correct that a pathetically small amount of people voted so I doubt you disrupted the process.

[dl meckes]

and documenting your own voting record is legal too.

Interesting. Thanks.

[Ahmie Yeung]

You're correct, the law doesn't specifically say picture taking (ORC 3501.35 ) I prefer the low key approach-vote and go...you are also correct that a pathetically small amount of people voted so I doubt you disrupted the process.

And I totally respect your preference for low-key. I intentionally make it a bit of a big deal because my kids are with me, and I want them to see this is something that's not just important, but fun, in hopes that they'll be regular voters when they're of age not just out of habit (tho I'll take it if that's what does it!), but out of desire to be part of the process. I also make efforts to keep my kids (and our little picture "ritual") from disturbing other voters, and volunteer to have play dates for children of other parents who prefer to vote alone and might not otherwise be able to.

I also like my elder son to know how much voting technology has changed since he was born - in 2004 we voted on "butterfly ballots" with punch cards. In the 2007 October primary, we voted on touch screens (with 3 month old baby brother in a sling on my chest), and now we've got the bubble-ins and scanner. My 5 year old loves feeding the ballots into the scanner best I think. Who knows what he'll vote on in 13 years (and his brother in 16)? I have a special place in my heart for going to the polling place instead of mail-in, personally, but they may not share that preference.

I don't know why I'm such a regular voter. My mom (who raised me by herself) only votes in presidential elections and never took me with her to vote, so I'm not repeating a passed-down behavior. Anyone else know what triggered it for them, or have kids old enough to vote that do so regularly?


Ahmie

[Stan Austin]

Ahmie-

I just love your tales of voting with your kids! Also, I do listen with interest when you call in to WCPN.

You presented the question of why any of us might be frequent voters.

I think that I have voted in every election since I first registered. At most, I missed one.

But, as to your question of "why" I just can't answer with any deep, meaningful or philosophical answer.

Maybe the converse----why wouldn't one vote?

Let's let the discussion flow from there!

Stan

[sharon kinsella]

My family voted every election and I do it because I want to be part of the process and have somewhat of a voice.

[Christopher Bindel]

I have voted in every election since I have been able to vote. Now that has only been 6 years, but for many years I have always had opinions on issues happening in our city and beyond. I could not wait to vote so I could actually have a say in those things on the ballot. Now I do not always vote on every issue, because I don’t believe in voting for things you are not educated on the specifics of.

I don’t know why I am so about voting, but I have always been really interested in history and political science so maybe that has something to do with it. I have just always thought it is something everyone should do. However if you aren’t going to actually research what/who your voting for, please don’t.

[Ahmie Yeung]

Ahmie-

I just love your tales of voting with your kids! Also, I do listen with interest when you call in to WCPN.

*blush* You can thank the Lakewood Pre-K program for a lot of my call-ins last school year - I was just hanging out in the car listening to WCPN a lot while waiting for the library or other toddler-friendly places to open (or if the toddler fell asleep in the car, just hanging out there). Sound of Ideas is on Twitter, in case you didn't know.

But, as to your question of "why" I just can't answer with any deep, meaningful or philosophical answer.

Maybe the converse----why wouldn't one vote?

Let's let the discussion flow from there!

Stan

Yeah, I'm the same way - I've missed very few elections since registering to vote when I was 18 (and I'll be 33 in December). Don't think I've missed a single November election, but probably a few off-season ones - always throws me when there's one in May or August or whatever, and if I've not been watching local news/reading local newspapers for a few weeks (which happens pretty regularly - I "zoom out" and pay attention to national/world stuff then "zoom in" and pay attention to local stuff more).

Maybe it was my act of rebellion because my mom was not a regular voter? Or due to what has always been an important part of my identity, being the daughter of an immigrant (my father was born in Germany, his father in Poland) and recognizing that my ancestors didn't have the rights that I do, so I think that keeps me from taking some things for granted.

I believe the research has shown that if people get into the "habit" of voting while they're young then they're more likely to continue being regular voters throughout their lives. This isn't exactly a town full of young voting-age folks, makes me wonder what the showing up to vote patterns are of various age groups in the area. Maybe since Lakewood is seen as such a Democratic strong-hold, people don't bother showing up to be one more "me too"?

It's a topic that fascinates me, but there are quite a few of those - I'm a rather enthusiastic person

Christopher and Sharon, just noticed I hit the quote button and almost missed replying to you - glad to hear you're voting regularly Christopher. I agree with you, I feel like it's something we should do, but voting on issues that you're not informed about is not responsible. Sometimes it's so hard to figure out what the core of the issue is, through all the noise though. I'm still not sure how I feel about the gambling issue, for instance, and I'm suspicious of the content of the television commercials and the particular phrasing they're using. I fear that many people don't feel like their voice matters in today's world, but then I see reports of how many people vote in American Idol and start thinking that people really do want a voice, they just don't know how to go about it anymore maybe?



Ahmie

[Ahmie Yeung]

I have voted in every election since I have been able to vote. Now that has only been 6 years, but for many years I have always had opinions on issues happening in our city and beyond. I could not wait to vote so I could actually have a say in those things on the ballot. Now I do not always vote on every issue, because I don’t believe in voting for things you are not educated on the specifics of.

I don’t know why I am so about voting, but I have always been really interested in history and political science so maybe that has something to do with it. I have just always thought it is something everyone should do. However if you aren’t going to actually research what/who your voting for, please don’t.

Hey, Christopher - some questions for you specifically as a newer and enthusiastic voter. Were you raised in a household that discussed politics? Did you see your elders taking voting seriously? Or was there a shared interest in history and political science with someone important in your life?