Comments on: Election Day L.A. – how’s your polling place?

By: angelcityart

angelcityart — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 20:11:35 +0000

I’m used to walking down my block to the school to vote. It’s usually just me and 30 or 40 other people who vote regularly. This time the books were full of crossed out names (people who voted) and the place was lively. Still I only had to wait a few minutes, mainly because there seemed to be problems finding the voters in the books on the correct pages.
The Registrar of Voters need to get their act together. They knew this would be a large turnout, so why are they unable to plan ahead? And it scares me that anyone can vote with NO ID. I can’t even rent a movie without ID, what’s up with that?

By: Election Day, Sleepy Marina Style | Los Angeles Metblogs

Election Day, Sleepy Marina Style | Los Angeles Metblogs — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:02:00 +0000

[...] in Marina del Rey tend to take place at a laid back, civilized, even sleepy, pace. Unlike Mack’s experience in Silver Lake, today’s voting in the Marina was no exception. Although I have vote by mail status, I showed [...]

By: Bert Green

Bert Green — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:01:16 +0000

I voted at the Hayward Hotel downtown today. Arrived at 10:35, walked out at 11:10. Not bad. Very orderly system, incredibly diverse bunch. The mood was elated and happy.

By: Burns!

Burns! — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:52:38 +0000

I just voted in South Pasadena. 20 minutes from leaving my desk at home, I had driven to the polling place, voted, come home and I’m back at my desk. No line at just after noon. I was going to take pictures, but I was in and out so fast there wasn’t really anything to photograph.

I’m a little concerned about a poll worker, though. She asked my name and I said, then spelled my first and last name for her. She couldn’t find me on the list. She was looking for my last name (Burns) under my first initial (M.) I spelled my last name for her (“B-U-R-N-S,”) and she said, “No, your last name.” I spelled it again. It took three tries to get her back to the Bs on the list. She still couldn’t find me. Three more times slowly spelling my name, and finally I found my own name on the list and pointed it out to her. She still seemed a little unsure if I was really the person I pointed to. I showed ID, and finally got my ballot.

The part that concerns me is that while I was voting someone else came in that she couldn’t find, and he was less adamant than I was. After only one attempt to find him she declared that he wasn’t on the list, but could vote with a provisional ballot. A provisional ballot is one of the best ways to make sure your vote will never be counted. How many other people could she not find? I don’t think she was doing this intentionally, but either way the result is the same.

By: Annika Barranti

Annika Barranti — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:27:04 +0000

I vote at the church on Normandie and 5th in Wilshire Center. Four years ago I had to wait for maybe three or four people. Today there were at least 25 people ahead of me. I waited in line for half an hour, and was there for a total of about 45 minutes. It was AWESOME.

By: benh57

benh57 — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:21:02 +0000

St. Jerome Parish on La Tijera. In line at 11:30 AM, out with sticker @ 12:05. On my way out, the line was slightly shorter. Best time to go!

There were 3 precincts, i was in Yellow. Yellow was the only one with a line at all. Green and Orange had no line. There is no reason to get mad at the poll worker volunteers for this — blame the registrar who allocated the voters in an un-balanced way. Since everyone has to vote with their own precinct’s ballots and booths, you can’t really combine lines.

-Ben

By: evan

evan — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:12:45 +0000

BOO.

By: dorit

dorit — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:09:52 +0000

OK- I cut in line: the husband and I went to our polling spot- a local Silver Lake park- around 9:00am. When we got there, there was a 200 or so person line out side the rec center!!!! We were going to leave and come back in the afternoon when we spotted a good freind/ neighbor the front of the line (she has asked I not I.D. her) we went up to her to talk. A few minents after we started talking to her, a poll worker anounced the next 10 people in line could go in the rec center to line up in there to wait to vote. The fellow counted out the 10 people, he counted the husband I as # 7 and 8. we did not intent to cut, it just turned out that way!!

By: gdub

gdub — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:05:37 +0000

I got in line at my polling place at 710am in Sherman Oaks a block south of Ventura Blvd. Already had about 25-30 people in line, the wait was about 50 mins and worth every minute of it.

Once on my way to work I passed a church that had a line wrapped around the block and then passed a restaurant on Van Nuys that had at least 15 people waiting, Its happening!

By: djrokymanson

djrokymanson — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:04:04 +0000

My polling place was Cheremoya Elementary School at the corner of Beachwood and Franklin. I arrived shortly after 8:00am, prepared to wait some time in line. During my 90 minute wait, several poll workers were constantly walking up and down the line, pulling out people from the green and yellow precinct, sending them directly to the front of the line. I’m from the orange precinct, as was the majority of the line. After the seventh or eight time a poll worker asked me, and the people in line around me, if any of us were from one of the two “fast-pass precincts”, I became annoyed. We are all voting at the same place. Everyone should have to wait in the same line.

I asked a poll worker, “Why do certain people get to cut to the front of the line?”

He responded, “Those people are from a different precinct.”

I then said, “We are all voting at the same polling location. Everyone should have to wait in line.”

His unapologetic, condescending response was, “They are not voting in the same place as you.” Not several moments later, he was escorting people into the same exact elementary school auditorium where I eventually cast my vote.

While all of this poll worker-sanctioned & assisted line-cutting was taking place, no one was stopping last-minute campaigners with signs and fliers or checking photographers and videographers for press credentials.

When I finished voting, the line was at least twice as long; easily a 3 hour wait at this point. I’m glad that I went as early as I planned. I’m also quite fortunate that I live within walking distance. I have no idea where any of these people are parking.