LOOOONG lines to vote, up to 9 hours in some parts of FL

[blueash]

Now don't make this political. Doesn't matter which candidate you support, there is something very very wrong when you have to stand in line hours to vote in Florida. I have seen photos of third world countries with snaking lines to cast a ballot and thought I was glad we don't have such a poorly organized system. Well, at least here in Florida we do now. There are reports of waits up to nine hours in line in Adventura. So I ask, where do we apply the pressure to be sure that no one gives up on voting because we haven't made it a sensibly easy task.
There are some who won't absentee vote because if they challenge your signature and toss your ballot, you can not challenge the disqualification of your vote, and cannot go and cast an election day ballot to make up for your ballot that was thrown out. At least at the poll if your signature "doesn't match" you are given a provisional ballot and can fight to have it counted

[dillywho]

This is not directed at the OP.

Some of those who complain about the long lines to vote, are the same people who will get in line for days to get the latest version of their iPad, phones, etc. Or will stand in line for hours just to get in to a rally. Invariably, the ones who do this, will brag about how long they've been waiting/waited. The privilege of voting seems much more important to me. Even if the early voting time-frame had been 30 days, there would still be those who would wait until days 29 or 30.

[skyguy79]

With all due respect, I disagree that there is something wrong. Government has stretched the ability to vote from the original one Tuesday in November to add another full week of voting! There is no reason I can think of why someone would have to wait for up to 9 hours to vote. How many of you have waited even half that time? Unfortunately, sometimes our problems are where we make them our problem!

If you go to vote early, go early and come back another day if the line looks too long for you. If that's not a solution, then simply go on the Tuesday that you would have normally gone before there was early voting. There you won't be batch voting with a whole lot of other voting districts.

As noted in another thread, if you go to vote early in the week, you even have the option of obtaining an absentee ballot while there if the line is too long for you, (at least at the Powell location) fill the ballot out then submit it at the drive-in window when leaving. No problem... easy-peazy!

[starflyte1]

With all the early voting taking place, I will be interested in lines on Tuesday. They may not be as long.

[CarGuys]

With all due respect, I disagree that there is something wrong. Government has stretched the ability to vote from the original one Tuesday in November to add another full week of voting! There is no reason I can think of why someone would have to wait for up to 9 hours to vote. How many of you have waited even half that time? Unfortunately, sometimes our problems are where we make them our problem!

If you go to vote early, go early and come back another day if the line looks too long for you. If that's not a solution, then simply go on the Tuesday that you would have normally gone before there was early voting. There you won't be batch voting with a whole lot of other voting districts.

As noted in another thread, if you go to vote early in the week, you even have the option of obtaining an absentee ballot while there if the line is too long for you, (at least at the Powell location) fill the ballot out then submit it at the drive-in window when leaving. No problem... easy-peazy!

I must admit first time I EVER voted early and have never waited in line. But that was most likely due to the fact I lived in a small rural central NY town and we had mechanical machines not paper fill out forms.

We went here in TV last week on a Wednesday and waited 50 minutes. I thought that was excessive 9 hours! Ehhhhh gadds.

[skyguy79]

I must admit first time I EVER voted early and have never waited in line. But that was most likely due to the fact I lived in a small rural central NY town and we had mechanical machines not paper fill out forms.

We went here in TV last week on a Wednesday and waited 50 minutes. I thought that was excessive 9 hours! Ehhhhh gadds.We were at Powell Rd at 7:15am and the line was to the entrance door. The line did seem to move fairly quickly. I wasn't watching time but I believe we were in and out in about a half hour. We were told that there were even more people in line when the doors opened at 7am. Kudo's to the poll workers at Powell. They all were friendly and I think they did the best job possible in keeping things moving!

[2BNTV]

As a side note, there are long lines to get gas in the northeast.

One line was a mile long. :(

[faithfulfrank]

It was the first time I have done the "early vote" thing, as up in NY we never had that option. We early voted at the lake county Library on Main St. in Leesburg yesterday and it only took like 10 minutes start to finish with about a 3 minute wait.
My neighbors voted on Thursday and they told me the whole process was about 20 minutes.

It's the first time in a long while I felt my vote really counted, as this is the first time I ever lived in a "swing state".

I will always vote, as good Americans died to insure that right.

There is no political intent in my post. My name is Frank, and I approve this post.....lol.

[Madelaine Amee]

As a side note, there are long lines to get gas in the northeast.

One line was a mile long. :(

That sort of puts the whole thing into perspective, hard to complain about anything after seeing what they are going through!

[ugotme]

With all due respect, I disagree that there is something wrong. Government has stretched the ability to vote from the original one Tuesday in November to add another full week of voting! There is no reason I can think of why someone would have to wait for up to 9 hours to vote. How many of you have waited even half that time? Unfortunately, sometimes our problems are where we make them our problem!

I agree that they have extended the time, but the number of places where you can vote is significantly less than on Election day. Here in So. Fl. many people are spending 5 - 7 hours to vote.

So far, in previous elections, I have waited for Election day (after observing the long lines) and have not encountered a problem voting then.

[Challenger]

Waiting for more than 20-30 minutes would cause a political uprising if it occured on election day. What is the attraction to stand in lines for hours if you will be here on the appointed day?

Perplexed???

[Bryant]

1/2 hour (waiting & voting time) Marion County library last Monday. Spoke with friendly people in line so the wait went quickly.

[Bill-n-Brillo]

Two words: Absentee Ballot

That's what I did - worked fine. Filled it out at my leisure a couple of weeks ago then mailed it in.

Bill :)

[janmcn]

Miami-Dade, Broward, and Orange counties are the FL counties making the national news, not Marion, Sumter and Lake. A judge has just ordered some of these counties open today. If the polling places are available and people want to vote, what could be the possible justification for not opening them?

Some citizens of NY, NJ, CT, and PA don't even have polling places or electricity. Voting is a constitutional right.

[2BNTV]

I think that we must do whatever it takes to ensure that our vote will count, as it will affect us for the next four years.

My name is Joe and I approve this message. :smiley:

[janmcn]

Judge orders Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Orange counties to open polling places today.


http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/voters-can-still-cast-ballots-sunday-in-pinellas-hillsborough/1259950

[Taltarzac725]

Two words: Absentee Ballot

That's what I did - worked fine. Filled it out at my leisure a couple of weeks ago then mailed it in.

Bill :)

I did the absentee ballot too. Just had to go down there in person and sign a form to get one. Hopefully, the signatures will match from a few days time. My signature does change once in a while.

Had to wait about 20 minutes at the Sheriff's Annex on CR 466 and Morse but I always enjoyed people watching. Plus, there was a very attractive woman in line whom I could watch fairly easily without her getting antsy at my gaze.

[Bogie Shooter]

Wasn't the number of early voting days cut in half for this general election over the last?

[blueash]

Two words: Absentee Ballot

That's what I did - worked fine. Filled it out at my leisure a couple of weeks ago then mailed it in.

Bill :)

I also absentee voted. The problem under Florida law as I mentioned in the original post is that if your signature is challenged as not matching your prior signature they will discard your ballot. They will eventaully notify you of this decision,once are aware of it you nonetheless cannot dispute it. You will not be given an opportunity to show them examples of your signature. One would think that it would be routine that if your ballot were no good you would be notified and offered a chance to either prove the validity of your signature, or, if they are voiding your ballot then they should notify you that you have the right to vote in person as they would have no reason to worry about double voting as essentially they are saying the submitted ballot was not your vote. If your signature is challenged in person you are allowed to submit a provisional ballot and then an opportunity to prove the signature of record and your new one are the same person.
101.68 - - 2012 Florida Statutes - The Florida Senate (http://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2012/101.68)

[bandsdavis]

Now don't make this political. Doesn't matter which candidate you support, there is something very very wrong when you have to stand in line hours to vote in Florida. I have seen photos of third world countries with snaking lines to cast a ballot and thought I was glad we don't have such a poorly organized system. Well, at least here in Florida we do now. There are reports of waits up to nine hours in line in Adventura. So I ask, where do we apply the pressure to be sure that no one gives up on voting because we haven't made it a sensibly easy task.
There are some who won't absentee vote because if they challenge your signature and toss your ballot, you can not challenge the disqualification of your vote, and cannot go and cast an election day ballot to make up for your ballot that was thrown out. At least at the poll if your signature "doesn't match" you are given a provisional ballot and can fight to have it counted

In our 2 church services today, each with about 350 - 400 people in attendance, the Pastor asked how many people had already voted. My estimation is that at least 80% in both services had voted early. Should be a piece of cake on Tuesday!

[ilovetv]

At the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections website, there is a cumulative report showing how many early voters' ballots have been cast on each day of early voting since 10/27. It's in a link on the right, at the link called "Early Voting Totals" under GENERAL ELECTIONS header.

The website header shows there are 74,249 "Active Registered Voters". In the report showing Early Voting Totals so far, thru yesterday November 3, the total early ballots cast number 30,268.

That's a significant reduction in the number who will be at the precinct polling places on Tuesday, and this doesn't count the Absentee ballots cast.

Sumter County -- Supervisor of Elections (http://www.sumterelections.org/?id=2)

[uujudy]

At the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections website, there is a cumulative report showing how many early voters' ballots have been cast on each day of early voting since 10/27. It's in a link on the right, at the link called "Early Voting Totals" under GENERAL ELECTIONS header.

The website header shows there are 74,249 "Active Registered Voters". In the report showing Early Voting Totals so far, thru yesterday November 3, the total early ballots cast number 30,268.

That's a significant reduction in the number who will be at the precinct polling places on Tuesday, and this doesn't count the Absentee ballots cast.

Sumter County -- Supervisor of Elections (http://www.sumterelections.org/?id=2)

Thanks for the link! I see that over 30,000 have voted early at the Sumter County polling places.

[2 Oldcrabs]

Paper Ballots in Florida! What century are we living in?:rant-rave: