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We had an annoyingly mixed experience of trying to vote this morning. Since we recently moved, I had filed our address change with the DMV (nearly 2 months ago) and checked the box that said "notify the Board of Elections of my address change." Apparently, however, that didn't happen: Neither PoC nor I was on the roll at our new polling place, and they told us that we should probably go back to our old polling place--which is patently false. I asked them if we could vote by provisional ballot. They (mostly this one guy) ignored the question. I had to take PoC to work, but then I went to the old polling place. Sure enough, I was still listed on the roll there. Fortunately, their line wasn't too long--but they were trying to use a new electronic balloting machine which wasn't working. The other option was emergency paper ballot. Either way, since I didn't live there any more I couldn't vote there. (PoC also wasn't on the roll there, so I really don't know what happened to his registration!). They sent me back to my new polling place to get an affidavit ballot, which is what the new place should have given me in the first place.
So, long story short, I filed my affidavit ballot. PoC will go back and do his later today. Our polls opened at 6am and we got there about 6:20--the line was actually longer then than it was when I went back about 7:40--but I assume it will also pick up later in the day.
For those who don't live in NY (and care about these things) NY is still using the old lever-style machines. I actually like these--I guess I'm more willing to trust gears and mechanical counters than a computer--despite the obvious accessibility and lack-of-paper-trail problems. But NYS is under a court mandate to update its voting machines before the September 2009 primary, so they had an electronic machine at both locations that I visited. At our new location, they were not even trying to use it. At the old location, they had 2 lever-machines, but were not using them and were offering the emergency ballots if you didn't want to wait the "20 more minutes that it's going to take to get the machine started up, plus the time it actually takes to vote," as the exasperated volunteer put it. (This at 7:15 am; the polls had opened at 6.)
The whole thing was aggravating, even though I know that in this bluest-of-blue states my Presidential vote is unlikely to sway anything either way! But I'd like to feel like I at least played my part in voting for a new direction after the last 8 years of MIS-direction!
So, long story short, I filed my affidavit ballot. PoC will go back and do his later today. Our polls opened at 6am and we got there about 6:20--the line was actually longer then than it was when I went back about 7:40--but I assume it will also pick up later in the day.
For those who don't live in NY (and care about these things) NY is still using the old lever-style machines. I actually like these--I guess I'm more willing to trust gears and mechanical counters than a computer--despite the obvious accessibility and lack-of-paper-trail problems. But NYS is under a court mandate to update its voting machines before the September 2009 primary, so they had an electronic machine at both locations that I visited. At our new location, they were not even trying to use it. At the old location, they had 2 lever-machines, but were not using them and were offering the emergency ballots if you didn't want to wait the "20 more minutes that it's going to take to get the machine started up, plus the time it actually takes to vote," as the exasperated volunteer put it. (This at 7:15 am; the polls had opened at 6.)
The whole thing was aggravating, even though I know that in this bluest-of-blue states my Presidential vote is unlikely to sway anything either way! But I'd like to feel like I at least played my part in voting for a new direction after the last 8 years of MIS-direction!
