October 21, 2008

  • 'Tis done.

    Got out and did the early voting thing this morning.  For three days there's early voting at the UNT Health Science Center on Camp Bowie, so I figured, well hey....that's convenient.  I'll just go there while it's available.

    First had to figure out where to park.  Each lot seemed to have bars and gates and other indications that they're for patients and employees only.  Finally parked in the lot for the Museum of Western Art and walked up to the UNT building, where I discovered a fair size line snaked around the room.

    Took my place at the end of the line and prepared to wait.  Forty-five to fifty minutes later I was done, having voted electronically, which was the only option available.  Not bad, actually.  There's even a way for write-ins, choosing letters and entering them, much like with computer and video games. 

    Afterward I felt obligated to at least peek into the museum, seeing as how I'd parked in their lot for so long.  e-ghost   I do like Frederick Remington!

Comments (5)

  • I just don't get this. Unless the voter turnout is for some reason higher than it was at any time in my adult life (which would be hard for me to believe, since it's been rocketing down for the last 20 years and even "high turnout" elections are pretty pathetic), why are the lines so long nowadays? Are people slower, or what?

  • I expect the reason for the long lines is that, unlike ordinary precinct voting, any Tarrant county resident can vote at any Tarrant county early voting location, so instead of having big books with the names of the registered voters, there's a computer for checking to make sure the person desiring to vote is qualified to do so.

    Once they've verified you're a registered voter, then a label is printed which is affixed to the voting book (whatever you'd call it) for one's signature, and a small slip of paper with an access number is handed over.

    The trouble arose when there'd be a problem verifying someone, as there was just the one computer. Had there been two computers so verification could continue on one while research was going on on the other, that'd have helped a WHOLE lot.

    But there's still just a whole lot of people turning out to vote. That happens sometimes. :wink-wink:

  • I know, it's just that I'm pretty sure that a whole LOT Of people turned in out in 1992, say, or 1984, too.

    But you're probably onto something about the way more voting options has required more checking and verifying, thus slowing things down. That's another reason I hope early voting and cross-precinct voting et al never comes here, but I'm sure it eventually will.

  • I was remembering the election of 1980, when Reagan ran against Carter. Mercy Maud, but the lines were long! When I voted the end of the line was outside the school.

    There wasn't early voting back then, though. Perhaps that'll make a difference, and the prevalence of mail-in and in-person early voting now will lessen the lines on Nov. 4th.

  • I voted for the first time. It's exciting! I just wish I would have understood my government classes more so that I took more interest in our Government. Oh well. Better late than never. Now I can learn from my mistakes and try to make Government exciting for our girls. And, maybe I can learn a lot as they learn.

    By the way, just 8 more months till we step foot on Home soil for good (Lord willing) :celebrate:

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