Comments on: Share your voting experience

By: english hammered coins

english hammered coins — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:01:20 +0000

Such a usefule blog�wow !!!!

By: Diana

Diana — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:53:12 +0000

I will probably never vote again. A few years ago the Board of Elections changed our polling place. We now have to go to an apartment complex for the challenged and disabled. I waited outside for 30 minutes while I felt eyes from the balconies, and smelled cigarette smoke from the residents. It took 55 minutes, total, to vote; and, then I was only the 88th voter that morning, after the polling station was opened for 2 1/2 hours.
I will never again vote at Nimmer Place on Brittain Road; if they change us to a better facility, I will do my civic duty; but, only when they change.

By: Margaret Geshwilm

Margaret Geshwilm — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:59:53 +0000

Hey disgruntled: Consider yourself warned. Next time bring a book, a fan, and a bottle of water, maybe even a chair. Pretend you are camping out for Browns season tickets or something! It's not up to the County to supply these things for you - if they did, our taxes would be doubled to pay for it.

By: Margaret Geshwilm

Margaret Geshwilm — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:52:58 +0000

Rosemary:
I agree - I don't agree with you politically, but I find it hard to believe that anyone would have their mind changed on election day by someone in a T-shirt or buttons! If that's the case, they shouldn't be voting. If I saw you with your McCain pins, I don't think it would influence me any more than you would be influenced by my Obama shirt!! Maybe it cuts down on the fights in line, though, in this terrible, divisive, meanspirited country this has turned into because of this election and the previous 8 years.

By: Tina Murray

Tina Murray — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:34:08 +0000

Early voting was the best! We received our ballots in the mail and could actually spend time reading every word and researching our questions before we made a decision. We our time and enjoyed every moment of the voting process. It was especially wonderful for our son who is disabled. At our site, they don't have private place for him as he cannot mark the ballot himself so he needs to have his dad or me go with him and help him. He needs to have the choices read to him and then say his choice out loud. It was especially great for him as he felt that his choices were private and not made known to all those standing in line. We will always use this process for voting. I only hope that eventually they can put the voting process out on the web and we can vote from out computers without wasting paper and postage!

By: Suffield

Suffield — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:36:02 +0000

I did not vote this morning, no parking in the church lot, the street was full and people were driving all over the grass of the church and neighboring yards. There is only one polling place in Suffield, Brimfield has 4!!! I went back at lunch and waited for an hour. I finally was able to vote. Next time I will mail it in but I'm not sure it would be counted.

By: Rosemary Dremak

Rosemary Dremak — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:46:01 +0000

I voted at a local church here in Akron and was surprised it only took about 10 min. Things moved right along… but I am curious as to why the public couldn't wear anything to show support for candidates and there were candidates at the site.
The Mac is Back! I would not vote for anyone that doesn't wear the flag pin, say God Bless America, or attended a church where the pastor said: GOD DAMN AMERICA!

By: Joe the Plumber

Joe the Plumber — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:05:22 +0000

I voted in Green at the local church. There was no line at 7AM!!!
p.s. I voted for Obama

By: Disgruntled Constituent

Disgruntled Constituent — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:26:35 +0000

I voted at the Portage County Board of Elections yesterday. I stood in line for app. 2 hours, 50 minutes, and took another 20 minutes once I reached the office where the voting occurred. For the most part, I stood in a long winding line outside. Luckily the weather was pleasant. A BOE representative checked on the line several times in the nearly 3 hours I was there. A worker hammered and banged on the building for the first hour I waited, adding to the irritation of people standing in front of me.

A few observations….

First, with that many people in line, access to a drinking fountain would have been a good idea. The security officers downstairs told us that the fountains were upstairs, meaning a person would have to leave their spot in line, go upstairs, get their drink, and return to hopefully get their place back in line. A downstairs fountain would have been great, but a cooler with bottled water on ice would be a no-brainer. Although I am not a fan of government continually reaching into our pockets, I believe you could have charged for the water and we would have paid.

Second, once you got inside the building, a circulating fan would have been appreciated, especially after waiting close to 3 hours. The air was dead inside the building.

Third, a basket of box of old magazines would have killed the time for most of us in line. Perhaps a website that advised people ahead of time to wear comfortable shoes, bring a jacket in case the weather turned bad, a book, and something to drink would be even easier.

And finally, I didn't understand why nobody there asked me to verify my identity when I voted. Outside of asking my name and address, there was no intent or desire to confirm that I was who I claimed to be. When they handed me a registration slip, I checked off the box that indicated I would ID myself by my Ohio Driver's License. When I pulled my ODL from my wallet and handed it to the BOE worker, she said "Oh no, YOU put your State Driver's License number on the form–not me!" I thought this was a classic case of the fox guarding the henhouse. If I wanted, I suppose I could have said I was any of my neighbors, added their dates of birth on the form, and cast THEIR votes for them. I think this is a real breach of security and the most important area for fraud potential. Please do something about this problem.

I know the people from the Portage County BOE work hard, so I hope they read this comment and take it to heart.

By: CJK

CJK — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 02:44:28 +0000

Rich, absolutely NO ONE ever checked any ID. Perhaps it was because there were soooo many people waiting - I don't know. But you can believe it - I was never once asked to show an ID.