Describe the voting process in your state, as you experienced it

Seymour Flops

Diamond Member
Nov 25, 2021
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Texas
In Texas, I voted early. I showed a drivers license and I believe they scanned it or swiped it. I wish I had remembered to make a mental note. I was given a printed number and sent to a machine.

In Harris County, we had the longest ballot in the country this year. Lots and lots of judges, and about ten propositions. The process required two machines and two legal sized sheets of shiny paper. Two because of how many elections and props there were.

At the first machine, "signed in" with the number I was given. I inserted a piece of paper and began to make my selections. I noticed that the executive positions, governor, Sec State, County Judge, etc. all had an option to electronically write in a name. The Judges did not (Country "Judge" is an executive position, not a jurist).

No straight ticket voting allowed this year, so I plowed through it. When I was finished, and pushed the "I'm sure" button or whatever, the first sheet was fed completely through the machine and came out with my choices printed. Then I was prompted to feed the second sheet through.

When both were printed, I took it to the second machine, a single one located at the end of the two rows of first machines. A man standing there directed me to feed the sheets into the second macine. At this point, the man could see my votes since I fed the sheets face up. Not a big deal, but someone could claim that his ballot was not "secret." In some voting locations, in which poll workers are partisan activists, this could raise doubt.

All-in-all a quick process for early voting, in Harris County.
 
In Texas, I voted early. I showed a drivers license and I believe they scanned it or swiped it. I wish I had remembered to make a mental note. I was given a printed number and sent to a machine.

In Harris County, we had the longest ballot in the country this year. Lots and lots of judges, and about ten propositions. The process required two machines and two legal sized sheets of shiny paper. Two because of how many elections and props there were.

At the first machine, "signed in" with the number I was given. I inserted a piece of paper and began to make my selections. I noticed that the executive positions, governor, Sec State, County Judge, etc. all had an option to electronically write in a name. The Judges did not (Country "Judge" is an executive position, not a jurist).

No straight ticket voting allowed this year, so I plowed through it. When I was finished, and pushed the "I'm sure" button or whatever, the first sheet was fed completely through the machine and came out with my choices printed. Then I was prompted to feed the second sheet through.

When both were printed, I took it to the second machine, a single one located at the end of the two rows of first machines. A man standing there directed me to feed the sheets into the second macine. At this point, the man could see my votes since I fed the sheets face up. Not a big deal, but someone could claim that his ballot was not "secret." In some voting locations, in which poll workers are partisan activists, this could raise doubt.

All-in-all a quick process for early voting, in Harris County.
Much the same in New Mexico except we daub our choices on the paper ballot and then go to a machine that takes our ballot and presumably tabulates the votes on it. We get no print out or other evidence of how we voted or what the machine recorded.

Once the ballot disappears into that machine, we have absolutely no way to know that our vote was counted or that it was counted in the way we voted. There are no recounts in New Mexico unless a close vote is challenged. That rarely happens.
 
NH. Walk in. Show my ID. Name checked against voter registration. Handed ballot. Walked to curtained booth. Voted. Walked to exit. Put ballot in machine. Walked out door.
Same process that I've been using in my town for the last 30 years that I've voted.

Total time....6:22. Wanted to time it. :)
 
Harris Co.

So how many newly minted dem judges rode in on Beto's coattails this go-round?

Remember these from when "Bob" lost to Cruz?

R.3f6197580af3eeadd93aa103b28fd976
 
In Texas, I voted early. I showed a drivers license and I believe they scanned it or swiped it. I wish I had remembered to make a mental note. I was given a printed number and sent to a machine.

In Harris County, we had the longest ballot in the country this year. Lots and lots of judges, and about ten propositions. The process required two machines and two legal sized sheets of shiny paper. Two because of how many elections and props there were.

At the first machine, "signed in" with the number I was given. I inserted a piece of paper and began to make my selections. I noticed that the executive positions, governor, Sec State, County Judge, etc. all had an option to electronically write in a name. The Judges did not (Country "Judge" is an executive position, not a jurist).

No straight ticket voting allowed this year, so I plowed through it. When I was finished, and pushed the "I'm sure" button or whatever, the first sheet was fed completely through the machine and came out with my choices printed. Then I was prompted to feed the second sheet through.

When both were printed, I took it to the second machine, a single one located at the end of the two rows of first machines. A man standing there directed me to feed the sheets into the second macine. At this point, the man could see my votes since I fed the sheets face up. Not a big deal, but someone could claim that his ballot was not "secret." In some voting locations, in which poll workers are partisan activists, this could raise doubt.

All-in-all a quick process for early voting, in Harris County.
Similar in Tennessee, where I also early voted, though not nearly as long a ballot, but yes similar procedure, where selection made, then reviewed on screen, when ready to finalize, hit the button and everything printed out, checked that they matched what I did on the screen, then took to one of the two machines with polling attendant directing me to slip it in, personally fed machine face up (which didn't bother me) it drew it in, and my votes were recorded electronically and with paper back up. Very smooth.
 
NH. Walk in. Show my ID. Name checked against voter registration. Handed ballot. Walked to curtained booth. Voted. Walked to exit. Put ballot in machine. Walked out door.
Same process that I've been using in my town for the last 30 years that I've voted.

Total time....6:22. Wanted to time it. :)
If I remember right, there was no paper ballot involved last time in Texas. Just an electronic machine that registered the vote.
 
I walked down to my local firehouse, where my aunt took my ID and ran it, and then I signed papers. My grandma verified my signatures, and then I got a ballot. I filled it out, and handed it to my uncle who put in in a machine that ran it through and counted it. Then I got an "I voted" sticker from my cousin.


My family is very involved in the community and voting process.
 
I walked down to my local firehouse, where my aunt took my ID and ran it, and then I signed papers. My grandma verified my signatures, and then I got a ballot. I filled it out, and handed it to my uncle who put in in a machine that ran it through and counted it. Then I got an "I voted" sticker from my cousin.


My family is very involved in the community and voting process.
LOl, sounds like Mr Haney from Green Acres. If you are not old enough for green acres, watch a few episodes on odd TV channels or youtube.
 
Here in Florida I received my mail in ballot. Two days later opened it and look at the selections, not too many amendments to vote on, did not recognize a couple and researched them. Next day marked my choices. Placed in an open brown envelope then placed in a bigger envelope, sealed it and signed my name and attestation and mailed it. A few days later I received an email from the county my vote had been accepted (signature checked) and counted. Then I waited 3 weeks for it all to be finished.
 
Here in Massachusetts I go to our local high school, get reminded which Precinct my street belongs to, then I wait in line to check in. The poll worker takes my name and address, crossed my name off the list without requesting any form of ID. They hand me a ballot and direct me to the cubicles where the pens are. I go to that area, answer the ballot questions, vote for any (often none) worthy candidates, then proceed to the check out table. Once there another poll worker checks my name (again without any ID required) and I put my ballot through the electronic machine thst tabulates the votes. Then I leave.
 

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