Academic

Voter Experience Thread

By Christopher Bracey

I thought I?d start a thread for folks to discuss voter experiences on this historic election day.  No matter the outcome, history will be made.  If Obama wins, we get the first African American president.  If McCain prevails, we will have elected the oldest president in history along with the first female vice president.   There is something for everyone in this election.  Hence the prediction of high voter turnout.

As a new resident of the District of Columbia, I took to the polls early this morning.  Back in my old state of Missouri, voting was never a problem .  I?d stroll in an hour after polls opened ? usually prime time ? and wouldn?t even need to stand in line.

I was worried about long lines in DC ? even though it?s not a battleground state ? and I wasn?t disappointed.  The voting site is an historic AME Church in my precinct, situated between a revitalized downtown corridor and the stalwart Dupont Circle neighborhood.  I arrived around ten minutes BEFORE polls opened.  I was greeted by a line of voters that stretched the length of two city blocks.  It would take nearly 2 hours for me to submit my completed ballot.  But I met some interesting folks along the way.

In front of me was a student at the law school where I teach.  She was anxious to vote quickly and then return to the law school in time to attend her morning Contracts class.  She didn?t make it.

 We shared experiences from past elections, and confessed our enthusiasm about participating in this one.  All around us folks were having similar conversations.  I overheard one woman who recently relocated from Michigan speculate on who would likely win her old state.  Another young man proudly announced that he was a first time voter, and received a few applause.

About an hour into the wait, I was approached by a Japanese man with a camera ? one of many international ?looking folks hanging out near the pollsite.  It turned out that he was a reporter for a Japanese news agency looking to interview voters.  We had a nice conversation, and I look forward to reading the article.  I also met a delegation of international election observers from Pakistan.  All this, mind you, BEFORE I even got a chance to vote.

Once inside, things were more conventional  — crowded, but organized enough to keep folks from complaining too loudly.  My pollsite used good old fashioned scan tron sheets with number 2 pencils.  No touch screens here.  The ballot was very clear and well organized.  There was, in my view, very little room for confusion.  I fed my own completed ballot into the counting machine, and observed the counter switch from ?270? to ?271? ? presumably some acknowledgment that my ballot was accepted.

I picked up my ?I voted today? sticker, and strolled out of the Church ? smiling at all the eager faces on the way out.  As turned to head back to my home, a stranger asked whether I was headed to the local Starbucks to pick up my free cup of coffee.  Apparently, Starbucks has a promotion going today ? free coffee when you can show proof of having voted.   So the two of us walked to the  Starbucks together ? chatting about the election, issues, and democratic possibilities.  Our conversation continued into the Starbucks, where we joined countless others doing exactly the same thing.

This election has energized people to engage in serious conversation about real issues.  It has deepened our democracy immeasurable.  It has brought people together in more ways than I can enumerate here.  At least in my neighborhood.

How are things playing out in your neck of the woods?  GO VOTE ? then tell us about your experience.

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Full post as published by BlackProf on November 04, 2008 (boomark / email).