In the State of Indiana, we (along with 30 other states) are allowed to cast absentee ballots in-person (aka VOTE EARLY!)
So today, I convinced my husband to join me in voting early in Indianapolis. We headed down to the City-County building shortly after 11 am when the doors opened. I had a great time (as you will see in the photos) and my husband did too, even though he did complain about the long lines.
I have posted some photos documenting our early voting experience in Indiana, a weird WTF Moment in the parking lot outside the polling place, and if you read to the very end, I'll throw in some photos from the stunning Obama Rally last Thursday in downtown Indianapolis, garnering over 35,000 people, on a week day)!
Oh, and to the folks arguing about whether or not DKos has devolved into a MySpace-like site... I hope this doesn't offend, only inspires to GOTV Early! ~lorisir, a first-time diarist
It was difficult to convince him to go, as he was skeptical about whether or not our vote would even be counted if we didn't cast it at our precinct on election day. To tell you the truth, I was a bit concerned about this too, but after canvassing for the local Change for America campaign office, I had at least two reasons to cast my ballot early:
- I pledged to do it
- I want to keep my options open to help GOTV and volunteer for the campaign on Election Day
Also, after learning that early votes are put into sealed boxes by precinct and then counted on the Election Night along with the rest of the votes cast in that precinct, both my husband and I were IN.
I have never voted early before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. For the last 7 years, I have voted with no difficulty in my suburban precinct on a paper optical scan ballot and was a bit hesitant in changing up something that worked so smoothly.
Prior to that though, I had experienced several different voting methods with varying degrees of success, including electronic voting for the special Democratic Caucus to fulfill Julia Carson's seat after she died. Other methods include: voting with the old lever method (for Gore in 2000), the now infamously confusing butterfly ballot (to re-elect Clinton in 1996), and optical scan in 1992 (to elect Clinton the first time).
Oh, the 1992 election, Bill Clinton's first term... now that was a voting experience. I had to stand outside in pouring rain in very cold weather for 4.5 hours before I even got into the building to vote due to typical voter suppression techniques such as not enough experienced poll workers, not enough machines, etc in my progressive, youth-centric precinct. My 1992 voting experience occurred while I was still in college and was by far the longest, coldest, wettest, most exhilarating voting experience of my life -- UNTIL TODAY.
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"Yes, that's Barack Obama!"
Even before we entered the City-County Building, the tone was set on the sidewalk out front with these Andy Warhol-like images of Obama. The guys paraded these up and down the sidewalk out front. I doubt too many people in line objected!
It was so sweet when we got inside, there was a mom bending down over her child seated in a stroller. She was pointing outside toward the men with the Obama posters and saying, "Look over there! Who's that? ... Yes! That's Barack Obama!"
"The Line Snaked Around the Entire Building"
We ended up waiting in line for about 45 minutes, being forewarned before entering the building with the announcement from a guy who had just exited that, "the line snaked around the entire building."
Indy's Finest
Indianapolis Metro Police were out in force, observing the proceedings, but not interfering. They were nice to us when we went in the "wrong" entrance the first time, gently redirecting us to the other side of the building (oh vey!)
Also, they didn't complain when a guy wearing a t-shirt with a huge Obama logo on the front stood up on one of the marble benches in the lobby and started photographing the crowd. (I incidentally took my queue from this and pulled out my cell phone to bring you these photos).
Let's hear it for the Poll Workers
Everything was very orderly, given the number of people there. I really appreciated the poll workers' organization and patience in getting us through the line efficiently. We first were asked well in advance of entering the Clerk's office, to fill out our absentee ballot application.
At this point we are halfway there.
Finally, The Moment Has Arrived!
In all there were 6 steps, of which I only got a photo of Step 1 below. (The rest of the time I was concentrating on the work of voting.
- Step 1 They checked my ID, processed my ballot application, and gave me a ballot submission envelope with my precinct info label stuck on it
- Step 2 They hand printed my precinct information on the ballot application itself.
- Step 3 I took my submission envelope and the ballot app to Step 3, where they looked up some more info in yet another computer and then printed the appropriate absentee ballot for me to fill out
- Step 4 I took my ballot package -- containing the application, the submission envelope with the sticker showing my precinct information, and my freshly printed ballot -- to the ballot judge for final verification... and I was FLAGGED for a discrepancy. Arg! Okay, I was a bit freaked. Each ballot package is examined by a bipartisan pair -- one dem, one rep -- for issues. and I was FLAGGED! Doh!
- Step 4a - FIX IT! (Channeling the SNL guy of course!) Turns out back in step 2, the lady had put an 022 down instead of 002 for my precinct information. This set off a domino effect of issue, which culminated in the wrong ballot being printed and given to me in Step 3.
The nice and fair Republican election judge caught the discrepancy and wanted to make sure I got my chance to vote without my ballot being thrown out. How sweet of her!
(She had to know we were mostly, if not all, there to support Obama.)
Anyways, I was worried when she first rejected me, but all it ended up meaning was I had to go back and repeat Steps 2 and 3 and get the proper ballot printed. I was finally cleared for voting on pass # 2 through Step 4, so I scooped up my materials and made my way to a voting booth
- Step 5 I FINALLY GOT TO VOTE! I read everything very carefully and filled out every bubble completely and carefully, like a work of art, baby! My vote will count!!!
- Step 6 Last but not least, I submitted my filled out ballot in the labelled envelope that I got back in Step 1. The ladies who took my envelope gave me a mint and an "I Vote, I count" sticker.
After we voted, we took this photo outside the building. I'm on the right.
Okay, so in the parking lot, we saw several Obama stickers and signs in people's cars, but this one took the cake! Yes, that's a 700 Club anti-Marriage Equality bumper sticker next to an Obama sticker. Not to mention the oh so lovely "In God We Trust" Indiana license plate. We live in strange times, indeed!
According to local reports, we are indeed breaking records, even before the visit from Obama last Thursday:
"It's been overwhelming," Marion County Clerk Beth White said Friday while greeting poll workers at the Southport municipal building. "I believe we're going to break records this year. The numbers continue to increase every day."
Some records already have been broken.
By Wednesday [before Obama's visit], early voting in Marion County had passed the 2004 level of about 27,000, the clerk's office reported. On Friday [after his visit], total ballots received exceeded 42,200.
And regarding voter fraud, we have at least one actual election official (a democrat) on record saying it's a bunch of crap... not in so many words of course :-)
At all early voting sites, registered voters must present a valid, government-issued photo ID, and their names are checked in the statewide voter registration system by election workers.
"All these checks are in place," said [Beth] White, Marion County's clerk. "I don't believe fraud is an issue."
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INDIANA VOTING RESOURCES
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And finally as promised, a photo revue of Obama's 10/23/2008 visit to Indy!
Obama rally Downtown - More IndyStar Galleries