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Know Your Own E-Voting Machines' Quirks!
Austinites--I'm sure most of you have heard that you must be careful when proofing your E-Slate ballot. If you move too fast, even a straight ticket vote for Democratic Party could have the presidential slot changed to the incumbent as you click through to the proof page. (Yes--you can vote straight ticket for either party, and then go to individual offices and change to an opposition slot--handy if you're voting mostly one party but a few in the other.)
The thing I'm writing about is, that tiny piece of paper they give you with your entry number in bold numerals? Something at the bottom that we normally don't pay a lot of attention to is our precinct number. Well--this time, the nice person helping at the poll circled my precinct, handed the paper to me and I glanced down and said, "That's not my precinct." She had inverted two numbers.
Quite flustered, she glanced at the OTHER piece of paper with my name on it and precinct, and then re-typed the piece of paper with a new number and the correct precinct. She said good thing I caught it--it would invalidate the vote. DOUBLE CHECK YOUR PRECINCT NUMBER ON YOUR SLIP.
Also discovered that although you can back up all you want to make sure the ballot is as you want, you CANNOT back up to the entry number. I'm 98% sure I typed the correct number, but being a details person, I wanted to check after I pressed enter. Can't do that--once your entry number is in, they don't let you look again.
Austinites: It is relatively simple to do a write-in--you will see a list of declared write-ins, and "write-in" appears under President (numerous) and (TX) District 10 Congress (Sadun). If you ask, the demo person will show you how to do a write-in.
Austinites have through October 29th to vote early! Check http://www.lwv.org/ to find out when your early voting ends.
I heard a disturbing rumor about poll watchers in Ohio challenging every single vote for the opposition, on technical grounds--I just decided to have mine in early to avoid any hassles (although since we're not a battleground state, I don't anticipate any problems). Battleground state folks, heads up! Have your ducks in a row!
We have a 94% registration rate for eligible voters in Travis County. I don't care who they're voting for--I'm proud of that rate. I hope we make 100% by the next election.
The thing I'm writing about is, that tiny piece of paper they give you with your entry number in bold numerals? Something at the bottom that we normally don't pay a lot of attention to is our precinct number. Well--this time, the nice person helping at the poll circled my precinct, handed the paper to me and I glanced down and said, "That's not my precinct." She had inverted two numbers.
Quite flustered, she glanced at the OTHER piece of paper with my name on it and precinct, and then re-typed the piece of paper with a new number and the correct precinct. She said good thing I caught it--it would invalidate the vote. DOUBLE CHECK YOUR PRECINCT NUMBER ON YOUR SLIP.
Also discovered that although you can back up all you want to make sure the ballot is as you want, you CANNOT back up to the entry number. I'm 98% sure I typed the correct number, but being a details person, I wanted to check after I pressed enter. Can't do that--once your entry number is in, they don't let you look again.
Austinites: It is relatively simple to do a write-in--you will see a list of declared write-ins, and "write-in" appears under President (numerous) and (TX) District 10 Congress (Sadun). If you ask, the demo person will show you how to do a write-in.
Austinites have through October 29th to vote early! Check http://www.lwv.org/ to find out when your early voting ends.
I heard a disturbing rumor about poll watchers in Ohio challenging every single vote for the opposition, on technical grounds--I just decided to have mine in early to avoid any hassles (although since we're not a battleground state, I don't anticipate any problems). Battleground state folks, heads up! Have your ducks in a row!
We have a 94% registration rate for eligible voters in Travis County. I don't care who they're voting for--I'm proud of that rate. I hope we make 100% by the next election.
no subject
I do happen to know one Ohio poll watcher, who was appointed before all the fooferaw went septic. She's extremely apprehensive--here's this honest, scrupulously careful, quiet, stay-at-home mom thinking to volunteer her time to do her bit, and suddenly the world's eye is trained sternly on her state, particularly on those who volunteered to do what she will be doing.
no subject
Bless her--I'd be very nervous. I am going to volunteer to bring people to the polls, I think--we'll see where I'm needed.