Convenient how, exactly? Looking it up, that county went for Trump and it was the owner of the property that put the padlocks on. It’s good to be vigilant but not every election day glitch is voter suppression.
We voted by mail a week or so ago. Nothing really interesting in elections in Oregon. Someone spray-painted a yes on 104 sign across the street from my house. From what I can tell yes on 104 is a yes so that Coca-Cola will never get taxed.
I just got back from doing my part for Cordray, Brown, and assorted other office-holders (though most of the local Democrats would be pretty safe around here, anyway). There were no lines, but that’s just because they had twice as many booths set up as usual: They were more than half full, so there would have been a line forming if they hadn’t. There were more voters than I’ve seen even in Presidential years.
Honestly, it’s the only thing I miss about precinct voting. :o
I’m going to steal a line from the great Democratic strategist Paul Begala, and say I’m as nervous today as a porcupine in a balloon factory.
Still, there are many reasons to be optimistic, and I remain cautiously so. Even with respect to Senate races.
I just have to say on the real side that it would be very weird if the same kind of forces exist today that put trunp in the white house. Two years of exposure changes things.
I voted this morning before work. It was just starting to rain in Metro Detroit but I was able to get inside. The line inside was not bad. The ballot was MASSIVE though. We aren’t allowed to use our cellphones so I had to study a bit to make sure I remembered who all I wanted. My only complaint was that they had us filling in boxes with a ballpoint pen. It’s just so inefficient.
I’m thinking that the balloons have more to worry about. 
Yes, but at least you have a paper trail.
I’ve probably said this a dozen times, but more states need to go 100% vote by mail.
Given the possibility of electronic voting being hacked, I would love to go back to voting by making marks on ballots. Just please don’t ever go back to punch cards and hanging chads!!
18-29 age group voting early in Tenn went up 7x vs. 2014 and their senate race is supposed to be close
I happened to show up at the polling place right behind our town’s Chief of Police. Everyone there knew him so he was being greeted by name and a couple of the volunteers even hugged him.
With me it was more like “Yeah…you can vote too, I guess…”
But did you get a sticker???
Voted just before 10:00 am. Thirty people in line ahead of me. The ballot was long – besides the big, nationally relevant elections, (I’m voting in Florida this year), there are also lots of small judgeships and 12 amendments on the ballot. I did my research and filled out the sample ballot ahead of time, took it in with me to make it easy. Some poor fellow obviously hadn’t done that, and took at least 20 minutes in his little voting spot.
Oh, yes, paper ballot, fed it into the machine myself, I was the 588th person to vote at that polling place this am, and the weather was perfect.
Small-town Kansas. Hot governor’s race and semi-hot local state rep race. Voted about 9:30. Short line to get checked in; no line for either a machine or booth. Used a paper ballot and was annoyed at how long it took to ‘completely darken each oval’ using a black pen.
And I got a sticker and am wearing it proudly.
Pouring down rain today and not much of a line. Mostly old people as usual.
Rain hitting the DC/Philly/NJ/NY/Boston population centers. That may depress some numbers today.
ETA: I obtained a sticker, so mission was successful.
I voted early a couple of weeks ago. I’m following 538’s liveblog here: What Went Down In The 2018 Midterms | FiveThirtyEight
Man, I hope you’re right!!
I suppose in the spirit of the thread I should add that I voted by mail already, received no sticker, the weather today is chilly but beautiful, and I hope I helped pop a big orange balloon in this mid-term election!!
Voted absentee. Voted straight Democrat. Didn’t really have anything interesting on the ballot, just a bunch of budget stuff. Voted for Ben Jealous, but I don’t think he’ll win.
Voted this morning before work. Made it in about 7:15, after polls opened at 6. I was #64 for my ward.
Some anecdata:
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I’ve never walked into my polling place before work and waited more than 2-3 people in line. Today was about a dozen. And the line kept regenerating. It was definitely the pre-work rush, but it kept rushing.
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About half those people weren’t sure what to do, where to go, or what precinct/ward/line they were supposed to be in. But dammit they wanted to vote, badly.
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A nice older gentleman wearing a Navy ship ballcap and a middle aged woman a few people behind me were talking about how important this vote was today.
Conclusion:
Based on my extensive 15 minutes at one small polling place in NJ-03 (MacArthur’s district), I can confidently say turnout this election will be through the roof, despite the ensuing rain that followed after I left. Lots of people are finding it important to vote, and there are definitely a good number of newer/infrequent voters at the polls.
PS - I voted straight Dem. But not brainlessly as suggested in the Pit, with full knowledge and foresight.
I unfortunately know many folks who would be delighted to be a porcupine in a balloon factory.