# I Voted - Nov 2024 Edition

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-nov-2024-edition/1008280>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [September 30, 2024, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-nov-2024-edition/1008280 "2024-09-30T12:27:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-nov-2024-edition/1008280/21 "2024-09-30T21:04:40Z")

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> [@Gorsnak](#):
>
> Can I go vote every day they’re open?

Strangely, the FAQs on the elections website don’t address that issue. Perhaps you should call them and ask. Be sure to give them your full name and address in case they need to get back to you.

😀

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**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-nov-2024-edition/1008280/22 "2024-09-30T23:12:07Z")

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Here in Cascadia, we ain’t got no stinkin polling places. I went online to confirm I’m still registered. I will receive a ballot by mail, fill it out, then take it to an indoor ballot box at the elections office lest some miscreant drop a milkshake into the exterior box. I’ll then look online to be sure my vote was recorded. Then I’ll obsessively watch voting returns for a couple of weeks.

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**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2024, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-nov-2024-edition/1008280/23 "2024-09-30T23:22:14Z")

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Received my ballot by email (CA voter in Canada) and posted it back last Tuesday via the glacially slow Canada Post. That gives it a fighting chance of arriving in time to be counted! So far, it hasn’t been received.

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**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-nov-2024-edition/1008280/24 "2024-10-01T00:31:35Z")

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We received our mail ballots today.

I definitely will vote for the Democratic presidential ticket, both Democratic congressional candidates, and both Democratic state legislature candidates. But I haven’t made up my mind on the state attorney general, auditor general, and treasurer.

Josh Shapiro just said he won’t make an endorsement for treasurer, but I haven’t seen his reasoning yet.

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**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-nov-2024-edition/1008280/25 "2024-10-01T00:44:41Z")

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Michigan.

Voted Harris Saturday by dropping my ballot in an official drop box.

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**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-nov-2024-edition/1008280/26 "2024-10-01T00:53:20Z")

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Our ballots get mailed out on October 18th. (Washington state). I plan on voting within a few days of receipt.

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**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-nov-2024-edition/1008280/27 "2024-10-01T03:20:24Z")

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We’ve got some important local nonpartisan races (mayor, city council, etc). I’m not familiar enough with the candidates to be able to vote without doing some research. In fact, I’m not even sure who all the candidates are. My point being, I probably won’t be able to vote immediately upon receipt of my ballot.

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**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-nov-2024-edition/1008280/28 "2024-10-01T14:30:32Z")

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Sample ballots are now available in New York (at least, they are in my county.) Go to your local (county probably) Board of Elections. Select the one specifically for your voting district, as the local races may vary even within one county.

You can’t vote with the sample ballot; but it’s really useful for planning your vote, especially for judicial and/or local races and issues which may not be much publicized. And remember to check the back of the ballot for propositions!

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**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-nov-2024-edition/1008280/29 "2024-10-01T16:36:10Z")

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RFK was on our ballot, too. I wonder what percent he’ll get.

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**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-nov-2024-edition/1008280/30 "2024-10-01T18:08:28Z")

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RFK got thrown off the NY ballots for claiming, on his petitions, to live in NYState when he obviously doesn’t.

Mine has only Harris/Walz and Trump/Vance on the presidential line; though you can choose whether to vote for them on the D/R lines or on the Working Families/Conservative lines, respectively. (Votes for the same candidate on different political lines are added together in NY; so it’s common for candidates to be on the ballot on more than one line. Makes it easier for my to keep up my lifelong run of never having voted a straight line ballot, too – I’ll probably vote for one of the D judges on the Working Families line.)

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**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-nov-2024-edition/1008280/31 "2024-10-01T18:11:24Z")

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I mailed my ballot back today, and will be tracking it. I wanted to vote in person this time, but things are going to be busy for me, so this works best.

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**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-nov-2024-edition/1008280/32 "2024-10-01T18:39:37Z")

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> [@LSLGuy](#):
>
> I faced an interesting dilemma on the state portion of my ballot.
> 
> I don’t understand the details, but FL has a process where Supreme Court Justices face a quasi-election where the question is “Shall Justice So-and-So” be retained in office?" Maybe that’s a one-time voter confirmation of recent appointees, maybe it’s a periodic thing every justice goes through every X years, maybe it’s ???
> 
> Anyhow there are two justices on our court facing that question. Both are DeSantis appointees, both are women, one is black and the other Cuban. Both are proud members of the Federalist Society and on their list of people to promote to ever bigger and better roles in destroying the USA.
> 
> So do I vote to kick them off the Court due to their FS connections? Sure I do. Except for the fact that if they are removed, DeSantis gets to pick their replacements too.
> 
> Decisions decisions. Talk about a Hobson’s choice.

California does this; it’s now every 12 years for the state Supreme Court and Appellate Court justices, and 6 years for Superior Court justices. The only three justices I ever remember being removed by one of these were on the same court, and on the same day; then-Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court Rose Bird, and two of the associate justices of the same court.

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-nov-2024-edition/1008280/33 "2024-10-01T22:49:37Z")

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> [@suranyi](#):
>
> We’ve got some important local nonpartisan races (mayor, city council, etc). I’m not familiar enough with the candidates to be able to vote without doing some research.

I faced a similar challenge for a school board election. So I hit the candidates’ websites.

One said “We must stop teaching our children to hate America.” The other one said “We must get racist nonsense and hateful stuff like ‘Don’t say gay’ out of our classrooms”.

That proved to be a very quick research project and a very easy decision.

May yours be as easy. Now that the jerks are comfortable saying the quiet part out loud, nay shouting it from the rooftops, it gets very easy to identify the Reactionary Wacko Traitors and vote them into political oblivion.

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**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-nov-2024-edition/1008280/34 "2024-10-01T23:16:16Z")

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One problem I’ve discovered is that two of the mayoral candidates have BOTH claimed to have received the endorsement of the local teachers union, according to their respective websites. Since my wife is a teacher, that’s an important endorsement for me and I’d like to figure out what’s going on.

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2024, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-nov-2024-edition/1008280/35 "2024-10-01T23:24:16Z")

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Good bet the teachers’ union has a website too. And a list of their press releases.

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**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2024, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-nov-2024-edition/1008280/36 "2024-10-02T00:40:29Z")

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And the writ dropped today — the Sask election is officially on!

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**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2024, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-nov-2024-edition/1008280/37 "2024-10-02T15:17:10Z")

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Our neighbor was working in his yard, so I walked over and asked if he needed a ride to the polls on election day. He’s about ten years older than I am and his wife has dementia-type issues. He has a car and drives, I just thought I’d offer to lend a hand.

He looked at me like I was nuts. He told me that he and his wife were mailing their ballot. He said I was old fashioned, clinging to the old ways!

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**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2024, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-nov-2024-edition/1008280/38 "2024-10-02T15:29:58Z")

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> [@Whack-a-Mole](#):
>
> I mean, what happens if I mail in my ballot but I have been “cleansed” from the voter rolls? Or Joe mailman dumped my mail somewhere (it has happened…not ballots specifically but just dumped mail). Would I ever know? I just hope it all went to plan?

In my state, there’s a website where you can check. It says whether you’ve requested a ballot by mail, whether it’s been mailed to you, whether they have received your ballot that you mailed back, and whether they’ve confirmed that it’s in good order and will be counted.

Because whether you voted is public record, you can actually get this information for anyone if you know their name and address. So it’s a simple and reliable web site. My general election ballot has been requested but not yet mailed.

I’ll also participate in Election Day, because i volunteered to staff a polling place for the first shift.

But one important benefit (to you) of voting early is that all the political campaigns that are on the ball will learn that you’ve already voted, and won’t nag you. No endless phone calls, etc.

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**Author:** ![LucyInDisguise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucyindisguise/32/18064_2.png) [@LucyInDisguise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LucyInDisguise)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2024, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-nov-2024-edition/1008280/39 "2024-10-02T15:56:28Z")

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According to our Secretary Of State’s website, ballots here in NV were slated to be mailed on September 16, so I was pleasantly surprised when ours appeared in our mailbox yesterday (October 1). My wife and I filled out and signed our ballots last night, and I will personally deliver them to the hands of the County Clerk in a couple of hours because I refuse to use USPS to return them.

The USPS here in our little town is so screwed up that it’s embarrassing. (See above - 2 weeks for First Class mail delivery - in town!) Last November, our local SSA office mailed two critical documents on the 6th that had to be signed and returned by the end of the month for our Medicare to take effect on December 1. Luckily, I had other business at the SSA office just before Thanksgiving so I got those documents signed and submitted in time - because the mailed documents weren’t delivered until Dec 27. Yup, it took nearly nine weeks to get one First Class envelope moved 11 miles.

In mid-August I delivered a first class envelope directly to the Post Office that was going to a doctor’s office that is literally across the street from the post office. (Don’t ask.) When I took my wife to her appointment last week, they still had not received it and we had to spend 20 minutes filling out all the paperwork again in the office.

Fully 45% of the packages that Amazon has mailed to me in the last year have gone missing. There is no possibility that I’m going to risk returning these critical ballots via USPS.

Fire Louis DeJoy.

Lucy

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**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2024, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-voted-nov-2024-edition/1008280/40 "2024-10-02T17:26:34Z")

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> [@Whack-a-Mole](#):
>
> I mean, what happens if I mail in my ballot but I have been “cleansed” from the voter rolls?

If you’ve been “cleansed” from the voting rolls, you’ll never receive a ballot. If you’re not registered to vote, you can’t vote.

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