# The official election day 2012 thread: 11/6/12 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 6, 2012, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045 "2012-11-06T04:11:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/21 "2012-11-06T06:16:30Z")
> [@Lance\_Turbo](#): > > When did he say that? I’m pretty sure he’s never said anything close to that. Okay, looking back on it, I was basing it mostly on [the simple portion of this post](http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/02/nov-1-the-simple-case-for-saying-obama-is-the-favorite): > [@Nate Silver](#): > > What I find confounding about this is that the argument we’re making is exceedingly simple. Here it is: Obama’s ahead in Ohio. But I forgot that he also said: > [@Nate Silver](#): > > A somewhat-more-complicated version: Mr. Obama is leading in the polls of Ohio and other states that would suffice for him to win 270 electoral votes, and by a margin that has historically translated into victory a fairly high percentage of the time. Still, the specific call-out of Ohio here really stuck with me. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/22 "2012-11-06T06:42:04Z")
> [@](#): > > Ohio is the other state that is both a battleground state and was knocked about by Hurricane Sandy. Although they have only 1.1 thousand customers without power, they have a new and tricky legal challenge.\*\* On Friday, Ohio’s Secretary of State Jon Husted, who is Republican, changed requirements for submitting provisional ballots on Election Day.\*\* The new rule requires voters to fill out the form, rather than the pollworkers. The forms may be confusing to the untrained voter but if it’s not filled out, or if it’s filled out incorrectly, the ballot won’t be counted. The rule has been challenged and there is a petition protesting it at [signon.org](http://signon.org), but the U.S. District Court Judge in charge, Algenon Marbley, won’t be hearing the arguments until Wednesday morning, the day after election day. That means we may not know who has won Ohio’s 18 electoral votes until Wednesday afternoon at the very earliest. Like this still can? Can the SoS get away with that? It doesn’t seem appropriate ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/23 "2012-11-06T06:50:13Z")
Let the [fight](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/11/05/article-0-15DAFACC000005DC-1_634x633.jpg) begin! ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/24 "2012-11-06T06:52:07Z")
FWIW, the First Family appears to be home in Chicago. As most of you probably know, the President was campaigning in Iowa earlier tonight. Just now as I was sitting here reading this thread I heard a sound I have become familiar with over the last four years. From my balcony I was able to see a big ol’ Chinook come over my building and head out over Lake Michigan with several other helicopters escorting it. The group turned south and headed toward Hyde Park. I hope they are able to get some rest tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/25 "2012-11-06T07:00:05Z")
Yah, the black helicopters really do exist. I’ve seen them too. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/26 "2012-11-06T07:00:09Z")
> [@scr4](#): > > I’m not so convinced. The polls don’t take into account the various voter suppression tactics. Remember, in most of the battleground states, the Republicans control the voting process. That’s what alot of the pre-Election Day news was about - voter supression (from the perspective of Democrats) verus voter fraud (from the perspective of Republicans). To be sure there will be a lot of lawyers, observers and officials at polls in Ohio and in other key states. The Ohio Secretary of State, who is a Republican, was interviewed on CNN yesterday. We might see him today if not tomorrow… That’s why the news cycle ‘resets’ at midnight. There’s pre-Election Day (11/5/12), Election Day (11/6/12), and post-Election Day (11/7/12)\*. \*It’s not always that simple. Bottom line: Today we know there is an election (duh!) and tomorrow (bearing catastrophe…) we will know who won the election. ---
**Author:** ![xanthous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/53a042/32.png) [@xanthous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanthous)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/27 "2012-11-06T13:09:19Z")
I voted early at my county’s early polling place. Romney’s and Obama’s names were at the top of the ballot, followed by all the third party candidates. A coworker just posted this pic from her neighborhood polling location. She lives in a wealthy, conservative, Republican-voting area. [http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/11/06/yje2y9at.jpg](http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/11/06/yje2y9at.jpg) Hmm. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/28 "2012-11-06T13:10:15Z")
Had to show my photo ID while casting my ballot in a church. Made me so proud to be an American! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/29 "2012-11-06T13:20:02Z")
If the people talking in line near my wife this morning are an indicator, Romney will carry Virginia by a large margin. I doubt the number of military and defense contractors in this area would skew that observation. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/30 "2012-11-06T13:27:14Z")
So my wife voted in PA this morning. She was asked for a photo ID, and replied by asking what would happen if she did not have one. She said the guy gave a big sigh and explained that he would have to give her an informational pamphlet stating that she would have to have one next time. This was in a suburban neighborhood. A coworker in an urban neighborhood said she wasn’t asked for ID at all. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/31 "2012-11-06T13:36:58Z")
I’m so excited! Will our township road levy pass? I sure hope so, I’m tired of driving over these crummy roads. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/32 "2012-11-06T13:43:23Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > Like this still can? Can the SoS get away with that? It doesn’t seem appropriate Provisional ballots are used when a person tries to vote and is not a registered voter at the precinct at which he’s trying to vote. These ballots do not constitute a significant portion of the votes cast, and are never counted in the election night results. If the election is close, really close, the provisional ballots are investigated and counted if legitimate. When I was an election judge at a tiny Ohio precinct in 2008, there were no provisional ballots used at my precinct. ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/33 "2012-11-06T13:46:00Z")
TheKid will be voting for the first time today. Obama, no to Voter ID, no to the Marriage Amendment. Then she gets to go to work, where the owners are SUPER Republicans (birthers, believe Obama wants everyone on food stamps so the government can control what we eat, gays getting married is evil…). She’s going to have a long night. ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/34 "2012-11-06T14:33:36Z")
> [@xanthous](#): > > I voted early at my county’s early polling place. Romney’s and Obama’s names were at the top of the ballot, followed by all the third party candidates. A coworker just posted this pic from her neighborhood polling location. She lives in a wealthy, conservative, Republican-voting area. > > [http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/11/06/yje2y9at.jpg](http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/11/06/yje2y9at.jpg) > > Hmm. And this photo was taken in what state? If you say “Ohio” I won’t be surprised. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/35 "2012-11-06T14:35:29Z")
> [@Spiff](#): > > And this photo was taken in what state? > > If you say “Ohio” I won’t be surprised. I won’t be surprised either, considering that it says “Franklin County, Ohio” at the top of the image. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/36 "2012-11-06T14:48:44Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > I won’t be surprised either, considering that it says “Franklin County, Ohio” at the top of the image. Franklin County is pretty strongly Democratic. I wonder if that ballot is a statewide thing? I will report on what it looks like in Ross County, Ohio in an hour or so. ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/37 "2012-11-06T14:50:53Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > I won’t be surprised either, considering that it says “Franklin County, Ohio” at the top of the image. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/38 "2012-11-06T14:51:30Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > In Hart’s Location, it’s 23 for Obama, 9 for Romney, and 2 for Gary Johnson. > > ETA: But if you unskew it based on the primary (13 Republicans, 10 Democrats), Romney totally did better than that. Snerk! By the way, most states require employers to provide employees with enough time off work on election day to vote, in some cases with pay, if your normal work schedule does not allow you to get to the polls. So “I have to work” is no excuse - get out and vote! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/39 "2012-11-06T14:57:31Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > I won’t be surprised either, considering that it says “Franklin County, Ohio” at the top of the image. Is there any chance that the candidates name order is randomized by the voting machine for each voter? ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/40 "2012-11-06T15:00:56Z")
I voted in Franklin County at the early voting location last week. The setup of the machine looked identical to that, but on my ballot, Romney and Obama were in the #1 and #2 slots. (I don’t remember which was which, but they were both definitely at the top.) It is entirely possible that it’s randomized, though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045.md?page=3)