# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![Squooshed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Squooshed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squooshed)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/101 "2012-11-06T19:05:18Z")
Quoting myself, but trying to get the record correct. > [@Squooshed](#): > > I don’t recall off the top of my head what they do for people who don’t have normal addresses. I believe that you can pick up ballots at the various election stations and presumably fill them out and drop them off or mail them in. According to the [King County (e.g, Seattle) website](http://www.kingcounty.gov/elections/registration.aspx#nontrad), here’s the scoop for those without traditional residential mailing addresses: Non-traditional residential addresses/homeless voters The Washington Constitution doesn’t require a “residence” as a condition of voting as long as a person meets all other registration requirements. (Article VI Section1) Voters who lack a traditional residential address can register at the shelter, park, motor home, intersection or other identifiable location they consider their residence. This location will be used to determine which precinct they will vote in. (RCW 29A.08.112 effective 2005) Along with your residential address, you must also provide a valid mailing address. An accurate, valid mailing address is essential in order to receive ballots and election information on time. This can include a post office box, address of a friend or relative, shelter, or general delivery at a local post office. ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/102 "2012-11-06T19:06:07Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > The poll worker was also demonstrating how to vote a party line-- but doing it on the Dem line. Well, at least she balances out the poll worker / Republican cheerleader I encountered this morning also on Long Island. There out to be clear rules against this. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/103 "2012-11-06T19:17:27Z")
Okay, but if they use the same party line every time, that could influence the vote too. How do you know they aren’t just randomizing? ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/104 "2012-11-06T19:19:47Z")
7-eleven is running a promotion called 7-election, where you get to drink your coffee from a cup that’s either red or blue depending on your party affiliation. There weren’t any blue cups for sale, but tons and tons of red cups. Not sure if that’s a bad sign or a good one. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/105 "2012-11-06T19:29:06Z")
> [@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. I realize the reason for this has already been discussed, but I fail to see what the real problem would be if that was the ordering for every single ballot. Are there really that many people who vote for “The guy whose name is at the top of the list”? Are there that many people who think “Well, I was going to vote for Obama, but I can’t find his name here, so I guess I’ll vote for Romney instead”? I’m sure there is a non-zero number of people who will do the former (and knowing people, there’s probably a non-zero number of people who will do the latter as well), but does anyone really claim that it’s statistically significant? FTR, I am a former Republican, recently re-registered Libertarian. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/106 "2012-11-06T19:36:13Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > I realize the reason for this has already been discussed, but I fail to see what the real problem would be if that was the ordering for every single ballot. > > Are there really that many people who vote for “The guy whose name is at the top of the list”? About a 2% difference according to a 10 year research study by Stanford. Certainly enough to swing this election. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/107 "2012-11-06T19:38:28Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > About a 2% difference according to a 10 year research study by Stanford. Certainly enough to swing this election. Which is why states rotate by precinct, to at least diffuse the effect somewhat. I’d be very wary of a state that put one candidate or another at the top statewide, but Ohio at least doesn’t seem to be doing that. ---
**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, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/108 "2012-11-06T19:43:16Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Which is why states rotate by precinct, to at least diffuse the effect somewhat. I’d be very wary of a state that put one candidate or another at the top statewide, but Ohio at least doesn’t seem to be doing that. I don’t even think rotating by precinct is that great of an idea. It’d be great if there was a lottery (kind of like the debate coin toss) and the order was determined as a result of the lottery and it was that way on every ballot in the country, and everybody knew it. That would take the suspected shenanigans out of it, I’d think. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/109 "2012-11-06T19:44:23Z")
2:41 Eastern time - I’m ready to call the first results. With 0% of precincts reporting, I project that Gary Johnson (L) and Jill Stein (G) have lost New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, Massachusetts and New Jersey. While it’s hours until the polls close on the east coast, and even longer for the rest of the country, the math now gets very difficult for both of them. Again, Gary Johnson and Jill Stein have lost the following states: New York Pennsylvania Ohio Florida Massachusetts New Jersey ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/110 "2012-11-06T19:45:24Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > About a 2% difference according to a 10 year research study by Stanford. If that’s really the case, then I may have finally lost faith in my fellow man ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/111 "2012-11-06T19:48:31Z")
It’s about time. FWIW, that’s why I oppose GOTV efforts. ---
**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:** [November 6, 2012, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/112 "2012-11-06T19:58:44Z")
> [@](#): > > Romney spent less than three minutes completing his ballot. Asked who he voted for, he said with a smile: “I think you know.” It was the first time he had answered a direct question from his traveling press corps since late September. What a tool. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/113 "2012-11-06T20:09:14Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > What a tool. Especially since he didn’t actually answer the question 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/114 "2012-11-06T20:11:50Z")
I’m going to be at work until 9 pm PT here; anybody have a link for a site that’s going to be having updated info on counts & numbers & such that I can leave in the background and refresh every once in a while? ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/115 "2012-11-06T20:18:35Z")
> [@Squooshed](#): > > I live in Washington State and we do all of our voting by mail. It’s fantastic. My wife and I voted about 10 days ago and talked through our ballots with our kids. I couldn’t possibly love it more. > > Although, I can’t figure out for the life of me why the people complaining about voter fraud never seem outraged about Washington’s system. Seems far more prone to shenanigans. Couldn’t possibly be because we’re not a swing state, could it? A study done while the Texas Voter ID law was being discussed uncovered few actual cases of voter fraud. Nearly all of _them_ involved Absentee ballots; Voter ID would not solve that little problem. The Lege passed Voter ID anyway–to have it tossed out of Federal Court. It’s being appealed but is not in effect today. The Republicans are behind those laws & have probably given up on Washington as a lost cause. Their worry about Texas heartens me–demographics mean we won’t be solidly red forever… ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/116 "2012-11-06T20:44:03Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > Okay, but if they use the same party line every time, that could influence the vote too. How do you know they aren’t just randomizing? I did not monitor the poll worker long enough to determine if she was randomizing but I strongly suspect that she was not. All she had to do was roughly gesture how to vote for one party by making a horizontal motion over the ballet. Instead she pointed to each individual Republican circle. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/117 "2012-11-06T20:49:02Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > I’m going to be at work until 9 pm PT here; anybody have a link for a site that’s going to be having updated info on counts & numbers & such that I can leave in the background and refresh every once in a while? [CNN.com](http://CNN.com). ---
**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, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/118 "2012-11-06T20:51:28Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > I realize the reason for this has already been discussed, but I fail to see what the real problem would be if that was the ordering for every single ballot. > > Are there really that many people who vote for “The guy whose name is at the top of the list”? > Are there that many people who think “Well, I was going to vote for Obama, but I can’t find his name here, so I guess I’ll vote for Romney instead”? > > I’m sure there is a non-zero number of people who will do the former (and knowing people, there’s probably a non-zero number of people who will do the latter as well), but does anyone really claim that it’s statistically significant? 1.It’s in Ohio 2. It’s an electronic voting machine, most likely without a paper trail 3. A computer hack could change the screen display, which would lead to switched votes (see explanation below) Re: #3: Suppose the ordering of candidates is _supposed_ to be invariable, and when the machines are sent out to polling places, the internal software counts someone tapping the top rectangle as a vote for Romney, a tap of the second rectangle from the top as a vote for Obama, etc. Then, what if someone hacked the screen _display_ to be different from what it was supposed to be, i.e., reordered the rectangles, either every time or every once and a while. Then someone tapping the rectangle displaying “Obama/Biden” may not be actually voting for Barack Obama and Joe Biden. ---
**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, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/119 "2012-11-06T20:53:25Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > [CNN.com](http://CNN.com). Or, more specifically: [http://www.cnn.com/election/2012/results/main](http://www.cnn.com/election/2012/results/main) ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2012, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045/120 "2012-11-06T20:55:12Z")
Any good phone apps for tracking the election? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-official-election-day-2012-thread-11-6-12/640045.md?page=7)