November 02, 2010
De-Registered?
When I got off work today, I went straight to my new polling location in Churchland. When I had changed my address and drivers license at the DMV, I was sure to change my voter registration info.
Alas I am not in the system.
I've voted in every election except a few uncontested midterm elections since 1988.
The poll watchers actually asked if I had changed my registration status at the DMV as this has been an issue today in this precinct.
Well, after some searching I was informed that I might still be on the rolls at my old polling place in Newport News, on the other side of the tunnel traffic I had just slogged through... The polling place that is actually walking distance from work.
Before I left I got specific instructions on where and how to register at the registrars office.... ...which is pretty self explanatory but so was the DMV. The pollwatchers were professional and helpful and, again mentioned that this had been an issue this morning. In fact two other people had the same issue before I left.
I'm discouraged, so I should jut blow the whole thing off, I mean it's not like one vote is going to matter....'sides this thing is in the bag...
NOT!
That's how 'they' GET YOU!
Besides, too many people have died to give us this right.
Too many still endure real peril to exercise this right ...
...for a grown American man to be defeated by traffic and a 40 minute drive.
However, as I've already missed my Tuesday class because of this fiasco and have been up 31 hours, I am going to get a nap first.
More to follow.
UPDATE: Well, I voted, but not in the election for MY congresscritter, but in the election for the CC representing my old precinct. I noted that of the 17 other people in this second polling place, 3 were off to the side with similar issues to myself, all involving DMV registration.
Although I was on the rolls in Newport News, my ID (with my current address) did raise some eyebrows and got me sidelined for a bit with paperwork and questions. This is not a bad thing of course. The pollworkers in Newport News like the ones in Portsmouth were patient and professional.
The pollworkers said it had been really busy for an off year election. The voter traffic seemed to be picking up quite a bit as I left, just over 30 minutes before the polls closed.
Comments are disabled.
Post is locked.
Alas I am not in the system.
I've voted in every election except a few uncontested midterm elections since 1988.
The poll watchers actually asked if I had changed my registration status at the DMV as this has been an issue today in this precinct.
Well, after some searching I was informed that I might still be on the rolls at my old polling place in Newport News, on the other side of the tunnel traffic I had just slogged through... The polling place that is actually walking distance from work.
Before I left I got specific instructions on where and how to register at the registrars office.... ...which is pretty self explanatory but so was the DMV. The pollwatchers were professional and helpful and, again mentioned that this had been an issue this morning. In fact two other people had the same issue before I left.
I'm discouraged, so I should jut blow the whole thing off, I mean it's not like one vote is going to matter....'sides this thing is in the bag...
NOT!
That's how 'they' GET YOU!
Besides, too many people have died to give us this right.
Too many still endure real peril to exercise this right ...
...for a grown American man to be defeated by traffic and a 40 minute drive.
However, as I've already missed my Tuesday class because of this fiasco and have been up 31 hours, I am going to get a nap first.
More to follow.
UPDATE: Well, I voted, but not in the election for MY congresscritter, but in the election for the CC representing my old precinct. I noted that of the 17 other people in this second polling place, 3 were off to the side with similar issues to myself, all involving DMV registration.
Although I was on the rolls in Newport News, my ID (with my current address) did raise some eyebrows and got me sidelined for a bit with paperwork and questions. This is not a bad thing of course. The pollworkers in Newport News like the ones in Portsmouth were patient and professional.
The pollworkers said it had been really busy for an off year election. The voter traffic seemed to be picking up quite a bit as I left, just over 30 minutes before the polls closed.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
08:39 AM
| Comments (3)
| Add Comment
Post contains 423 words, total size 3 kb.
1
This is why I vote early, not on election day, not by absentee.
Posted by: Pete Zaitcev at Tue Nov 2 16:12:28 2010 (9KseV)
2
I love the system here in Oregon. Everyone votes by mail. No exceptions.
When I lived in Los Angeles it was more 'interesting'. I lived for a while in a heavily democrat precinct, and the polling place was constantly in disarray with people not knowing if they were in the right place, not registered, etc. I occasionally got dirty looks along with my republican voter cards. Then I moved into a republican-leaning precinct, and it got even more interesting. The staffers were efficient, friendly, etc. But they were continually being short-changed by the county and state, and polling places would move around randomly between elections, you'd get mail clearly stating which polling place to go, and they wouldn't have you one the books and you'd have to drive around to two or three other polling places to find the place that had you.
Posted by: David at Tue Nov 2 18:44:20 2010 (rj+nH)
3
Yeah, that was a problem here a few years ago, I had to go to 3 polling places to vote once.
This time it was the fact that he DMV had not passed on address changes. I should have gone to the registrar instead of the DMV, but I thought I could get everything regards the move done at once. I was fortunate I had moved less than an hour away from my old house.
The staffers were efficient, friendly, etc. But they were continually being short-changed by the county and state, and polling places would move around randomly between elections, you'd get mail clearly stating which polling place to go, and they wouldn't have you one the books and you'd have to drive around to two or three other polling places to find the place that had you.
Yeah, that was a problem here a few years ago, I had to go to 3 polling places to vote once.
This time it was the fact that he DMV had not passed on address changes. I should have gone to the registrar instead of the DMV, but I thought I could get everything regards the move done at once. I was fortunate I had moved less than an hour away from my old house.
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at Tue Nov 2 19:23:43 2010 (EJaOX)
29kb generated in CPU 0.0852, elapsed 0.2855 seconds.
69 queries taking 0.2742 seconds, 288 records returned.
Powered by Minx 1.1.6c-pink.
69 queries taking 0.2742 seconds, 288 records returned.
Powered by Minx 1.1.6c-pink.
