wordplay: (Blue State Liberal)
wordplay ([personal profile] wordplay) wrote2006-11-07 10:33 pm

Election day wrapup

Glad y'all all voted. I did it last week, absentee, because I worked the polls today. At some point I'd like to really talk about it, but it was a LONG day - got there at 6 am, left the building at 8:45 pm to realize that my car's battery was dead, finally left to come home at 9:30.

Maryland is all about the electronic voting, baby, and it generally went v. well - no obvious problems like were everywhere during the primary. There was one woman who (according to records) was issued an absentee ballot and then showed up at the polls, meaning that she had to vote provisionally (on paper) and who then LOST HER SHIT, yelling at us and asking if this is how we liked to disenfranchise Republican voters in Montgomery County. *blinks* The judges have to be equally representative of both parties, by law, so there were a few of her fellow Reps who were particularly pissed off by that. Anyway, she clearly had anger issues, and embarrassed the hell out of her dittohead self, stomping around and harassing people and tossing really ridiculous innuendo before she finally cast her provisional ballot and got out of there. A lot of people bitched about having to give information like *gasp* date of birth to verify identity and a few people yelled at us for asking because it's supposedly illegal to ask that (even though those were our instructions from the state). I know, people are crazy, but today I feel a bit battered by the crazy. I hate being yelled at.

Exactly one person thanked us for our time and service.

This sounds grumpy. I don't feel grumpy, just really, really tired.

Also? Michael Steele's poll watchers were assholes and I'm delighted to see him lose. LOTS of poll watchers today, but his were the only ones who were difficult. *shocked gasp*, I know.

ETA: Also, OMG. Marc has a color-coded Excel spreadsheet of the top 60-ish Congressional races in play tonight, the last few poll numbers (he tracks NPR, Sabato, CQ, Cook, Todd, Rothenberg and electoral-vote.com), and their outcomes tonight and he is sitting here obsessively updating and tweaking. I knew he was playing fantasy Congress the way normal way less awesome people play fantasy football, but damn! That is some hardcore poligeek, yo.

Now that I have had sugar and am seeing more numbers come in - *smirks like Shrub*. Maryland's a bit more blue tonight and OMG the current projections for the House are insane.

ETA2: Dan Rather quotes Pink Floyd on Stewart/Colbert's Midterm Midtacular. Layers upon layers, my friends.

[identity profile] sundancekid.livejournal.com 2006-11-08 03:54 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you for your service! :)

*hugs*

[identity profile] sundancekid.livejournal.com 2006-11-08 04:11 am (UTC)(link)
Hey, does Marc know about this?

[identity profile] ms-mindfunk.livejournal.com 2006-11-08 04:34 am (UTC)(link)
Our state just instituted a photo ID law for voting. I'm sure there were many abised poll workers 'round here today...


... but not at my precinct. I was something like voter #500, and I voted like half an hour before the polls closed. Pathetic. I read online that our turnout was something like 18% at my precinct. I bet we'd have a better turnout if they gave those awesome stickers.

[identity profile] darthrami.livejournal.com 2006-11-08 05:11 am (UTC)(link)
I thanked my people (or at least I think I did. it was 6.15am. I don't remember much, and went over my ballot FOUR TIMES before hitting that "VOTE!!!" button, convinced that I'd accidently vote FOR VA #1 or some crazy shit like that), and I thank you.


Seriously.


And now, I debate between sleep and obsessively refreshing CNN and doing math to see Webb's .10% lead over Allen. *facepalms*

[identity profile] smilie117.livejournal.com 2006-11-08 06:49 am (UTC)(link)
I smiled at the poll workers at mine at the local high school - so nice and friendly! I didn't have to deal with any poll watchers when I went though they do it at the cafeteria and gym at the HS and it looked like more were by the grym than cafeteria where I went - I wished one of the greeters a good day after they thanked me on my way out. So go you! *pats*

[identity profile] dizzledee.livejournal.com 2006-11-08 11:28 am (UTC)(link)
YOU KNOW I AM RUNNING AROUND THEHOUSE GIGGLING LIKE AN IDIOT! OMG!!!!!!