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TygrBright

(20,733 posts)
Tue Oct 23, 2018, 05:51 PM Oct 2018

Me n' Mister Bright Voted Today

The closest- to us- Early Voting Site for our county was right on the county fair grounds where it usually is.

Except for one change.

Normally they set up in the 4-H "Small Animals" barn, which is plenty commodious for two or three tables with two volunteers at each table to check voters on the roll and hand them ballots.

Not today.

Today they set up in the Exhibition Hall, the largest indoor space on the fair grounds. Voting opened at noon, and we got to the fair grounds about a quarter after. There were a LOT of cars turning in.

The regular lots among the buildings were full. We had to park at the closest 'main' fair lot, essentially a dirt field across the road from the buildings complex.

When we got up to the buildings complex we saw The Line.

It was out the door of the Exhibition Hall, almost to the end of the covered portico.

We joined the line and noticed it was moving at a fairly regular pace. Not too fast, but regular.

Got into the 'porch' area, the line wound past a table full of pamphlets from the Secretary of State, explaining the two State Constitutional Amendments on the ballot, and the various bond issues. Nicely presented with both the 'legal' language version and the plain-language version for each, plus a statement of intent for each of the Constitutional amendments, and lists of specific funding targets for each bond issue. The Constitutional amendments also had nicely-summarized major 'pro' and 'con' arguments for each.

We had time to read the booklets, which were in English and Spanish, as the line wound through the porch and into the main Exhibition Hall.

When we got in there, we saw there were SIX tables with two volunteers each doing the checkoff and ballot distribution. Other volunteers were maintaining separate lines for each volunteer, gesturing the people at the front of the 'main' line which of the twelve volunteer lines was shortest.

The volunteers totally had their act together. You had to state your name and year of birth, and they'd find you on the rolls, then ask you your address, then double-check 'full name' and birth year again before you signed the little electronic pad to receive your paper ballot and your 'stub'.

Then you took the ballot to one of more than fifty (five rows with about 10-15 standup booths each plus three or four sitdown ones for people with mobility issues) booths and completed your ballot with the pen provided, filling in the little ovals COMPLETELY.

Which I did.

For every single candidate that had "Democrat" listed under their name. And turned it over and voted on the amendments and bond issues.

Then took it to one of two scanner machines. Short line there, only two people ahead of me, handed them my 'stub' and ballot, put the ballot in the scanner, got a receipt and a sticker and I was done.

Mister Bright was right behind me.

We went back out through the 'porch' area and the line was EVEN LONGER. It was about a quarter to one by then.

The early voting site is open noon to eight p.m. Tuesday through Friday and ten a.m. to six p.m. Saturday, until November 3rd.

If the lines stay that long we will have a record turnout, not just for a midterm year, but in all of New Mexico history.

hopefully,
Bright

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Me n' Mister Bright Voted Today (Original Post) TygrBright Oct 2018 OP
Beautiful and concise summation. Thank you Bright..n/t monmouth4 Oct 2018 #1
Thank you, my dear TygrBright! CaliforniaPeggy Oct 2018 #2

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,308 posts)
2. Thank you, my dear TygrBright!
Wed Oct 24, 2018, 06:11 PM
Oct 2018

A very thorough and complete synopsis of your day's events.

Sounds as though things are working out just as intended!

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