Election Day Experience

Earlier this morning, I went to vote. My polling place, in a small town in eastern Pennsylvania, seems to still be insisting that people show their IDs, and not telling them that it isn't mandatory -- and people are going along with it.

I think I was the first person to refuse their request, as they were all flustered when I said that I wasn't required to show my ID. The lady checking people in did let me go vote, but not after giving me a condescending, disgusted, yet confused, scowl.

After I checked in, I asked the lady who was running the machines why they were checking IDs when it isn't required by law. She stumbled over her answer of "well... well... it's because we don't know you, and it helps them find you in the book..." Thankfully, someone else in line chimed in, "we're not required to show our ID." I wasn't alone.

I voted, and then left the booth, at which point I was met by another poll worker who told me that next time I would be required to show ID as he as handing me a piece of voter ID propaganda. I refused his propaganda and told him that it is for the courts to decide if the racist voter suppression ID law will go into effect, not the polling officials.

Then I left.

In PA, as they did last election, they were checking IDs under the guise of getting people used to showing ID for the impending law. One of the poll workers should have been explaining that to voters who were waiting in line, and they shouldn't have been acting as if it were mandatory.

Share your voting experience in the comments.

--Twolf

Comments

[Mr. Flibble]

I voted absentee. Mailed my ballot in a week ago. Saves a lot of hassle.

[D in Montgomery County PA]

We must be from the same small eastern town in PA. I had a similar experience. I was the only one in line without my drivers license out. I was asked for it and I told the woman I don't need to show ID for this election. I also told her it was the law. I got the same answer as you got. She also gave me the voter ID info. I signed my name, voted and got out of there. I went prepared with all kinds of phone numbers (including the FBI Voter Intimidation #)just in case there was trouble.

[Richard]

Ah Pennsylvania, don't ever change. That way it will be sweeter when I finally realize my childhood dream of flying over it with a fleet of bombers.

[punaise]

Madame punaise (a naturalized US citizen) and I have a tradition of going to vote in person at our local Berkeley firehouse on the morning of every election. Everything went smoothly, took about ten minutes. I didn't see a single "REP" party affiliation on the on voter rolls...
Too many CA ballot initiatives, however!

[Syrbal/Labrys]

I feel strangely cheated of the opportunity/need to get in some asshat's face. Here in Washington State, most of us vote by mail....my ballot went in the box last Monday. I have, however, been screamed at at stop lights for my pro-union, pro-Planned Parenthood car stickers. And shopping with a large pro-Obama tote bag got a few harsh looks, but when I returned those looks with a steady eye, the chickenshits lost the stare-down.

[Larkspur]

I live a sheltered existence. I went to my polling place in my town just north of San Francisco. It was busy, but there was no line. My name got checked off, no request for ID, and I got my ballot from a beautiful young black woman whose name badge said "Michelle". I said, "Ooh, that's my favorite first lady's name, I mean, my favorite first name," and she smiled. So did the other poll workers. Easy, pleasant, wish everyone's experience was as problem-free.

[Elliott]

I voted in a small township precinct in SE PA, I was prepared to be ornery and tell them my white skin was all the ID I needed, but they just suggested it makes it easier for the poll workers if you show ID, you don't have to have it.

Truth is, my poll workers are peaches - prolly would have given me that last creme filled donut if I'd asked them for it. May the lordgod and the fsm bless them all.

no sticker tho :(

[Nameless Cynic]

Albuquerque, New Mexico. The trophy wife (a.k.a. Opera Mom) and the Wookie Son all went in for early voting. No real line, but I let the other two go first, so I had to wait all of two minutes until a poll worker opened up. Told them my name, they scrolled down a list and found it, hit a couple of buttons and printed out my ballot. I filled it in, fed it into an optical scanner, and poof - done.

We may have a teabagger governor who drove the burgeoning movie industry out of the state (most all we got left is Breaking Bad), but the voter suppression stayed mercifully low.

[Pat]

I voted this morning in a Philadelphia suburb. I was not asked nor did I offer my ID.

[montag]

I called this one well before voting. Walked into my local polling place in Redneck, NM, handed the pollworkers my voter registration card (a duly authorized state document with my address and my signature), and, sure enough, was told that I had to provide a photo ID. I got obstinate. They glared at me. I got more obstinate. I demanded they provide me the statute that requires it (there isn't one in my state). They glared at me. So, even though there were written instructions in front of one of them saying (in bold, capital letters) that a photo ID was NOT required, he called the County Clerk's office and was told, no, it's not necessary. I kept trying to get the name of the person who'd given them their training, but they clammed up.

Only then did they give me a ballot. After voting, they got my little lecture that their insistence based on wrong information was intended to limit people's ability to vote, and that was wrong and anti-democratic. I suspect they were only momentarily chastised, and that this will go on throughout the day.

Fucking Republicans.

[Pat]

A co-worker voted in a town near mine in SE PA. I was not asked for ID. She said their was someone telling everyone to have their IDs ready so that the line would move faster. Everyone was complying, apparently.

[dk]

You should have taken his propaganda and told him it will be used as evidence, and that voter intimidation is a felony.

un-american motherfuckers.

[Brooklyn Girl]

No ID's asked for here in Brooklyn. The whole thing took about five minutes. But I was still struck by how cumbersome and sloppy the entire process is.

[Arkady]

I voted in Pittsburgh. Same bullshit. Same confusion. Same half-assed attempt by the repugs to frighten people away. It apparently has not worked. PA stays blue. Why oh why do they have to be such utterly transparent, bigoted assholes?

[Kimberly]

AS a pollworker (fighting to go back to hand counting paper ballots) and with our own state (WI) declaring 3 times that Voter ID was unconstitutional and a burden, people jab their ID's at me. I explain every time that ID's are NOT required and, in fact, we are prohibited from viewing or touching them. Most of the other pollworkers are Republican because they smirk when I say this and are uncomfortable and handle the ID's before I can stop it. (I am a Chief Election Inspector.) People that want this law have no compassion and haven't had to deal with being 'unpapered' in the land of the 'free'.

[Kimberly]

@punaise
"Too many CA ballot initiatives, however!"

That IS voter suppression and disenfranchisement. They put so many referendums on the ballot (even though it is legally required in CA and the most amount of people will get to vote on them in a presidential election) to discourage people from voting with longer lines and trying to confuse the low information voter.

It's why we saw 9 hour lines in Florida.

We do need a federal uniformity law when it comes to voting - WI and WA/OR are the 2 models that were being considered before 2008. But if we push it now, with so many wing nuts and Citizens United, we'd end with Voter ID mandatory in all states. Why is it that both parties like Viter ID laws? Seems like Democrats / Proggressives / Liberals / Moderates / Independents are cutting their own throats in supporting Voter ID laws. Heck, Republican / Libertarians / Wing Nuts, too. A healthy Democracy and conversation is to have choice not just an opinion.

[nobozos]

I live in small town near Pittsburgh. Had a "discussion" with a poll worker about a posted sign saying that voters had to "have" ID but then in small letters that they didn't need to show it. They did not remove the sign. No one asked me for my ID BUT.....when I hit the "straight Democratic" button and vote, it kept telling me I hadn't made a choice. Happened twice till a poll worker came over to sort it out.
Same thing happened to my neighbour!