I am going to regret doing this.
You can send me reports and photos, and I will selectively post them. If things get overwhelming, as on National Empty Chair Day, I may have to call it off!
If you have reports without photos, do not email me, post in the comments.
[added] Remember, some states prohibit taking photos of ballots or inside polling places, so check this guide (also, easy guide here whether can photograph your own ballot).
Via reader Joe:
A trick parked in the lot at the high school where I vote. (Goshen, in the Cincinnati exurbs).
The lines are definitely longer than in 08 – we’ll see how the day turns out!
A reader in Miami writes:
Looks like it will be a very long day of voting in Miami. I got to voting site at 6 am, polls opened at 7, and I left at 8. Picture is of part of line when I left – you can’t see in photo, but the line wrapped all the way onto a main street sidewalk. I’d guess the wait is now easily about 4-5 hours, and that’s for people who came fairly early!
From a reader in Massachusetts:
There are big crowds voting on the north shore of MA. Nobody said a word about who they supported – so no idea of feeling.
But lines are pretty long (compared TO MANY PRIOR ELECTION) This was the first time i have had to wait on line to check in to vote, to get in to the voting booth or to hand ion my ballot.
Took about 30 minutes. Last elections it took 5 minutes
From Dave in Florida:
I’ve occasionally submitted photos before from my previous abode (Arlington, VA) and thought I would pass along a report from my new home in Palm Beach County, Florida (yes, home of the hanging chad & endless recount).
This pic of approximately 50 people waiting in line at a small neighborhood polling station was taken at 6:45am, 15 minutes before the polls opened. A supervisor came out and briefly chatted with folks standing in line, and mentioned that he had volunteered on every Election Day since 1962 and that this BY FAR was the most engaged he had ever seen the voting public.
It took about 40 minutes from the time that I entered the building to navigate the line, vote, and exit. Wait times will SUBSTANTIALLY increase as the day goes on because the ballot is ludicrously long due to proposed state constitutional amendments.
I already knew how I would vote, but if anyone waits to read the amendments until they are in the polling station, they easily could take 45 minutes or longer just to read the ballot. Twice last week I drove to the SINGLE early voting station in the county and gave up before I even parked my car because the line was so long.
The wait this morning was already causing some frayed nerves, as there was a line to get the ballot, two separate lines to wait for a station in which you could fill out the ballot, and a fourth line to feed your ballot into the reading machine once you had completed the ballot. The four lines quickly became intertwined as the room set up for voting really isn’t large enough (they need to restrict the number of people allowed into the room, rather than letting the line surge in). For the most part, however, most everyone was well-intentioned and good natured.
As I left, I noticed a single person holding a sign & waving to voters and passers by. She was holding a ROMNEY! sign, and bubbled over with enthusiasm when I waved. There were no Obama advocates. All in all, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the amount of Romney support I’ve seen here (in a majority Democrat county), and even had a couple of LAWYERS tell me they were voting for Romney (which, in D.C., is absolutely unthinkable outside of GOP headquarters).
From Lee in Maple Grove, MN:
First, thanks for all that you do! You were invaluable this cycle.
I vote at the same time each election, so I feel like the # of votes cast has some relevance. I live in Maple Grove, MN (pretty red for MN – we voted 59/41 for Bush in ’04.) In 2008, I was voter #394. In 2004, I was voter #342. Today I was voter #565.
I know a guy in CT. Die hard liberal. We debate politics back and forth all of the time. He is a very devoted Lutheran. Got a text from him this morning with a photo of his CT ballot – all Dem except Romney/Ryan. Caption was “Can you believe it?” I couldn’t.
From a reader in Missouri:
I know you are busy, but wanted to share what I saw this morning at the poll. Polls here opened at 6am. I was there right at 8am. Less than 15 minutes from walking in the door to walking back out. I was voter 180 at my Ward (we have 4, I think). The poll worker (an old man) said he had never seen this many people come in this fast before so expected it would be a high turnout. Went to pay my utility bill, which is at another voting precinct and it was super busy. I could barely get to the drive through window for all the people walking all over the place. I have no idea what it all means, but thought I would let you know.
From reader Cory:
My daughter, Savannah Grace, is 4 weeks old and ready to do her civic duty!
Please run the photo. It would make our day.
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