Ward 61, revisited. But just as we arrived, a little after 8 — polls opened at 7 — a city official was putting up a hand-markered sign saying that the usual door was now the handicap-access door and we had to walk around to the other side of the building. So we trudged around to the other side, past about 5 signs pointing at the door we couldn't get in — don't stand in the doorway, don't block up the door — and around to the other side of the building, where there was a flight of steps to the door, which we walked up, making it necessarily to walk down an extra flight of stairs to get into the church basement to cast our votes.
Yes, I vote in a church. And as the sign-changing city official told me, the church had asked the city to change the entrance. Change the entrance to the polling place after voting has started? That seemed pretty strange to me, given all the random anxieties about access to voting. And now a city official is saying this is what "the church" wants. Why wasn't the change made earlier? It's disconcerting to be walking up to the usual door and to get told this is not the right door all of a sudden. The man tells me it has to do with the children in day care and the church not wanting people walking down a particular hall. But what has changed since the last time we voted? What has changed since yesterday? Is there some new concern about the children?
Before you construct any conspiracy theory, know that 80.7% of Ward 61 voted against Scott Walker in the recall.
ADDED: Meade tells me I was voter #175, and that all the slips handed out at the beginning said "61." To this crushing disappointment, he adds: "Sorry, special pony."
November 4, 2014
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I was third in line at my polling place. I haven't taken the trouble to look up how this ward voted in the last election. Unfortunately, there is some system, where they have to print a label when you vote. Something new? We use optical readers here, not touch screens. fill in the bubble with a marker. Anyway, I waited 20 minutes while the poll workers, all nice older ladies, couldn't figure out how to make their laptop work. The supervisor, recognizing that several of us were in a hurry, offered us provisional(?!) ballots. I decided to leave and go back later when they have it figured out.
"Sorry special pony." Funny!
#605 Ward 33 Waukesha.
Meade tells me I was voter #175, and that all the slips handed out at the beginning said "61." To this crushing disappointment, he adds: "Sorry, special pony."
I'll bet for a minute there you thought you were very unique.
Ward 61 Revisted
"Before you construct any conspiracy theory, know that 80.7% of Ward 61 voted against Scott Walker in the recall."
Well, yeah. Ward 61 was at the top of the voter suppression list we were handed at the meeting last night.
Oh, and nice ballot GAB.
I voted in a church, too. A great big place, I walked past a fitness center on my way to the polling station, which was situated in the gym.
I wonder if at the Professor's polling place, the church people had simply forgotten to tell the Board of Elections they wanted the traffic flow changed. They'd meant to say something after the last election, but had moved onto other things. Maybe...
For some reason I get a perverse kick out of the commenters who excoriate Ann for her voting choices. It's pretty comical. Looking forward to that later in the day.
"I wonder if at the Professor's polling place, the church people had simply forgotten to tell the Board of Elections they wanted the traffic flow changed."
I have entered the church through that door to vote for at least 10 years.
You know what's really disconcerting...having 20 Hispanics in line for same day registration, and none of them speak English. Fortunately they had a nice young hippy to help them. Nah, no need for photo ID. Madison 2008.
"I'll bet for a minute there you thought you were very unique."
Haha. All of my special ponies are always very singularly unique. No real exceptions. Never ever.
Highway 61
If they wanted a new flow pattern, they should have arranged for it before the election. Whatever mattered, if it didn't matter before the voting began, it should have waited, unless there was some distinct new event.
There's this official "polling place" sign on a pole anchored in a can of concrete that is right outside the door, and we were walking straight toward it when the man started shooing us away. This isn't the right door, though the official sign was right there.
It was a lot harder to use the other door. It meant 4 additional flights of stairs going in and out. I walked to the polling place, and I would have worn different shoes if I'd known I'd need to negotiate all those steps. But I'm not dishonest enough to whine my way into the newly "handicap-ized" door. Hey, I'm 63, and I wore my clogs!
Someday I'll be 61.
If I manage to live that long.
I voted right before the guy who is gonna be my state representative. Nice guy, and he knows he didn't get my vote. Quite gracious about it, but he knows he does not need my vote.
Walker said this morning that as long as a lot of people don't vote he should be okay. #winning
The extremes government goes to to get people to go to church.
The Armory in Sussex, where all Sussex Wards vote (Waukesha County) was packed this morning before work. Everything seemed to be running smoothly.
I did the absentee ballot- travelling today- and mailed mine in last week.
"...city official was putting up a hand-markered sign saying that the usual door was now the handicap-access door and we had to walk around to the other side of the building."
How exactly do they discern who is or is not handicapped and whether they can use the door?
Do you have to show a handicap placard or god-forbid handicap ID to enter that door?
A little too ironic, don't cha think?
I was #90 in Racine's District 11, Ward 24 at 9 a.m. The number seemed low to me but the nice old lady at the desk said they were at least 3 times busier than in the primary. Good news I guess since my ward is prime Burke voters.
I'm anticipating that there will be minivans with loudspeakers driving around this afternoon urging people to go vote for Burke. This happened during the 2012 recall but the vans disappeared before I could grab my camera.
All the lefties in line to check out with their ballots in hand. All of the bubbles filled in for Charlie, none for Martha.
FedkaTheConvict said...
I was #90 in Racine's District 11, Ward 24 at 9 a.m. The number seemed low to me but the nice old lady at the desk said they were at least 3 times busier than in the primary. Good news I guess since my ward is prime Burke voters.
I'm anticipating that there will be minivans with loudspeakers driving around this afternoon urging people to go vote for Burke.
Well in Dem districts, 110% turn out is not only possible but likely.
What.Ever.It.Takes.
We voted in the Church basement today, not in the school Lunch Room. That was the big change at BS. Turn left at the bottom of the steps, instead of right.
In past years there were lots of home-made cookies at the bake sale that the middle schoolers throw. Today it was just donuts. Pass.
Only one incumbent got my vote today. Some races I ignored (uncontested).
So you two got the old walk around.
I sent in my permanent absentee ballot but waited, as usual, until the last week to see if any juicy scandals appeared. California is pretty dull with the Democrats ruling the state. It will be interesting to see if the two lefty ballot measures win. That has been almost all the TV and radio advertising I've seen.
Orange County is still solid, an island in the leftist paradise.
Wauwatosa School District is getting out of the voting place business and the city was forced to move some polling places over the past few years. One of the new voting places is the Women's Club and the city, naturally, denied them an expanded parking lot needed to handle voting traffic (and all the other quality events that happen there).
".... flight of steps..."?
This is obviously a tactic by the religious right to restrict voter participation.
Only one incumbent got my vote today
I'm afraid I'm going to have to cancel that vote out.
I am going to vote for a libertarian today though. Just because he came to my house and asked me to. And Robb Kahl is a puke.
The more I know about Meade, the more I like Meade.
Just voted in Fla. - had my D/L ID scanned upon entry by the poll worker. The worker said "it knows you!" then I proceeded to get my ballot after I signed the signature pad. First time I haven't had to do this on paper.
I am going to vote for a libertarian today though
I voted for two Libertarians, I think. But not the Libertarian named Burke.
When I voted, the ballot was double sided. Kind of awkward if you want privacy while walking it to and feeding it into the scanner.
Garage, don't you know that we libertarians are more evil than Republicans?
garage mahal said...
Only one incumbent got my vote today
I'm afraid I'm going to have to cancel that vote out.
I am going to vote for a libertarian today though. Just because he came to my house and asked me to. And Robb Kahl is a puke.
11/4/14, 10:14 AM
Technically, if he voted for the Repub (just to pick a party) and you vote for the Lib instead of the Dem, you are not really cancelling out his vote. You are reducing the total pool of votes cast for the two major parties by one vote but you are not cancelling out his vote. The only way to fully cancel his vote out is to vote for the Dem (or whatever the opposite candidate it to the one he voted for). Sending your vote to a third-party candidate does not accomplish that function, if that is what you meant.
On the other hand if you are saying that in addition to casting your vote for the opposition party of the race he voted in, you are also going to case a vote for a libertarian running in another race, then never mind.
Matthew Sablan said...
When I voted, the ballot was double sided. Kind of awkward if you want privacy while walking it to and feeding it into the scanner.
11/4/14, 10:19 AM
In Florida the ballots are often (always?) double-sided and so you are given a "privacy folder" along with your ballot, that you put the ballot into when you are finished filling it out. The top portion sticks out of the folder and is pulled into the tally machine such that no one can see how you completed it.
All the lefties in line to check out with their ballots in hand. All of the bubbles filled in for Charlie, none for Martha.
I voted for Charlie, too. Martha would be a disaster, and not just because she's a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat. Charlie's hands will be tied by the 85% veto-proof Democrat legislature, so I wish him luck at getting anything substantive accomplished. One can dream.
I was more interested in the ballot questions. I voted against expanding the bottle/container deposit program (it's basically a government boondoggle), voted against expanding casino licenses (sugar-rush approach to unemployment and urban renewal), voted to repeal the current law where the gas tax is pegged to inflation rates and is raised automatically (now the legislature will have to put their names on each vote to raise the gas tax), and voted against a law to make sick time mandatory (that was tough, but they went too far in applying it to very small businesses).
Blogger Meade said...
Someday I'll be 61.
If I manage to live that long.
11/4/14, 9:40 AM
More comments like this and you might be right!
The scanner wasn't working when I was done voting. They promised to feed it in later.
Hmmm.....
O noes! The Koch Brothers have gotten to Garage!
Comparing total number of votes for Wisconsin governor:
2010
Ward 61: 1531
Wards 40,41,42: 3224
2012 (Recall)
Ward 61: 1460
Wards 40,41,42: 6568
See what I see? In a Madison near-west ward (61), the difference in total votes, between the 2010 election and 2012, is an insignificant number (-71).
But in 3 Madison near-east wards (40,41,42), the difference is +3344 votes, more than twice the number who voted in the 2010 gubernatorial election.
Comparing the Walker Recall total number of votes from wards 40,41, and 42 to the total number of votes from those wards in the 2008 Obama presidential election, gives us 6568 to 5473.
From where did those extra 3344 Recall votes come?
From where did those extra 3344 Recall votes come?
That's a question for Garage -- he's the East-sider.
Ignorance is Bliss said...
I'll bet for a minute there you thought you were very unique.
To Meade, she is. Which is the whole point.
Garage, don't you know that we libertarians are more evil than Republicans?
Phil Anderson calls himself an independent libertarian. I align with some of his campaign issues. He asked me for my vote.
"Walker said this morning that as long as a lot of people don't vote he should be okay."
Is that a good paraphrase?
"This is obviously a tactic by the religious right to restrict voter participation."
In Madison, the religious left.
Ward 61 was at the top of the voter suppression list we were handed at the meeting last night.
They actually gave you a list of which Wards you're supposed to go and try to suppress the vote at?
Say what you want about them, but the Walker camps does have great organizational skills.
By the way, if anyone needs special help choosing who to vote for, let me recommend the name "Scott".
Scott is a name you can trust: Scott Walker. Scott Brown. Willard Scott. Dred Scott.
I know — Scott is probably also the name of some serial murderer somewhere at some time. But I never met him (thank Jesus) and but for that very unique singular exception... if it comes down to a coin toss between a candidate named Scott and a candidate named, say, "Mary"... I say go with a name you can trust.
Scott.
"Ann Althouse said...
"Walker said this morning that as long as a lot of people don't vote he should be okay."
Is that a good paraphrase?"
Are you new around here?
"The scanner wasn't working when I was done voting. They promised to feed it in later.
Hmmm....."
Same here.
Hmmmm x 2
Meade thinks that the mother of Jesus isn't to be trusted? That explains a LOT.
Though, in all fairness, she did get knocked up by one guy and then married another man to raise her little bastard. So maybe Meade's concerns about her are valid after all.
"They actually gave you a list of which Wards you're supposed to go and try to suppress the vote at?"
Once we memorized it, we had to eat it.
madisonfella, how are you going to drown your sorrows tonight?
#1416 at my polling place, one of the bluest wards in the state. Poll workers, when asked about turnout, answered "crazy".
In celebration, I will be drinking New Glarus' Yokel because, all us conservatives are uneducated rubes. At least I've been told that.
garage mahal said...
#1416 at my polling place, one of the bluest wards in the state. Poll workers, when asked about turnout, answered "crazy".
Crazy as in, they let people out of mental wards to vote? people with ballot boxes in the trunks of their cars are showing up? that explains that it's the bluest voting district.
people with ballot boxes in the trunks of their cars are showing up? that explains that it's the bluest voting district.
Good one! Sooooo original too.
garage mahal said...
#1416 at my polling place, one of the bluest wards in the state. Poll workers, when asked about turnout, answered "crazy".
Ward #16?
"#1416 at my polling place, one of the bluest wards in the state. Poll workers, when asked about turnout, answered "crazy"."
Good. I am so tired of paying for my own retirement.
madisonfella: "Say what you want about them, but the Walker camps does have great organizational skills."
If only Mary Burke did her family would not have needed to fire her (oh, that's right, restructure her job right out of existence and show her the door).
"garage mahal said...
#1416 at my polling place, one of the bluest wards in the state. Poll workers, when asked about turnout, answered "crazy"."
Crazy about sums it up.
RecChief: "Crazy as in, they let people out of mental wards to vote?"
Nope.
The left already accomplished that in the late 70's and early 80's.
Besides, "crazy" is just an "alternative lifestyle" which leads to more criminality and homelessness on the streets.
Win-Win for the Dems.
Good one! Sooooo original too. you forgot "That's so funny I forgot to laugh"
YOu had to know someone would tweak the resident Smurf around here.
The President is keeping busy today:
10:00 am || Receives the Presidential Daily Briefing
12:30 pm || Lunch with Biden
2:10 pm || Meets with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund
4:00 pm || Meets with Secretary of Defense Hagel
4:45 pm || Meets with his national security and public health teams to receive an update on the Ebola response;
I'm sure Walker would bring out the crazy lefties in Wisconsin. The question is whether the left will show up in the other states.
In California, it doesn't matter. We have enough Spanish language ballots to take care of business.
I'm so special. Voter No. 500 at my polling place.
S&P 500, Fortune 500, Indy 500, and me.
Lots of middle-aged women on the bit-heavy side. We all had to climb about 15 stairs.
In addition to the election for office, the ballot had five advisory referenda (transportation dollar lock-box, Citizen's United, minimum wage, taking Medicaid Obamacare dollars, and County board appointment of county exec.) I was the party of No.
The President is keeping busy today:
What's for dinner?
Michelle To Black Voters: Just Vote Democrat, Then Celebrate With Fried Chicken
Here in Illinois we have both touch screens and scanners. I always use the scanner, as it leaves a paper trail. In 3 separate occasions people have found that when they used a touch screen to vote for one candidate, the machine actually registered a vote for the other candidate itself. There are videos of this posted and legitimate news stories on this.
Guess which party's candidate got the bogus vote in ALL 3 CASES?
Hint: this happened in Illinois.
Though, in all fairness, she did get knocked up by one guy and then married another man to raise her little bastard. So maybe Meade's concerns about her are valid after all.
This remark explains a lot, too.
Ward #16?
Mental ward.
gerry: "This remark explains a lot, too"
madisonfella is simply showing how "edgy" and "courageous" he/she is in attacking the Virgin Mary.
Very very very "courageous".
Why, I'll bet madisonfella would not feel the least bit afraid of saying this about the Virgin Mary in front of any Mosque you could identify.
So take that h8ters!!
Ward #16?
Ward #2. Not In Madison
Hey, at least your church wasn't posted "no trespassing". I'd be damned paranoid if I didn't suspect it had more to do with locals walking their dogs on the rental hall's lawn than any intentional voter suppression effort in my precinct.
61 is certainly a bluer ward than 62 in Madison.
Meade said...
Someday I'll be 61.
If I manage to live that long.
Apparently tigers don't show their age.
I had you pegged as much older.
Here in Mass., my dentist told he plays it safe on Election Day, this year telling his patients he voted for Tom Menino.
heh
p.s. why are told to "type the text", when what we see are... numerals?
"61 is certainly a bluer ward than 62 in Madison. "
Bush nearly beat Gore in ward 62. Shocker!
in my precinct in New Jersey, I voted for the Libertarian candidate for senator against Democrat Cory Booker. It was the only Libertarian on the ballot. I voted Republican downticket.
And they didn't have no damn barbecue for the LIVs this time, either.
Dozens of voters mistake Zeidler building as their polling place: As many as 100 voters had to be turned away from Milwaukee's Frank P. Zeidler Municipal Building downtown this morning because they'd confused it as their polling place.
The source of confusion? Voters had cast ballots at the Zeidler building, 841 N. Broadway, during the early voting period in past elections and assumed they could do so on election day.
"I've had people from every corner of the city," said Pat Small, a veteran inspector at the site.
Here is a data point, early voting in Iowa by Democrats is running about 100,000 less than in 2012. Ground game indeed.
I mailed by ballot in so long ago that I've already had time to reconsider several of my votes!
Voter #1247 at 1:15 in a very liberal Madison ward.
Meade: "Bush nearly beat Gore in ward 62. Shocker!"
Maybe, as in several other states, the dems are simply not bright enough to understand HOW to vote for the person of their choice?
Thats the fault of republicans of course.
At least I assume my ward, 64, is liberal. Where do I find how it voted in the past?
@Original: 1247 exceeds by 1 ward #64's total vote in the '12 recall election.
Election Results of Dane County.
Thanks, Meade.
Ward 64, 2010
Barrett 1118
Walker 169
Huh? I wonder if I got my voter number wrong? But I was right about my liberal neighbors.
Change the entrance to the polling place after voting has started? That seemed pretty strange to me, given all the random anxieties about access to voting.
You're shitting me, right? Yeah, please do not trample my precious rights by asking me to walk around and use a different door! Oh, the anxieties!
Do you ever listen to yourself?
While I was voting they announced that "the media is here", and anybody who didn't want their picture taken needed to leave.
They did have us in the school gym rather than the classroom we're usually in, so maybe they anticipated a large turnout.
Doug said...
Change the entrance to the polling place after voting has started? That seemed pretty strange to me, given all the random anxieties about access to voting.
You're shitting me, right? Yeah, please do not trample my precious rights by asking me to walk around and use a different door! Oh, the anxieties!
LOL, that's how it sounded to me too. Who gets anxious about voting? I'm going to vote today, but I'm not deluding myself about it being important. Voting is WAY overrated.
A couple of years ago, they changed the entrance to the elementary school where I vote so we older people wouldn't be able to molest or kidnap the kiddies on the way to the voting booth.
Yes, thank you Meade...interesting reading!
My Ward, 2010:
283 Walker, 487 Barrett
My Ward, 2012 recall:
83 Walker, 688 Barrett.
I bucked that trend.
Ward 41 results for the two elections are kinda baffling.
Since you brought it up:
Michael Scott Magliolo
Scott Williams
Scott Lee Kimbal
William Scott Smith
I predict Rachel Maddow will have an aneurysm on set tonight. I hope MSNBC has paramedics standing by.
I voted in a mega church which I've never attended, but my daughter goes to occasionally with her boyfriend. Most of the people here are white, middle class. A black lady is always patrolling the area keeping us white people in line. Several years ago she tried to tell me I couldn't use my military ID as a valid form of ID. Voter suppression!!! She eventually gave in.
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