Long Lines, Everywhere
Already, Flickr folks are posting photos, and even this video, of long lines at the polls, all across Brooklyn. In Park Slope, the line stretched out even before the booths opened at 6AM. Bring coffee. Prepare to wait. Where did you vote? How long did it take? Any problems? Video by wnyc.
Bxgrl, that was really beautiful, too. Ordinary, unsung people who just lead decent, productive lives are the bedrock of this country. Their legacy should be a better America than the one they left. I hope we achieve that in the next 4 years, and well beyond. My two year old nephew (World’s Cutest Child)should have a better world bestowed upon him. I will certainly do what I can to make that so.
11217 you do like the double L
(bawled, delusional)
OMG MM, Better Half is threatening to sedate me because I’m sooo anxious and wigged out over this election.
I’ve been “mainlining” data and stuffing myself with news and articles for what feels like forever and a day, I won’t be able to really relax until I know that Obama is elected and by a nice healthy unquestionable non-floridian margin. Which is what I’m hoping everyone else is thinking and is why we have such a huge turnout.
I voted at PS 270 in Clinton Hill. They had ED 67 split into two lines A-L and M-Z last names. What they didn’t tell people for about 40 minutes, was that the machine for the M-Z voters was jammed/broken. It took them another 30 mins to figure that they should merge the two lines to one machine. Once they figure this out, they didn’t bother telling anyone standing on line what they were doing, or that they could stand in a different line to get a paper ballot, so nobody knew what was going on.
In general, poll workers are very under-trained (they all were talking about how they didn’t know what to do because they weren’t trained on what to do if a machine broke, and they didn’t want to do something that would invalidate results), and there didn’t seem to be anyone in charge or anyone who really knew what was going on. Other lines were longer than 67 ED, but moved very fast.
They ended up ‘fixing’ the machine right when I was about to get my paper ballot, so I used the machine. I assume my vote went in correctly, but who knows…
It took a total of 2.5 hours. I’m not complaining about the fact that it took that long, but more about WHY it took that long – disorganized and under-trained workers, antiquated machines, lack of signage and information. The process in NYC is badly in need of an overhaul to bring it into the 21st century.
Amazing MM. I balled at my desk reading your post.
Waiting in line at 6:30 am this morning in East Flatbush I was heartened to see the turnout, the line snaked down New York Avenue around Snyder, and that was outside the school. Inside the line wove through the cafeteria, hall and into the gym. The mood was terrific, neighbors greeting one another and expressing pride in the voter turnout, some commented that they’d never seen so many people show up to vote and they’d lived in the neighborhood for over 30 years. One woman in front of me gave up and went to leave after an hour and I said, wait! we’ve waited 8 years, what’s a few more minutes? and an elderly man next to me said, I’ve waited 40 years! Montrose Morris, your words brought a tear to my eye as well. Thank you for sharing your story!
Benson, the difference is in the approach. After 9/11, we had the greatest well of good will towards America that this nation has ever had. Bush drained it dry in no time with high handed pronouncements, cowboy aggression, and bull headed charging into places we had no business being, with little thought, proof or planning.
He spent 8 years telling other sovereign nations what to do, ignored or derided yearly concerns about global warning, energy consumption and the environment, and undermined good will attempts by even our allies, for international cooperation. It got to the point that if we were on fire, no other country would even bother to spit on us.
And we are on fire. We have no “coalition of the willing” in international affairs. Our staunchest allies, except for Great Britain and Israel, have all but deserted us, and our foreign policy attitudes with those who have been our allies, some for over a hundred years, can be distilled into one phrase – “freedom fries”. It can’t get worse.
Of course an Obama administration will have to be tough. But there is tough with brains, and just tough, like a piece of gristle. Brains, please.
Beautiful MM
Beautifully said, MM. This is truly a historic day.