Because I have to work (wouldn't you know we're in a crunch time in my office) and I knew the lines would be long, I went to vote at 6am. Luckily my neighborhood Starbucks was open and I could get some coffee to go. When I got to the polling place at 6:07am, the line already stretched around the corner. I just started laughing, mostly at myself for thinking I had beat the system. I got in line and people were generally in a good mood. I was reading stuff on my iPhone and said aloud that the small NH town of Dixville Notch, first in the nation to vote, had gone for Obama (first Democrat since LBJ!). Well, that was already old news to the people around me.
The line moved pretty quickly and after about 20 minutes, I got into the school gym. At that point, I had to get into the line for my district (they look up your district number on a list). I realized that the big line moved relatively fast because we were all disbursed into these dozen or so smaller lines. At that point it was another 10 minute wait to get my name checked off, sign the thing and get into the booth.
I voted and walked to Columbus Ave thinking I'd take the bus to work instead of the subway since it was so early. That was fun. We passed long lines at polling places on the Upper West Side (there was a place in the 70s where the line went around 2 corners, and remember, it wasn't even 7am yet!) and then when we got to Times Square, we heard some random group of people chanting, "Obama, Obama!" Totally amazing.
My final voting related act was to go to Starbucks for my free tall coffee. Just tell them you voted and it's yours.
2 comments:
Sitting at my desk with my tall coffee now. We had election observers in the corridor of the school; I told them about an Asian man who wasn't able to vote because it has been a while since he voted; they didn't have him in the lists. He needed to get to work, so couldn't linger to work out how to get to vote. The observers told me that was interesting, and thanked me for informing them. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!! The scene was busy but not insane; the same ladies who have been there for every single election since forever once again had me spell my last name for them :P and sent me behind the curtain. Once I'd brought my coffee to my desk, I donned my Obama Pride t-shirt (remember? from our convention night party?). I have asked each poor soul with whom I have come into contact (yea, verily, even the guys in the elevator here at 3 Park) whether they've voted yet. I'm sooooo obnoxious! :P Huge hugs; let's take America back!!!!!
I went to the polls a little before 7 am. The line was already around the corner and down the block. There was the challenge of finding a parking place (we don't vote in our own precinct). Finally, I was in line. The line moved quickly once the polls opened, and I was home again just after 8 am (Plenty of time before I had to take my daughter to school for the late on Tuesday 9:05 opening.) Everyone at the polls was very organized and very helpful. I was voter number 82. I expect there will be people in line at the end of the day. Thank you to all the poll workers making this day go smoothly. I'm leaving work early to go make phone calls to help GOTV...
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