Photo of the Day: November 27, 2009
Car Pushed Into Anacostia River By Train
Morning Roundup: Black Friday Edition
Devendra Banhart @ 9:30 Club
Saturday Thanks Don't End At Thanksgiving Photo: November 28, 2009
Today is our local primary election, the day when registered Republicans and Democrats in the District head to the polls to decide the outcome of the more or less symbolic general election (seriously, if you actually care about local politics and you're a registered Independent, you ought to think about picking a party just for the sake of having your vote matter).
My precinct in Shaw only had one other voter in it besides me at 10:25 a.m., and my paper ballot was #145 to be scanned through the machine. A brief glance at the stack of party affiliation cards showed about ten Republicans had voted there, zero Statehood Greeners, and the rest all Democrats. The process of getting my ballot, marking down my choices and turning it in all went as smoothly as possible.
Tell us about your voting experience in the comments.
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Very low turnout in many Ward 2 precincts. I was voter #1 at my precinct (14), and I got there spot-on 7 am. Usually, there's a queue at the door, but not this morning.
Precinct 5 (Evans' precinct) had extremely low turnout through 9:45 am. I'll be back there in 45 minutes to check again, and will post a follow-up.
Ahem, some of us have to work in an office where they spend an hour working and the other seven fucking around on the internets.
Bish please.
you touched on in later on, but right at the top there, sommer, don't forget that the registered statehood greens can vote today too (why they even exist is another matter entirely).
my precinct was quiet this morning. dunbar high (ward 5 covering parts of truxton and bloomingdale) at 8:30 a.m., and i was #34. no one electioneering out front, like there were in 2006. with no council race in ward 5, we're not a hub of activity right now...
I was there at 7:10, ward 8, birney elementary. There were a few barry supporters handing out flyers, and as I was leaving the Charles Wilson crew had just arrived. There was one other person in the auditorium voting and that was about it. I was in and out in a few minutes.
Now lets just hope that enough people come out to upset barry's reign.
See, if they were interested in voter turnout, party bosses would make the polling places more entertaining. Why, back in the day, the GOP used to hire jug bands to play gutbucket boogie/bluegrass fusion while the local church reps handled snakes and drank strychnine. It was like Deliverance minus the sodomy which is EVIL. By the time the polls closed, Burt Reynolds would show up with a compound bow and put us all out of our misery. Good times. Nowdays, Barry's campaign can't throw a single lousy baby-que or shad planking. Cheap bastards.
yep -- voted this morning around ten at Ketcham Elementary in Anacostia. There was a slow but steady stream of voters coming in when I was there.
Who else was there? Oh ya, high school students that said it was their "job" to pass out Marion Barry fliers. I asked them if they supported Barry and they said no, and that if they could vote they would be voting for "the other person".
What is Marion Barry doing paying high schoolers to skip school??? At least this shows that the next generation of voters doesn't support him..
Go CHARLES!
I thought it would be fun to try out the electronic machine, given the less-than-earth-shattering election.
There is a single electronic voting machine. I put the card in. Error. Some poll workers run around yelling at each other. I get another card and go back to the machine. Meanwhile, some old dude starts using the machine and according to the poll worker (who spoke loudly because of the ipod he was wearing, I imagine), his thumbs are too big or his fingers are greasy, so it takes him 10 minutes to use the machine.
Then I finally got on and everything worked out fine, but I was late for work.
I was voter #3 at Marie Reed at 7am this morning - and I didn't see anyone else coming in.
I ran into a friend at the polls this morning, and I got my "I Voted" sticker. Doesn't everyone vote just for the sticker?
I like the idea of mandatory voting. You can write in a candidate if you want, but you have to vote. Australia does that.
Metropolitan baptist church at 9:30 was mighty quiet...I was the only one voting, and my ballot was 35th paper ballot of the day.
Will be interesting to see if Evan supporters were motivated to come out in vote!
Doesn't everyone vote just for the sticker?
I used to vote every election, until they stopped handing out the complimentary "I Voted!" cock rings. Hardly seems worth it now.
Well, it's also raining. You know, civic responsiblity melts in water.
Back from another stint at precinct 5 (31st and O NW in Georgetown) and the rain seems to be keeping numbers down. Same thing reported at precincts 6, 15 and 16.
Perhaps the post-work crowd will liven things up...
I plan on voting after work.
Probably.
Kinda busy today. I might vote tomorrow.
Do any of these "elections" matter? What critical issues of DC governance hang in the balance? Anything?
IMGoph said: you touched on in later on, but right at the top there, sommer, don't forget that the registered statehood greens can vote today too (why they even exist is another matter entirely).
Sommer, IMGoph is correct, DC Statehood Greens were allowed to vote today as well. However only the Republican & Democratic Parties had contested primaries. I was vote #29 at precinct #137.
Why does the party exist? The party exists because every election cycle the it runs candidates who receive enough votes to maintain major party status. In the 2006 election the DC Statehood Green Party candidates received more votes than the Republican Party's candidates. Anyways, more political parties equals more options at the ballot box and who doesn't want more options?
For primer on DC statehood, read Sam Smith's Statehood Papers.
Sommer, one side note, your precinct might not have had any "Statehood Greener" ballots because there might be no registered members of the party in your precinct. The DCBOEE knows ahead of time how many ballots to have on hand before the polls open based on the number of registered voters in the precinct.
Since it's a primary and the major parties hate actual democracy, my libertarian ass is sitting this one out.
welles is absolutely right. We all remember how Tommy Wells' secret weapon against Tony Williams was blackface.
Voted in Ward 6 today. I was #92 in my polling place at around 12:30.
I live in Ward 1 (no contested council race) and did not vote. I still have my "I Voted" sticker from the 2006 general election so really, what's the point.
ok, seriously, welles, the racism is not cool. can we tell this guy to shape up or ship out?
I voted two weeks ago at the BOE office, as I was originally planning to be out of town. There were several other people there voting as well.
What racism, Gorph? How else do you explain Barry's tenure in office?
it's more complex that i want to take the time to explain here, and i'm afraid that it may be too complex for someone who is a race-baiting, small-minded douchebag to understand, but here's my advice: read "dream city" and it will help you understand.
I think you are a bit out of line on that one Welles. It has been rather unfortunate that no one has managed to boot Barry out, but that doesn't mean people vote for him, just b/c of his race. I think it really centers around the issues of bringing change to a ward where a lot of the older crowd votes merely b/c they know him and don't know what to expect of the people running against him. Hopefully enough young people have moved in [to Ward 8 specifically] and will shake things up, or better yet, people have just realized, Barry has had his turn, now someone else should give it a whirl.
There were a handful of other voters in Ward 1 when I voted but was only #150 at about 6:30.
I did run into and shake the hand of Jack Evans on 17th and P on my walk home, however.
@suances: Do any of these "elections" matter? What critical issues of DC governance hang in the balance? Anything?
Some races could be seen as a referendum on Fenty (with his followers/endorsees on the ballot in Wards 4, 7 and 2) and the GOP race could determine the future of GOP representation in DC. Obviously it depends on the Ward. I voted in Ward 1.
@welles: Barry did some good things for DC before home rule, encouraging employment over crime and acting as a go-between for disaffected Blacks and progressive Whites ... Read "Dream City"
did the hand melt off?
i keed, i keed!