Coffee talk

[forty_three]

Don't mind me. Just warming this one up.

 

[dash]

It's the Don of a new day 43...

 

[Gatorchip]

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

This is my favourite Trump-related item of them all. Best going-away present possible:

http://deadspin.com/trump-claims-tom-brady-endorsement-recites-glowing-let-1788684417

"This guy is a true champ so he writes, Coach Belichick,

“Congratulations on a tremendous campaign. You have to help with an unbelievable slanted and negative media and have come out beautifully. You have proven to be the ultimate competitor fighter. Your leadership is amazing. I have always had tremendous respect for you for the toughness and perseverance you have displayed over the past year is remarkable. Hopefully tomorrow’s election, the results will give the opportunity to make America great again.

Best wishes for great results tomorrow,

Bill Belichick.”"

As one of the comments at the bottom states, "“You have dealt with an unbelievable slanted and negative media and have come out beautifully” sounds 0% like something Bill Belichick would say, and 100% like something Donald Trump would say while reading a blank page he is pretending is a letter from Bill Belichick"

 

[forty_three]

So, as I was leaving my neighborhood this morning, I noticed that there are cars lined up all along the main road out. Which is not typical. Then I realized, they are parked there for the polling place.


Our polling place is 3/4ths of a mile from my neighborhood entrance. There were more than a hundred cars. So that means the school lot was full and people parked that far away to go vote.

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

I early voted because they generally say they can only handle about 40% of registered voters on election day during presidential years. And even that's with lines that can be massive in the areas in and around the city.

 

[forty_three]

STUDY: Watching Only Fox News Makes You Less Informed Than Watching No News At All

Duh

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

So, as I was leaving my neighborhood this morning, I noticed that there are cars lined up all along the main road out. Which is not typical. Then I realized, they are parked there for the polling place.


Our polling place is 3/4ths of a mile from my neighborhood entrance. There were more than a hundred cars. So that means the school lot was full and people parked that far away to go vote.

I've always been stunned by how woefully inadequate the number of polling locations and how well they're managed is in America.

I know you guys vote for like 200 things on election day as opposed to us ticking off one box among 4 options but the longest I've ever had to wait to vote was the last election and I was there for maybe 12 minutes. And I live in the country's most populated city.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

I've always been stunned by how woefully inadequate the number of polling locations and how well they're managed is in America.

I know you guys vote for like 200 things on election day as opposed to us ticking off one box among 4 options but the longest I've ever had to wait to vote was the last election and I was there for maybe 12 minutes. And I live in the country's most populated city.

yah i dont get it ... we had around a 70% turnout federally last year and i walked right into the the elementary school gym the vote was being held at in my neighbourhood ... one of the 3 volunteers at the door directed me to which table/booth i had to step up to and I was there for about 7 minutes and 6 of those were waiting for my kids to get off the gym apparatus on the wall so we could go home

 

[forty_three]

I've always been stunned by how woefully inadequate the number of polling locations and how well they're managed is in America.

I know you guys vote for like 200 things on election day as opposed to us ticking off one box among 4 options but the longest I've ever had to wait to vote was the last election and I was there for maybe 12 minutes. And I live in the country's most populated city.

As sabrefan alluded to, they staff them/set them up for the average turnout, which is typically around 40% on election day. Ohio being an early voting state cuts the crowds a bit usually. I just heard on the local radio that statewide, 40% of Ohio residents have already voted early. So today's turnout is on top of the typical turnout.

America leaves a lot to be desired with regards to voter turnout, but honestly I like the delays. It means people are getting in there. And truth be told, even though there aren't enough polling places, they get people through relatively smoothly.

The last three elections have been pretty major turnout, so hopefully they will open up some more polling places.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

yah i dont get it ... we had around a 70% turnout federally last year and i walked right into the the elementary school gym the vote was being held at in my neighbourhood ... one of the 3 volunteers at the door directed me to which table/booth i had to step up to and I was there for about 7 minutes and 6 of those were waiting for my kids to get off the gym apparatus on the wall so we could go home

Exactly. It's just never been an issue and I've never really heard any reports of it being more than moderately time-consuming if at all and even when it is it tends to be in neighbourhoods where English is by-and-large a second language.

Like I said, I think the fact they often toss state reps, governors, judicial nominees, comptrollers, 5 ballot initiatives and school cafeteria cooks on the same ballot just makes the process longer and leads to a residual effect but in no place on earth should voting be a multiple-hour process.

 

[jstewismybastardson]

Exactly. It's just never been an issue and I've never really heard any reports of it being more than moderately time-consuming if at all and even when it is it tends to be in neighbourhoods where English is by-and-large a second language.

Like I said, I think the fact they often toss state reps, governors, judicial nominees, comptrollers, 5 ballot initiatives and school cafeteria cooks on the same ballot just makes the process longer and leads to a residual effect but in no place on earth should voting be a multiple-hour process.

I think there were issues in downtown vancouver last year at a couple of polling stations but i think it was because volunteers didnt show up or went to wrong locations

 

[jstewismybastardson]

As sabrefan alluded to, they staff them/set them up for the average turnout, which is typically around 40% on election day. Ohio being an early voting state cuts the crowds a bit usually. I just heard on the local radio that statewide, 40% of Ohio residents have already voted early. So today's turnout is on top of the typical turnout.

America leaves a lot to be desired with regards to voter turnout, but honestly I like the delays. It means people are getting in there. And truth be told, even though there aren't enough polling places, they get people through relatively smoothly.

The last three elections have been pretty major turnout, so hopefully they will open up some more polling places.

that would be the problem then

last election here, there were 2 kids (probably late teens early 20s - im old lol) in the parking lot of the polling station directing traffic in the parking lot and all they were doing was hitting rocks at each other with their stop signs

 

[jstewismybastardson]

are employers legally obligated to let employees take time (up to 3 hours) off work to vote ?

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

As sabrefan alluded to, they staff them/set them up for the average turnout, which is typically around 40% on election day. Ohio being an early voting state cuts the crowds a bit usually. I just heard on the local radio that statewide, 40% of Ohio residents have already voted early. So today's turnout is on top of the typical turnout.

America leaves a lot to be desired with regards to voter turnout, but honestly I like the delays. It means people are getting in there. And truth be told, even though there aren't enough polling places, they get people through relatively smoothly.

The last three elections have been pretty major turnout, so hopefully they will open up some more polling places.

I think the best thing for you guys would be a mail-in option. I know some states have it.

 

[forty_three]

Exactly. It's just never been an issue and I've never really heard any reports of it being more than moderately time-consuming if at all and even when it is it tends to be in neighbourhoods where English is by-and-large a second language.

Like I said, I think the fact they often toss state reps, governors, judicial nominees, comptrollers, 5 ballot initiatives and school cafeteria cooks on the same ballot just makes the process longer and leads to a residual effect but in no place on earth should voting be a multiple-hour process.

My ballot this year is 23 pages. 5 of which are bond and tax levy issues.

So yeah, it takes a while. But it's nice to feel like I have a say in why my taxes go up.

Plus the voters here got the chance to vote down a really poorly written casino law. We don't just choose the top step of the podium.

are employers legally obligated to let employees take time (up to 3 hours) off work to vote ?

Varies by state, of course. In Ohio employers have to give a "reasonable" amount of time off to vote. But they do not have to pay hourly employees to do so. I blocked my calendar at lunch for 3 hours. My boss is cool with it. She was in line this morning when her local poll opened.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

are employers legally obligated to let employees take time (up to 3 hours) off work to vote ?

If I'm not mistaken, they are obligated by law to allow the time but they don't have to pay them for those hours so few lower-income people take advantage.

 

[forty_three]

I think the best thing for you guys would be a mail-in option. I know some states have it.

That's one of the options for early voting. You can go to the county board of elections and cast in person or request an absentee ballot and send that in.

But the absentee ballots are only counted if the in person votes are within a certain margin of closeness. And there are always stories of boxes of absentee ballots getting lost or destroyed by mistake.


The best answer is two fold; Make it a national holiday, and open more polling locations. Every fire station, library and school should be a polling place.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

This is my favourite Trump-related item of them all. Best going-away present possible:

http://deadspin.com/trump-claims-tom-brady-endorsement-recites-glowing-let-1788684417

"This guy is a true champ so he writes, Coach Belichick,

“Congratulations on a tremendous campaign. You have to help with an unbelievable slanted and negative media and have come out beautifully. You have proven to be the ultimate competitor fighter. Your leadership is amazing. I have always had tremendous respect for you for the toughness and perseverance you have displayed over the past year is remarkable. Hopefully tomorrow’s election, the results will give the opportunity to make America great again.

Best wishes for great results tomorrow,

Bill Belichick.”"

As one of the comments at the bottom states, "“You have dealt with an unbelievable slanted and negative media and have come out beautifully” sounds 0% like something Bill Belichick would say, and 100% like something Donald Trump would say while reading a blank page he is pretending is a letter from Bill Belichick"

Well i'll be fucked:

 

[dash]

STUDY: Watching Only Fox News Makes You Less Informed Than Watching No News At All

Duh

You mean Hannity isn't fair and balanced?