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Gustoferson · 11-02-2004, 01:29 PM

Now with more provisional voting goodness!

Thanks to Tophat, who in telling me to march back down there got me the idea to just call the people at the county boe myself and ask about it, rather than take the confused word of the election workers at 10 this morning.

Turns out they were expecting me back. It seems four other people through today have had what happened to me happen to them and during these messes they figured out that they were after all supposed to allow provisional balloting. So I after I walk in and briefly explain my phone conversation to the boe officials and they realize i'm the same one from earlier, they pull me aside again and tell me about the provisional ballot. First off I got one of the massive voter cards where you vote by using a thick felt pen and connecting the middle of a broken arrow to vote. I fill that out at a table and then she brings over the provisional voting envelope. At the top it is basically a repeat of a voter registration card, which I awkwardly fill out with the same thick felt tip pen (3s are a bitch to write with that thing, by the way).

Then I fill out the bottom of the envelope, which has several different things to check off and fill in. They are best described as the reasons you think you should be allowed to cast a provisional. There are some about being registered in a different district, moving recently, errors in registration, and whatnot. I fill out a couple of them that are closest to my reasons before, something along the lines of them having no record of registration though you've lived here for however long. Of course this is all in painful legal speak so the election volunteer is trying to read along with me and between the two of us figure out what they are saying. Then another place to sign and date it. Turns out the back of this is the envelope part, and the top 'voter registration-esque' part is the flap that covers and seals it. Only problem is the ballots are massive and the envelope is, well, not so massive. So I have to tri-fold this very heavy paper, damn near cardboard, myself while being witnessed, and try to fit it in the envelope. Of course it doesn't qute fit correctly, but none of them ever do, I'm told. I peel the backing off the sticky part, which won't work for most of it since it will be just stuck to the back of the ballot, and fold the registration-type part over the top and try to seal it down. It doesn't seal, but close enough they say.

I then take it over and they put it into something looking like an oversized banking money bag, and say they will hand deliver them to the board of elections central office tonight. All the prov voting will be counted by hand in the next couple of days, pending individual approval by the board that they feel it is legitimate and should be counted. They also handed me a sheet of paper saying that as of the 10th of the month, I will be able to go online to the website they have listed, and use my full name, date of birth, and a PIN printed on a sticker placed on the sheet, and find out if they counted my ballot or not, and why not if that is the case.

So now I do have my "I voted" sticker, and turned down an offer for multiple ones for the hoops i had to jump through and returning again after several hours, and I have kinda voted. In 8 days I will know for sure if I voted or not in this election via that website.

I'm still a little upset, remenants from me feelings before and the fact that its not 100% that they'll take my vote, but I've calmed down a lot considering. You learn a lot of lessons this way, most important about trusting something as important as voter registration to other students in a student organization without ever checking up on it yourself afterwards. Also writing it all out gave me something to do with the situation and in between all the time i spent today trying to figure everything out, and skipping 2 classes in the process. Also saved me the trouble of trying to type all that out umpteen times to different people.

Oh and by the way, they say that I will definately be registered for the next elections now.

Yeah, I've heard that before, think I'll doublecheck that one this time.

11-02-2004, 01:29 PM	#51 (permalink)
Gustoferson Crazy Location: Chapel Hill, NC	Now with more provisional voting goodness! Thanks to Tophat, who in telling me to march back down there got me the idea to just call the people at the county boe myself and ask about it, rather than take the confused word of the election workers at 10 this morning. Turns out they were expecting me back. It seems four other people through today have had what happened to me happen to them and during these messes they figured out that they were after all supposed to allow provisional balloting. So I after I walk in and briefly explain my phone conversation to the boe officials and they realize i'm the same one from earlier, they pull me aside again and tell me about the provisional ballot. First off I got one of the massive voter cards where you vote by using a thick felt pen and connecting the middle of a broken arrow to vote. I fill that out at a table and then she brings over the provisional voting envelope. At the top it is basically a repeat of a voter registration card, which I awkwardly fill out with the same thick felt tip pen (3s are a bitch to write with that thing, by the way). Then I fill out the bottom of the envelope, which has several different things to check off and fill in. They are best described as the reasons you think you should be allowed to cast a provisional. There are some about being registered in a different district, moving recently, errors in registration, and whatnot. I fill out a couple of them that are closest to my reasons before, something along the lines of them having no record of registration though you've lived here for however long. Of course this is all in painful legal speak so the election volunteer is trying to read along with me and between the two of us figure out what they are saying. Then another place to sign and date it. Turns out the back of this is the envelope part, and the top 'voter registration-esque' part is the flap that covers and seals it. Only problem is the ballots are massive and the envelope is, well, not so massive. So I have to tri-fold this very heavy paper, damn near cardboard, myself while being witnessed, and try to fit it in the envelope. Of course it doesn't qute fit correctly, but none of them ever do, I'm told. I peel the backing off the sticky part, which won't work for most of it since it will be just stuck to the back of the ballot, and fold the registration-type part over the top and try to seal it down. It doesn't seal, but close enough they say. I then take it over and they put it into something looking like an oversized banking money bag, and say they will hand deliver them to the board of elections central office tonight. All the prov voting will be counted by hand in the next couple of days, pending individual approval by the board that they feel it is legitimate and should be counted. They also handed me a sheet of paper saying that as of the 10th of the month, I will be able to go online to the website they have listed, and use my full name, date of birth, and a PIN printed on a sticker placed on the sheet, and find out if they counted my ballot or not, and why not if that is the case. So now I do have my "I voted" sticker, and turned down an offer for multiple ones for the hoops i had to jump through and returning again after several hours, and I have kinda voted. In 8 days I will know for sure if I voted or not in this election via that website. I'm still a little upset, remenants from me feelings before and the fact that its not 100% that they'll take my vote, but I've calmed down a lot considering. You learn a lot of lessons this way, most important about trusting something as important as voter registration to other students in a student organization without ever checking up on it yourself afterwards. Also writing it all out gave me something to do with the situation and in between all the time i spent today trying to figure everything out, and skipping 2 classes in the process. Also saved me the trouble of trying to type all that out umpteen times to different people. Oh and by the way, they say that I will definately be registered for the next elections now. Yeah, I've heard that before, think I'll doublecheck that one this time. __________________ ...And then I found $5!