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But what happens to the bake sales on Election Day?
By adamg on Sat, 10/29/2016 - 1:48pm
Shortly after noon, John Burger reported the line to vote at the West Roxbury library was around the corner and up near the Lyndon School.
Todd Duval reported a long line in Lower Mills, as well. And Dan O'Brien shows us the people waiting to vote in the Bolling Building in Dudley Square:
Great turnout for #earlyvoting at Bolling Building as #BuildBPS continues! @BostonSchools @universalhub pic.twitter.com/fzEDuXz1aR
— Dan O'Brien (@danobrien155) October 29, 2016
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Comments
Still a long line at 2:30
All the way around the corner to the school, just as it was at Noon.
FWIW
It took us 1 hour and 12 minutes from the start of waiting in line until we walked out after voting.
Can someone who's done this explain the appeal?
So far it appears that the lines are waaaaay longer for early voting than for day-of voting.
So what's the appeal? That it's a weekend? That you're so sick of the election (amen) that the sooner you get your involvement over with the better?
I will admit that I am looking forward to shorter lines on election day as a result.
(p.s. adam, re: bake sales - I don't know if this is a general thing, but at our local voting place - the Bates K-5 - they seem to have stopped having bake sales as of a couple elections ago. Not sure why - it was a huge money-maker for the SPC when our kidlet was attending).
Appeal
The appeal for me was to get this horrible election off my list. Totally worth an hour of my Saturday.
ya i know
I wonder what the appeal is. I know everyone's so polarized this election that I think we're going to have record turn out. But my facebook feed is filled with my friends who are all voting. I guess I don't see the point except to miss the crowds, but it seems like the crowds are following to early voting so was it worth it?
Who voted early?
The city's Elections Department has released the first three days worth of Early Voting data. Tough to draw any conclusions, but interesting to analyze, nonetheless.
More than 10% of those who chose to vote early appear to have registered for the first time in 2016. This would make sense - these voters are excited about having the opportunity to vote so they went out and voted during the first three days.
So, that's the appeal.
Shorter wait time
Given my experiences with past presidential elections, I figured it'd be a shorter wait time (with no fretting about being late to work) than voting on election day. The 30 mins I spent this morning to vote was definitely the fastest i have ever voted for a presidential election.
I'm voting early because...
I have to work all day and when I get out it will be too late to vote. Yes I can wake up early and get to the polls before 7am, but this allows me at my own connivence to vote and get it out of my way.
Seems worse than normal Presidential race voting
I don't recall ever seeing more than 30 people in front of me when voting at City Hall. Have voted in 4 presidential races. Same for governor races - certainly closer than presidential races are in the state.
Easier than absentee balloting
I'm going to be busy on Tuesday and it is much easier for me to do it tomorrow than to get an absentee ballot at some odd hour of a weekday.
My son came home from college for the weekend, and he voted today.
The time flexibility means that many people have just put out "meet me at city hall" facebook posts, and made a bit of a party of it - vote, then pastry or coffee klatch time.
I was working to day, but my husband said that he was wearing his "I voted" sticker around Medford Square, courtesy of Medford citizens, and several people said "you can go vote TODAY??".
Cosign
I never have experienced a serious wait at all at St Nectarios, although I often voted around 9:30. Why throw away your time like this?
Your Mileage May Vary
You don't have long waits. You can vote at 9:30.
That's nice, it works for you, and so you don't have a reason to early vote.
However, other people don't have this deal. So they vote early at their convenience. They are not "throwing away their time" because they aren't in your situation.
As an hourly paid employee
As an hourly paid employee who drives to Forest Hills and then takes the orange line to downtown crossing and needs to be at work by 830 and cannot leave earlier that 5 pm, the appeal is that i will not lose pay from either showing up late because the lines are long when polls open or by leaving early to try not to freeze while waiting in line in the dark.
It's probably still faster
It's probably still faster for those who vote before or after work. I remember waiting over an hour in line at 7 am in 2008.
Long line in the Back Bay
At the BPL.
Correct me if I'm wrong...
...but they only scheduled one day, for six hours, at the BPL. Seems woefully inadequate given the local population. Contrast that with City Hall, where they're allowing voting every day. I'm guessing more registered Boston voters live near the BPL Government Center.
Anyway, I know it's the first time out and I applaud the idea. Hopefully they can work out the bugs next time around.
Yes-
BPL would be a convenient location for me but I work on Saturdays-other Boston sites besides City Hall were/are also open only one day-it would be nice if they could expand days/hours at other locations for the next election.
Walked by there at 7ish,
Walked by there at 7ish, there was a police officer at the back of the line. Looked like those BBQ joints where a person is given a sign that says "If you are after me, you aren't getting any"
Back Bay
Voting til 6 pm....
Normally the library closes at 5 pm-I wonder if the entire library is open for the extra hour?
All the money to open these
All the money to open these polling places for so many days could have gone to the T and you would have gotten a fixed train or two.
The City of Boston doesn't
The City of Boston doesn't run the T.
Comp time
People working the polls are often getting comp time - they will be able to take much of the year-end time off.
Voted the first day
Why? 1) I was near City Hall. 2) I did not feel rushed. 3) On November 8th I'm not concerned about getting home early enough to vote. 4) I'm done. Whatever the outcome for any of the candidates or referenda I've done my part.
Even in Allston
The wait to vote in Allston was an hour long yesterday afternoon. There were far more people voting early than I saw vote in the last presidential election.
Not me
I'm holding out for Election Day. I WANT A CUPCAKE DAMMIT.
I won't lie - I'm worried about our BPS bake sale
I totally get people needing to vote early, but I help out with our school bakesale and it's a big fundraiser at our BPS in West Roxbury. Maybe next election we'll see if we can set up a table outside the library as well.