Cleveland Ohio - 6:30 am: HUGE lines already!

I live across the street from my polliing place so I got up early expecting to hit it when it opened and breeze in and out. How pleasantly surprised I was to see that lines had already formed! I had to wait half an hour. And I got off light compared to people just showing up.

On the bad side: Repub challengers INSIDE, news media barred, so the 'pukes got everything they wanted: on-the-spot obstruction with no oversight. My city Councilman (God bless ya, Joe!) was out handing out voter guides and he told me that three 'pukes in poorer ward were all up in an elderly african-american woman's face yelling at her that she had to stand around the corner to hand out flyers. It's gonna be motherfuckin' ugly, folks.

document everything. They shall not steal! That must be our motto today!

armed with cameras and phones!!

Lakewood (right outside Cleveland - west side) had long lines at 6:00am.
Polls open at 6:30am.

I was there with MoveOnPac to checkoff voters we had contacted.
My polling place actually has 4 precincts for the one building.

The Ohio election official only permitted one MoveOn volunteer inside.
We had 4 volunteers.

We obliged and the rest of us will stay outside. We'll be calling our voter list
to see if anybody needs a ride. Many elderly in the precinct may want a ride because
it's raining.

I didn't see any problems. The election official only permitted one Republican and One Democrat challenger and instructed them they could not speak to the voters. They may only speak to the election workers.

challengers? Can you just ignore them if they try to question you?

and welcome to DU, briang5000!

Yeah, the Republican challenger sat there quietly and kept to himself, but goddamn, he just LOOKED like a total shitweasel!

I'm not that worried, though - I'm in dem-heavy Tremont, and it's a rough-and-tumble crowd here. I don't forsee people being shrinking violets in the face of a challenge this little feeb.

Hey, I don't know what you may have going on after the polls close, but lots of left-type folks are planning a get-together at Edison's pub in Tremont to watch the returns. More warm bodies to cheer on the good guys are always welcome.

Thanks for the invite. I already plan on getting together some friends to watch the results
when i get off work.

I work for one of the local TV stations and I'm not quite sure when our local coverage will wrap up.

Our coverage wraps up mid-afternoon when we have to go to press. It kind of sucks not to have the timeliness of the dailies or the TV stations - that bums me out every election.

They (The Repukes) will be overwhelmed by shear numbers.

By the way, what happens when they reach the time of closing, and there is still a 2 hour line to vote?

The Ohio Law (maybe national?)

If you're in line before the announced closing time; the polls should remain open
to accommodate everybody in line.

Any harrassment, intimidation, or general assholishness needs to be reported post-haste. Also call your local Democratic Party HQ to see if they have a lawyer squad they'd like to donate.

Don't let this fascist bullying go unchallenged. Call your local Dem Party headquarters and the ACLU. Then get on the phone with your local TV/radio station!

Anyone have that 800 number for reporting voting problems? Please post it here and post it OFTEN.

1-866-MY-VOTE-1
this number allows you to report any problems.
Give as much info as you have. Names, location, problem, etc.


1-866-OUR-VOTE
this number will give you immediate legal assistance.
this is the 9/11 of voter hotlines

There is also a trouble form online at http://www.moveonpac.org

I hope our fellow dem's will be willing to wait in rain and lots of it if necessary.

Nothing major, though. It's northern Ohio, this is how we live.

No challengers.

To paraphrase Slim Pickens . . .

ONE Gen-Yew-Ine AH-HIGH-AH vote case for the 44th President of this great republic and last night's headlining act . . . JOHN FORBES KERRY! Also double checked the chad - that pup is DEAD.

I don't live there anymore, but that's wonderful to hear! I still know some people there who will be voting later today--I'll let them know there will probably be a wait! ;-) :bounce:

pop up from their list of 35K? We need reports on what is happening. If they challenge someone, does this happen off to the side and everyone continues voting?

four o'clock----they are trying to get at the Dem working people who have to punch a clock and cannot be late for work and who are tired at the end of the day and want to get home. They will slack off during the hours when the "bosses" can take off whenever they want and go vote.

Mrs. Beast & I decided to hit the polls at 6:30 too. Already there were huge lines. No challengers, though, and everything went smoothly.

If I get out of work early, I'll probably swing out there later to see if my mom needs a lift to the polls.

i voted in olmsted twp with my partner. we waited in line about half an hour. he voted for the first time so it was very exciting for him. the place was packed and we were there before 7am.

j