Polling experience in NC -

I live in a small town, and it was wonderful. For the first time in as long as I've lived here people had a canopy set up outside and others were greeting each other with handshakes and smiles.

Very relaxed atmosphere- a couple examples.

Longer line than usual, actually had to wait for our ballots. People chit chatting about "Wow sure is humid" and such. I've never known people to visit before, and I've been here five years. Not even for local commisioner voting etc.

Outside, people greeting my husband and shaking his hand. I was introduced to more people today than in the last 6 months LOL

Lots of support for Bev Perdue for Gov (Female, Dem- Retired school teacher and former health care provider) Yes it all complied with the "Not within 50 feet" ruling.

Inside, as I put my ballot in the machine the fella put a sticker on me and said "Just like when you go to the Doc, but it says I Voted instead- Sorry no lollypops!" Lots of smiles and laughter.

Gentleman came up after, put his in and cracked a joke "I betcha it's a shredder!" After a very short blink, everyone around busted up laughing.

It was the best experience I had voting in a long time, no tension at all and alot more people than I've ever seen.

I'm sitting here with a smile on my face :)

from my own experience working on Harvey Gantt's campaign to send Jesse Helms packing. Durham, 1990. Polling machines "breaking down" in this predominantly African-American town. People being turned away after waiting for hours to vote. We were calling up the people who had gone home, telling them the polling places were going to be kept open longer, and we'd drive out, pick them up, and deliver them to their polling places.

Just across the street from Gantt headquarters, a crowd of Helms' thugs watched and waited. Whenever we sent out a car to pick up another voter, the Helms thugs piled into one of their cars and followed us. They drove crazily, cutting us off, shouting slurs and curses. When we would arrive at a voter's door, they would jump out, yelling that we were lying, that the voter would not get to vote, and they should just stay home.

I later heard that Charlotte was having the same "breakdowns" of polling machines, and my fellow volunteers spoke of similar tactics among Helms supporters.

Shortly after, I left NC. I still visit, because it's a beautiful place, generally filled with really nice folks. But I'll never forget that one election night.

So I looked up some demographics.

We are a community that is a little more than half AA :) I'm a little bit of alot of things, but pale- probably about 3/4 Scott Irish. Hubby is mostly S/I as well.


This is us, and I'm so glad that it wasn't terrible like your experience. I'm so sorry you had to go through that, it sounds frightening.

Yes- NC is beautiful and I've found many good people here. Let's hope what happened to you and the voters that night never happens again (fingers crossed)

It's folks like you that keep me coming back to NC (that and my parents live there). Harvey Gantt may not have beaten Helms, but it looks like NC has gotten behind Obama. Keep fighting the good fight!