Voted early today - what an experience!!!

mammag wrote: DH & I decided to vote early today so that we could go together. As some of you may know he became a citizen this year so it's his first year to vote.

It was a horrendous experience. First of all, we walk out of the parking garage smack into the middle of an Obama rally. Well, as most of you know I'm very much a Republican so that was absolute torture for me. Chris was just laughing, didn't bother him really.

Then the lines!!!!!!!! We were in line for just over 4 hours! I thought it would never end. I am so exhausted right now but glad that it's over. And proud to have my Republican husband voting at my side. It was nice to be there with him for that.

A&A'smommy replied: I didn't know he wasn't a US citizen, where is he from?

sparkys2boys replied: Glad it's over for you!

msoulz replied: WOW, now why does it take so long? Would it be that long on Tuesday? We don't early vote here in Michigan so I am clueless to this process.

And congrats to DH on his citizenship.

MommyToAshley replied: Congratulations to your DH!!! I'm sorry his first time voting was such a horrendous experience. What did he say about the whole experience?

I wonder if the lines will be less on Tuesday. I don't know how your district does it, but here there are only a few places to vote early but on election day all the polling places will be open so there will be more places to vote and hopefully shorter lines. (as that's when I am voting!)

I'm surprised about the Obama rally. I thought that it is against the law to have any kind of campaigning or signage within so many feet of the polling place? At least that is how it is here and it is actually enforced.

Congrats again to your DH.

mammag replied:
He is from the Phillipines but has lived here since he was about 3. He is as American as me and doesn't speak the language at all. His parents just never became full citizens and when he was old enough to do it himself just never did because of the hassle. It was a very special moment for the whole family when he did. The kids went with us and of course I was crying.

mammag replied:
They said that today was the longest the lines got. Most likely because the rally was going on.

Last presidential election I think I stood in line for 2 hours so not nearly this bad. Maybe even shorter but it felt like an eternity because Keegan was born 1 week before so I was in pain and carrying his carrier along with me.

A&A'smommy replied:
ohhh well thats awesome congratulations to him!!!

mammag replied:
Yeah it's a hundred feet. The rally was actually at the State house and the voting was a bit of a walk (at Veterans Memorial). We parked there (not knowing what was going on) and figured it would be easier to make the walk because a lot of streets were shut down. LOL!, we thought all the many people heading that way were just eager voters and they shut streets down for that. It didn't click in my head until we were right in the middle of the crowd that I had heard he would be in town today. Can you imagine if we would have been wearing McCain shirts or something! We quite quickly made our way out of that fiasco and over to the voting location.

They did make one woman turn her tshirt inside out when she got close to the voting booths because she had a big Obama shirt on.

I'm thinking the lines will be better this election than 4 years ago even since there is the early voting. I don't think we would have gone early if it weren't for my morning schedule and us wanting to do it together his first time. We took our "cheat sheets" with us and he got to go first but I was done first because he was taking extra care filling in his little bubbles. It was so cute. And he was all reading his instructions very carefully....what a good citizen he is making.

Sam & Abby's Mom replied:
Same here! Last election I was 37 wks pregnant with Sammy. Stood in line about 2 hrs ? Had to go shoeless at work for the rest of the day because my feet were so swollen from standing so long ! LOL

Dont know exactly what the Obama rally was like when you voted but everytime I've ever voted (I'm 38) there's always people standing in front of the building passing out flyers, etc. A bit annoying, regardless who you are voting for.

lisar replied: I went in the middle of the day on a weekday so that I didnt have to wait in lines.

mom21kid2dogs replied: We so cannot relate to all the lines in the metro polling places! I once waited 3 minutes for a booth to come available but that was my longest wait at a polling place ever and I've never missed a vote since I turned 18. I guess there is one benefit to living in the boonies!!!

my2monkeyboys replied: That's awesome about your Dh!! Congrats to him - and the rest of you!
It stinks that the line was so long, but it's great to see people out voting!