Please hurry, November 9!

[L&Lfan]

I'll be watching the results on FNC from my room at the Boardwalk Inn that night after a splendid dinner at Boma. That in itself will make Election Day tolerable.

 

[tvguy]

Wow, I have NEVER experienced a line to vote in the 41 years I have been old enough to vote. That's GREAT if that many people are voting. We usually go vote as a family about 2 in the afternoon after the polls have been open 7 hours and we have never had more than about 70 people vote ahead of us. And they say here about half the folks will be voting my mail this year, so it should be even less.
Yeah, the robocalls are annoying, I probably should turn off my landline and leave my cell phone on when I go to bed. My wife, DD, DS, DDIL and DMIL are the only ones who have my cell phone number, since 2 of them live here, there are only 3 people who might call.

 

[kimblebee]

This election has been going on forever. Our last election was the longest one ever and a lot of people were complaining. How long was it? 11 weeks LOL

 

[Turn the Page]

I'm so glad I don't have cable/tv. Next election season, I'm cancelling the newspaper for the entire year before!

I would cancel it for longer than that. Speculation about candidates and such starts earlier and earlier every election cycle. Sometimes I feel like people are always running for president, there isn't a down time anymore.

 

[Kitty 34]

Netflix has been my friend.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

We have a blackout period in the UK too. Honestly we just dance at that date. We also have each party have a fixed amount they are allowed to use on the campaign and thank goodness it's not that high. So we only get cheap posters and a few TV ads but not as much as you guys. I feel for you it's even all over our news all day! I am fed up with it and I am not even American!

 

[monarchsfan16]

Here in NH, as the first in the nation primary state, new potential candidates for 4 years from now will start visiting about November 10th. I wish I was kidding. While this is the weirdest election ever and I can't wait to be done with it (though I'm scared of the results/ramifications), campaigning, both official and unofficial never really ends here. And I have a hunch that regardless of how this election ends, with everyone so polarized, early campaigning will look more substantial for the next election.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

Canada also has a much shorter election cycle.

November 9th is my birthday!! So let's hope it is a day of celebration.

 

[Turn the Page]

Here in NH, as the first in the nation primary state, new potential candidates for 4 years from now will start visiting about November 10th. I wish I was kidding. While this is the weirdest election ever and I can't wait to be done with it (though I'm scared of the results/ramifications), campaigning, both official and unofficial never really ends here. And I have a hunch that regardless of how this election ends, with everyone so polarized, early campaigning will look more substantial for the next election.

I have seen a particular commercial on TV lately that addresses this but for the life of me I can't remember what show it is for. I think it is for some late night talk show type thing with a female host but I don't recognize her. Anyway, it has her watching a clip of political pundits rehashing the VP debate and commenting that Mike Pence was setting up his presidential campaign for 2020 and it cuts to the host screaming "No!! No we are not doing this!!! We are not starting the 2020 election now!!!!"

I always get a chuckle out of that.

 

[sunshinehighway]

Here in NH, as the first in the nation primary state, new potential candidates for 4 years from now will start visiting about November 10th. I wish I was kidding. While this is the weirdest election ever and I can't wait to be done with it (though I'm scared of the results/ramifications), campaigning, both official and unofficial never really ends here. And I have a hunch that regardless of how this election ends, with everyone so polarized, early campaigning will look more substantial for the next election.

I'm in MA and I'm so sick of seeing commercials for NH's Senate race. They are on just as often as ones for presidential candidates. it's not like I live near the MA/NH border or anything. It's ridiculous.
Like many others, I'll just be glad when the whole thing is over. It's gone on way too long.
I voted early just to get it over with. I'm not paying attention anymore.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

I already saw a TV ad for some doofus running for New Jersey governor in 2017.

I get Philly TV stations. There have been non-stop commercials for the Pennsylvania Senate race, most of them attack and opponent-bashing ads. Often 4 or 5 in the same half-hour program. Sometimes back to back D then R. At least 10 times the amount of presidential ads.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I don't think the crazy will stop on the 9th.

Given the two most obvious potential outcomes, the crazy is going to be with us a minimum of 4 years.

 

[usnuzuloose]

I don't watch. Just ignore it and don't let it bother you.

 

[maxaroni]

I already saw a TV ad for some doofus running for New Jersey governor in 2017.

I get Philly TV stations. There have been non-stop commercials for the Pennsylvania Senate race, most of them attack and opponent-bashing ads. Often 4 or 5 in the same half-hour program. Sometimes back to back D then R. At least 10 times the amount of presidential ads.

Same boat as you. Ugh

 

[superme80]

Nice thing about kids. Veggietales, Super Mario Super Show, and video games have been taking up my tv. Now if I could get my facebook friends to chill!

 

[mom2rtk]

I highly recommend syndicated reruns of Law & Order. There are 20 years of old episodes to draw from. This time of year I load up the DVR with old programming on stations the candidates don't even think to buy spots on. I'm going to save some for inauguration day, regardless of the outcome.

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

Netflix has been my friend.

I spent the entire day binge watching GLITCH on Netflix.

 

[jevs]

Instead of just choosing one person, you provide a rank for all the people on the ballot. Doesn't really work in what is, essentially, a two party system. I'm not sure if Australia forces you to rank all the candidates or if you can choose how many to rank (different systems have some tweaks and different rules).

You have two choices, vote above the line or below the line. Voting below is how to truly make your vote count, there are of course, a lot more boxes to number.

eta: missed the important info for you doh! Above the line is for the parties. Below is for candidates.

 

[bcla]

Do you get a blackout period from advertising? In Australia political advertising is banned from midnight on the Wednesday before the Saturday election and it is bliss! Of course, we then get bombarded with how to vote cards at the polling place (we have preferential voting)...but at least we get a sausage in bread!

In the United States it's illegal to give anything of value in exchange for voting. I've heard of restaurants offering some freebies for people showing a voting stub, but they stopped after finding it was illegal. Some poll places have even offered food such as cookies, but those are quickly shut down too. Poll places vary - including schools, churches, community centers, etc. Most are in places with reasonably large auditoriums, but I voted once in somebody's garage (I understand some call it a carport). Some of the owners of the polling places have offered food without conditions, but that's not OK.

As for that type of voting, we call that "ranked-choice" voting here in the US. The city of Oakland, California did that for the first time in 2010. This is a mock ballot with faked names, but the county released this image to show how it worked. Even though this particular political office was at the city level, counties in California handle voting with specific precincts that may have somewhat different ballots. My polling place actually handles two precincts.

Oakland actually elected a mayor through this process. They didn't get a majority of first choice votes for the leading vote-getter and went through many rounds. I'm not getting too political, but that mayor was universally seen as ineffective. The last election went through 15 rounds.

https://ballotpedia.org/Oakland,_California_municipal_elections,_2014

 

[jevs]

In the United States it's illegal to give anything of value in exchange for voting. I've heard of restaurants offering some freebies for people showing a voting stub, but they stopped after finding it was illegal. Some poll places have even offered food such as cookies, but those are quickly shut down too. Poll places vary - including schools, churches, community centers, etc. Most are in places with reasonably large auditoriums, but I voted once in somebody's garage (I understand some call it a carport). Some of the owners of the polling places have offered food without conditions, but that's not OK.

As for that type of voting, we call that "ranked-choice" voting here in the US. The city of Oakland, California did that for the first time in 2010. This is a mock ballot with faked names, but the county released this image to show how it worked. Even though this particular political office was at the city level, counties in California handle voting with specific precincts that may have somewhat different ballots. My polling place actually handles two precincts.

Oakland actually elected a mayor through this process. They didn't get a majority of first choice votes for the leading vote-getter and went through many rounds. I'm not getting too political, but that mayor was universally seen as ineffective. The last election went through 15 rounds.

https://ballotpedia.org/Oakland,_California_municipal_elections,_2014

The sausage sizzles are usually set up to fundraise. In my area the CFA or local schools may do it. You pay for it, maybe $1 - $2.