Last election I dropped off my ballot early in the County Administration Office drop box on Anacapa Street the weekend before the election. My thinking, this was the most direct and secure route for my ballot be counted on Election Day the following Tuesday.
I followed the fate of my ballot online and it never showed up by Election Day the following Tuesday. Contacting the county I was informed ballots from this official drop box were not collected over the weekend. Instead, they just sat there in the drop box for days, on this busy public street.
It was not until the following Thursday, two days after the election and nearly a week after I had dropped off my ballot, that I was informed my ballot had finally been processed.
This is not good enough for government work. Zero tolerance for error is the only standard to apply. This means an immediate return to In person, same day voting with paper ballots counted immediately with a strict, accountable chain of ballot custody insured and verified.
Be outraged if they claim this is too expensive to conduct zero tolerance elections. Nothing is more precious than spending our own tax dollars to insure absolutely zero tolerance for error elections. We elect the county elections officer. Time for a new face and a new zero tolerance attitude.
Of course that location on Anacapa Street does NOT have a pull-over where a voter wishing to drop their ballot can safely pause, get out, and walk over to the box. I drive my ballot out to the Elections Department by the jail, there is a drive-up drop box in their parking lot and I got notification that my ballot had been received and counted in 2 days.
Taking your ballot to the county elections office off Calle Real in Noleta for the most secure processing, since we now have to play thier games on thier terms.
Instead of just walking to our local polling stations in person on election DAY. And getting the results shortly after midnight. Grrrr, grumble, grumble.
I did have to go through two elections myself. One was decided by 3am at the county court house. The next one was clear by 9pm. Only later did the notorious long count elections begin, resulting in some stomach churning switches weeks later.
Thank you Julie and Gregory! You both have earned angel wings for writing this.
And now that my vote is voted, can I please stop having those annoying trolls here on SB Current telling me what an awful person I am because I support Trump? I'm completely in favor of them exercising their right to freedom of speech, even though they hate the guy who's standing up for it and supporting the party that vocally thinks it should be abolished. But really, don't you people have hobbies or children/grandchildren/pets to pay attention to, or jobs, or early Christmas shopping? I realize hating Trump has given your lives meaning and purpose, but it's over.
And you need to move on. At least from me, please.
In the immortal words of Nick Lowe and sung by Elvis Costello “What's so funny 'bout peace, love and understanding?” With a bonus ad for droopy Boomer boobs! https://tinyurl.com/yc7s7u4k
Peter Scott, political intelligence and artistic talent don't always go together. Common sense and artistic talent don't always go together. Human decency and artistic talent don't always go together. Leni Riefenstahl was a visual genius. And she used it to promote Hitler. Why should these rock musicians be any better?
I'm exceedingly bored by your TDS, Peter. I voted today, so nothing you say is going to make any difference. So why don't you say something interesting for once? Surely you have something else on your mind besides Trump.
I worked many years as a Market Research Interviewer, which meant that at every election I was tasked to go to a poll location and ask every third person exiting how they had voted and mark "by observation" their race and sex. This unsophisticated tally was phoned in (using a phone box) and dutifully reported in aggregate in the media.
Eventually I realized that in Federal elections when polls on the Least Coast closed and a winner in the Presidential race seemed certain the Left Coast stopped voting.
I felt guilty. The media predictions were influencing the vote. And we all know how close this election is "predicted" to be by the pollsters.
So the next election I opted to be a poll worker instead, to cleanse my karma. And to date myself I will say many of the elderly voters would ask "Just show me where to check a box for Ronnie." And Reagan won.
How simple and innocent those days now seem. Overnight the paper ballots were totaled, numbers reported, and by morning the winner was announced. Now with "sophisticated" methods we will hang for days to see the result. At a time when many of us believe the voting machines can be manipulated and non-citizens will be voting.
A landslide for Trump is our best hope, but Dark Forces are conspired against an accurate count even if it does happen.
There is one more important reason to vote early: No. 11. Vote early, just in case the mentally "disassembled" convicted felon at the top of the G.O.P. candidate list does something so freakishly stupid before election day that even you would NOT have voted for him.
Stephen, you should've been a comedian. I'm voting early in the event the Dem university brainwashed engineers manage to close down the voting machines with nefarious software on election day. I'll think of you while I'm pulling the lever for Trump ... our votes will cancel out each other. Ha ha ...
Stephen, I might think you're cute in saying this if I - like many other people - hadn't endured 8 years of TDS harassment. Btw, in all these years did you ever have a waiter dump an entire shaker of salt on your plate just because he heard you and your wife talking positively about Trump - as happened to a friend of mine? Did you ever have someone key your car and break a window because you had a Trump bumper sticker - as happened to a friend of mine? Did you ever have launches of your rockets cancelled at Vandenberg because you publicly supported Trump - as happened to Elon Musk? Did you ever have someone stand in the doorway of your downtown Santa Barbara shop and scream to potential customers on Stare Street about how evil you are because he found out you support Trump - as happened yo a small businessman I know. Of course not. So save your humor for when you wake up and realize how wrong you've been and preface it with an apology.
And I might add I've worked the polls in a state where they ASK for ID (how refreshing). My biggest takeaway after that was how inspired and touched I am to see even the most elderly and disabled make the journey to vote in person as part of their sacred duty to the United States of America.
Hmmm…I refuse to participate in the schemes that have been illegally installed in our voting systems. I will show up to my polling place on November 5th, show my ID, mark my ballot, and drop it in the box. This election is in God’s hands & God Wins!
Incorrect - Ventura County Government Center. Gregory Gandrud probably takes his ballot to a secure drop box near his home in Carpinteria which is within Santa Barbara County. If possible, don't use drop boxes outside of your county.
Actually Doug, I moved to Ventura over three years ago and I have in fact been dropping my ballots at the Ventura Government Center. They have multiple secure drop boxes on the premises. I use the one by the hall of justice.
Voting early is still important for reasons stated. Just don’t wait to do it the week before election day. The current system, now exacerbated by the mind-numbing numbers of different voting districts each election has been intentionally confusing.
City districts. School districts. Community college districts. County districts. State office districts. National office districts. Each of them changing every census year are now in the multiples, instead of many being former at large voting for the larger areas.
Being an informed voter today is not for the faint of heart. Switching party affiliation for the primaries, but not for the general election also confuses outcomes.
I truly suspect partisan evil intent in all of this. Made being a volunteer poll worker unnecessarily complicated too, which also increases the risk for error. It was such a chaotic mess last time, I stopped volunteering.
Last election I dropped off my ballot early in the County Administration Office drop box on Anacapa Street the weekend before the election. My thinking, this was the most direct and secure route for my ballot be counted on Election Day the following Tuesday.
I followed the fate of my ballot online and it never showed up by Election Day the following Tuesday. Contacting the county I was informed ballots from this official drop box were not collected over the weekend. Instead, they just sat there in the drop box for days, on this busy public street.
It was not until the following Thursday, two days after the election and nearly a week after I had dropped off my ballot, that I was informed my ballot had finally been processed.
This is not good enough for government work. Zero tolerance for error is the only standard to apply. This means an immediate return to In person, same day voting with paper ballots counted immediately with a strict, accountable chain of ballot custody insured and verified.
Be outraged if they claim this is too expensive to conduct zero tolerance elections. Nothing is more precious than spending our own tax dollars to insure absolutely zero tolerance for error elections. We elect the county elections officer. Time for a new face and a new zero tolerance attitude.
Of course that location on Anacapa Street does NOT have a pull-over where a voter wishing to drop their ballot can safely pause, get out, and walk over to the box. I drive my ballot out to the Elections Department by the jail, there is a drive-up drop box in their parking lot and I got notification that my ballot had been received and counted in 2 days.
Excellent tip, Pat. Thanks.
Taking your ballot to the county elections office off Calle Real in Noleta for the most secure processing, since we now have to play thier games on thier terms.
Instead of just walking to our local polling stations in person on election DAY. And getting the results shortly after midnight. Grrrr, grumble, grumble.
I did have to go through two elections myself. One was decided by 3am at the county court house. The next one was clear by 9pm. Only later did the notorious long count elections begin, resulting in some stomach churning switches weeks later.
Thank you Julie and Gregory! You both have earned angel wings for writing this.
And now that my vote is voted, can I please stop having those annoying trolls here on SB Current telling me what an awful person I am because I support Trump? I'm completely in favor of them exercising their right to freedom of speech, even though they hate the guy who's standing up for it and supporting the party that vocally thinks it should be abolished. But really, don't you people have hobbies or children/grandchildren/pets to pay attention to, or jobs, or early Christmas shopping? I realize hating Trump has given your lives meaning and purpose, but it's over.
And you need to move on. At least from me, please.
In the immortal words of Nick Lowe and sung by Elvis Costello “What's so funny 'bout peace, love and understanding?” With a bonus ad for droopy Boomer boobs! https://tinyurl.com/yc7s7u4k
Love that song Polly! Brought to mind this one that captures my sentiments…
“End Of The World As We Know It” — R.E.M.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0GFRcFm-aY
Time marches on…Methinks, Team Trump flipped the World!
I love that song, too.
DL,
I like your musical tastes!
https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/michael-stipe-jason-isbell-perform-rem-kamala-harris-event-video-1235793989/
Peter Scott, political intelligence and artistic talent don't always go together. Common sense and artistic talent don't always go together. Human decency and artistic talent don't always go together. Leni Riefenstahl was a visual genius. And she used it to promote Hitler. Why should these rock musicians be any better?
As in "Shut Up and Sing."
I'm exceedingly bored by your TDS, Peter. I voted today, so nothing you say is going to make any difference. So why don't you say something interesting for once? Surely you have something else on your mind besides Trump.
To all the TDSers, watch this and weep about your sorry little Trump hating lives. This guy is right - Trump is a legend!
https://tinyurl.com/3p5e7c8u
Evidently, Arnold Palmer is a legend as well, according to Trump…
Arnold's daughter is an idiot. In her place I would have sad “And look what the family jewels produced!”
You spelled Carpinteria wrong on the list of endorsees....
Very informative and persuasive. As to detonating all those commercials... wouldn't that be nice?
I worked many years as a Market Research Interviewer, which meant that at every election I was tasked to go to a poll location and ask every third person exiting how they had voted and mark "by observation" their race and sex. This unsophisticated tally was phoned in (using a phone box) and dutifully reported in aggregate in the media.
Eventually I realized that in Federal elections when polls on the Least Coast closed and a winner in the Presidential race seemed certain the Left Coast stopped voting.
I felt guilty. The media predictions were influencing the vote. And we all know how close this election is "predicted" to be by the pollsters.
So the next election I opted to be a poll worker instead, to cleanse my karma. And to date myself I will say many of the elderly voters would ask "Just show me where to check a box for Ronnie." And Reagan won.
How simple and innocent those days now seem. Overnight the paper ballots were totaled, numbers reported, and by morning the winner was announced. Now with "sophisticated" methods we will hang for days to see the result. At a time when many of us believe the voting machines can be manipulated and non-citizens will be voting.
A landslide for Trump is our best hope, but Dark Forces are conspired against an accurate count even if it does happen.
Thank you for the tips on voting early from people in the know. Will get my ballot off tomorrow.
Julie - you are great. That was so helpful and inspiring. Sandra & Walter Stingle (Laura Hour’s friends - we met at the Fish house).
There is one more important reason to vote early: No. 11. Vote early, just in case the mentally "disassembled" convicted felon at the top of the G.O.P. candidate list does something so freakishly stupid before election day that even you would NOT have voted for him.
Stephen, you should've been a comedian. I'm voting early in the event the Dem university brainwashed engineers manage to close down the voting machines with nefarious software on election day. I'll think of you while I'm pulling the lever for Trump ... our votes will cancel out each other. Ha ha ...
Stephen, I might think you're cute in saying this if I - like many other people - hadn't endured 8 years of TDS harassment. Btw, in all these years did you ever have a waiter dump an entire shaker of salt on your plate just because he heard you and your wife talking positively about Trump - as happened to a friend of mine? Did you ever have someone key your car and break a window because you had a Trump bumper sticker - as happened to a friend of mine? Did you ever have launches of your rockets cancelled at Vandenberg because you publicly supported Trump - as happened to Elon Musk? Did you ever have someone stand in the doorway of your downtown Santa Barbara shop and scream to potential customers on Stare Street about how evil you are because he found out you support Trump - as happened yo a small businessman I know. Of course not. So save your humor for when you wake up and realize how wrong you've been and preface it with an apology.
Hi, Bill! Nice to see you also still have a sense of humor - that is what will save us all! God Bless America!!!!
Please see my comment, Stephen. It's over.
And I might add I've worked the polls in a state where they ASK for ID (how refreshing). My biggest takeaway after that was how inspired and touched I am to see even the most elderly and disabled make the journey to vote in person as part of their sacred duty to the United States of America.
Yep, I did last week. Went directly to the registrar of voters. Do I trust them..... not too often.
Good article and to the point.
Hmmm…I refuse to participate in the schemes that have been illegally installed in our voting systems. I will show up to my polling place on November 5th, show my ID, mark my ballot, and drop it in the box. This election is in God’s hands & God Wins!
Incorrect - Ventura County Government Center. Gregory Gandrud probably takes his ballot to a secure drop box near his home in Carpinteria which is within Santa Barbara County. If possible, don't use drop boxes outside of your county.
Greg doesn't live in Carpinteria.
Thanks for letting me know. If possible, please use drop boxes that are specific to your county.
Actually Doug, I moved to Ventura over three years ago and I have in fact been dropping my ballots at the Ventura Government Center. They have multiple secure drop boxes on the premises. I use the one by the hall of justice.
See my story, using the official Anacapa Street SB county administration building drop box. Never again.
I stand corrected.
Voting early is still important for reasons stated. Just don’t wait to do it the week before election day. The current system, now exacerbated by the mind-numbing numbers of different voting districts each election has been intentionally confusing.
City districts. School districts. Community college districts. County districts. State office districts. National office districts. Each of them changing every census year are now in the multiples, instead of many being former at large voting for the larger areas.
Being an informed voter today is not for the faint of heart. Switching party affiliation for the primaries, but not for the general election also confuses outcomes.
I truly suspect partisan evil intent in all of this. Made being a volunteer poll worker unnecessarily complicated too, which also increases the risk for error. It was such a chaotic mess last time, I stopped volunteering.