Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Live Blog #5: RESULTS

12:47 AM: Thanks to those of you who stuck with this all day. I'm going to bed.

12:34 AM: North/Atherton Hall: 1410 voters. Therefore, by our statistics - including North and Atherton, not counting precinct 44: total on-campus voters: 8406, compared to 3926 in 2004: a 114% increase in participation!

12:12 AM: Still waiting for 6 more precincts in the area, including North/Atherton Hall, before we can release any final calculations of on-campus voters.

11:51 PM: South Halls: 1787 voters, compared to 790. Anecdotal evidence places number of voters in precinct 44 at HUB around 800, meaning total voter number at the HUB is about 7800.

11:32 PM: EAST HALLS: 2033 voters, compared to 968...POLLOCK HALLS: 2224, compared to 968.

11:20 PM: West Halls is in: 952 voters, compared to 490 in 2004.

11:03 PM: National election is called...we're still waiting for on-campus results.

10:30 PM: Watching Comedy Central, waiting for the Centre County results to come in. Still nothing from campus or close-in precincts besides State College Northeast.

Live Blog #4...One Final Evening Push!

7:37 PM: We're calling it for our time at the HUB. Stay tuned to this blog for election results as we get them.

7:30 PM:
Last half-hour. Make sure you vote!

7:00 PM:
About 7300 people have voted at the HUB today. (Compare to 3926 in 2004.)

6:26 PM:
We're sending a few people into the field to find out what's going on with provisional ballots off-campus. Details later.

5:54 PM:
Troubles with off-campus polling at St. Paul's not handing out provisional ballots; lawyers attempting to solve problem, but appears to be directed from the county. Video being recorded.

5:50 PM:
Lines are reasonable, at this point: 20-30 for East and South, 15 for Pollock, minimal wait for 44 and West.

5:41 PM:
Back from choir. Lines are as short as I've seen them all day; now is the time to vote if you haven't done so.

Live Blog #3...After the Noon

3:30 PM: I'm off to class - be back with liveblog 4 around 5:30!

3:17 PM:
Current wait times: East/South: 60+ minutes, Pollock/44: 15-20 minutes, West: 5 minutes

2:50 PM:
Afternoon lull setting in, but lines still long - pen problems apparently common across county.

2:40 PM:
About 1100 people have voted in East Halls, a mostly freshman area (Precinct 24) at this point - 968 voted in 24 in 2004.

2:30 PM:
My laptop has been in use a lot over the last hour for people to check their polling place location. Lines about the same length; we are being visited by the Republican House candidate right now (PA-05).

2:00 PM:
30-60 minute waits continue, depending on precinct and last name.

1:29 PM:
According to our projections, turnout right now is probably equal to 2004 at the on-campus precincts. Lines have moderated somewhat - East, South, and 44 have lines, Pollock and West do not.

1:20 PM:
Lunch rush is slowing; lines still lengthy.

12:54 PM
: Crowd still seems upbeat and happy to vote.

Election Day Liveblog #2...It Continues

12:54 PM: Moving to liveblog 3...

12:52 PM:
"Hail To The Lion" heard in line...thanks to an a cappella group.

12:44 PM:
60 minute waits continue for most on-campus polling locations. West Halls (Precinct 33) has closer to a 10 minute wait. 2/3 of 2004 turnout already, 7 1/2 hours to go.

12:32 PM:
Pen problem resolved(?) - large delivery of pens brought along with some small donations of pens. Other people now reporting waits of 2 1/2 hours off-campus, and being forced to vote by provisional ballot even though they are on the Centre County polling place checker. Referring problems to 1-866-OUR-VOTE. HUB is very busy, but actual lines still moving (waits about 30-60 minutes).

11:52 AM:
Reports coming in of HUB polling places running out of pens; people seem to be taking them as they finish voting. Another report of a student at the HUB who voted straight party but did not vote for the referendums, and was told by pollworker that her ballot wouldn't count - NAACP documented event.

11:36 AM:
Lines extending quite far at this point; State College mayor overrules HUB staff on passing out flyers in the HUB. Lunch rush is here; several people asking where their polling place is.

11:02 AM:
The after class rush has started, and lines are beginning to form out the door again.

10:34 AM:
Just had two friends from the South Halls precinct come out, one waited 10 minutes, and the other waited 40. It depends on your placement in the alphabet at this point. I'd still recommend voting right now before the lunch rush begins.

Election Day Liveblog #1

10:03 AM: Moving to Liveblog Thread 2 shortly...

9:54 AM:
We're giving out bagels! Even if you're not voting, come get one.

9:45 AM:
Pollock Halls line is now the longest (Precinct 27), poking slightly out of Alumni Hall. All other lines still 10-30 minutes.

9:37 AM:
Official turnout as of 9:30 AM from an Elections Judge: 1318

9:25 AM:
Turnout so far: 320 at South Halls (25) as of 9:10 AM.
(2664 registered.) 280 at East Halls (24), with waits of 10-30 minutes.

9:08 AM:
"VOTERNOVILLE" is now hanging outside of the HUB. Still relatively short lines; South may still be in the neighborhood of 30 minutes.

8:56 AM:
Active electioneers (as well as campaign posters) have been chased out of the area around the polling place.

8:39 AM:
Another one of our off-campus spies reports only one polling book is present at the St. Paul's Church (Precinct 28). Most on-campus polling locations were split into 2 books.

8:34 AM:
Now is the time to vote, if you are voting at the HUB. Lines are manageable, and will basically only grow from here.

8:16 AM: The initial wait for Precinct 25 (South Halls) was about an hour. Far, far under that right now.

8:11 AM:
One of our off-campus spies reports a 5 minute line for precinct 30, but about an hour wait for precinct 26 (both at Friends Meetinghouse). The line is just about entirely into Alumni Hall at this point.

8:07 AM:
The line has shortened considerably; I can see the end of the line for now. If you want to vote, get in line now.

7:59 AM:
Greg from Democracy Matters just finished his first election protection shift: out of 150 voters or so that he asked, only 2 had problems with getting into the wrong precinct line. The line seems to be long but moving for now.

7:28 AM:
People with cameras are starting to show up; we're handing out "I Vote" buttons, nonpartisan voter guides, and voting rights palm cards, so stop by our table!

7:21 AM
: Good morning, everyone, and welcome to our liveblog from the HUB. I just voted (#17) after standing in line for about 30 minutes before the polls opened. The line is around the corner and out of sight; I'll be investigating more once we have more volunteers at our table. This place has a large amount of volunteers and officials from the Obama campaign. We'll see if that continues throughout the day. Check back for updates!

Election Day is Here!

Good morning everyone, this is Matt writing from the Represent table at the HUB. It's about 6:30 AM and people are slowly starting to show up to vote. We'll be here at the HUB all day; come stop by our table on the first floor of the HUB if you have any questions.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Election Day Procedures at the HUB

Here is the current procedure process for voting at the HUB (reprinted from the Represent listserv):
  1. Voting will take place in rooms 129A, B, and C in the HUB. These rooms have removable barriers separating them from Alumni Hall, but for purposes of the "polling place area" and the 10 foot electioneering rule, Alumni Hall is considered as part of the polling place. On Election Day, the side walls separating each room will be in place, but the front removable wall will be removed, creating 3 alcoves along the right side of Alumni Hall for polling.
  2. Students will be asked to separate into 5 lines at the doors of Alumni Hall. Precinct 27 (Pollock Halls) is the largest precinct, and will vote in room 129C (furthest from the door), and will line up to enter the leftmost door. East Halls (Precinct 24) and South Halls (Precinct 25) will vote in room 129B, and enter the 2nd and 3rd doors. West Halls (Precinct 33) and the 4 East Dorms in Precinct 44 will vote in room 129A, and enter the 4th and 5th doors. Rope barriers will be set up in Alumni Hall to lead students to their correct check-in desk.
  3. Students will check in and proceed into the 129ABC alcove area, where between 10 and 14 "voting booths" will be set up per precinct to fill in their ballots. They will then place their ballots into the optical scan voting machines near the back of the room, and proceed out of the alcove into the hallway with the murals and the full-length glass windows. This will be a one-way hallway, directing students to their left around the outside of Alumni Hall and out onto Pollock Road.
  4. At the corner in the hallway behind Alumni Hall, there will be an area established for exit polling and election protection work inside of the building, but students will be forced to exit the HUB before they can re-enter commons areas.
  5. Polling place lines will extend from Alumni Hall, out the doors of Alumni Hall, along the wall with the bathrooms, past the Events Management Office and the Time Capsule, and back towards Heritage Hall. If the lines are incredibly long, we will ask students to line up in Heritage Hall, which would be a good place for "party at the polls" activities. These types of activities would also be allowed along the line all the way up to 10 feet from the entrance to Alumni Hall.
Please note that Hastings, Snyder, Stone, and Stuart Halls in the East Halls area of campus will vote at the HUB in the Precinct 44 section. These halls do NOT vote at the College Township Municipal Building as was listed on voter registration cards. (Yes, this sounds strange, but permission was granted from the Centre County Elections Board to inform students of this change. You can call the Centre County Elections Office at 814-355-6703 for further information.)

Welcome to the PSUVote.org Election Day Blog!

I'm Matt Popek, the president of Represent Penn State and PSUVote.org. The coalition will be updating this blog up to and throughout Election Day with status reports, videos, and information for students. Check back with us throughout Election Day to follow the action live from the HUB-Robeson Center at Penn State!

Election Day Info

From www.PSUvote.org:

When can I vote???
If you are registered to vote, you can vote from 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Election Day, November 4, 2008.
PSUVote.org will be hosting a central voting information table on the first floor of the HUB throughout the day.

Where do I vote???
Click here for a complete list of polling places, Google Map, and directions.

What do I need to vote?
If you are a first-time voter in Centre County or a first-time voter in your precinct due to an address change, you must present identification at the polls:
Approved forms of photo identification (ID must be valid):
  • PA driver's license or ID card issued by PennDOT
  • ID issued by any other Commonwealth agency
  • ID issued by the U.S. Government
  • U.S. Passport
  • U.S. Armed Forces ID
  • Student ID
  • Employee ID
Approved forms of non-photo identification (ID must include the name and address of the elector):
  • Voter's identification card issued by the voter registration commission
  • Non-photo ID issued by the Commonwealth
  • Non-photo ID issued by the U.S. Government
  • Firearm permit
  • Current utility bill
  • Current bank statement
  • Current paycheck
  • Government check

What's is it like at the polls???
  • When going to the polls to vote, do not wear any campaign material that is exposed (hat, shirt, button, etc). You will be asked to remove it.
  • Do not discuss any political subjects inside the polling place.
  • If you are unsure of the instructions, ask one of the Election Officials for clarification.
  • When entering the polls, the Election Officials at the table will ask your name, address, and possibly your birth date. In the Primaries you will also be asked your party affiliation.
  • After determining you are eligible to vote, you will be asked to sign your name in the poll book. When doing this, check your address listing. [If it is incorrect tell the Official, who will give you a Change of Address Form. Street address is required; a P.O. Box number can be used for mailing purposes ONLY.]

How do I vote?
Centre County will be switching to optical scan voting machines for the 2008 general election. More information will be posted here when it becomes available.

Still have questions???
For questions beyond the scope of the above FAQ visit: http://co.centre.pa.us/elections/elect.asp.