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lsandersonFor anybody in the state of Minnesota
To check what you need if you’re not registered to vote:
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/elections/2004/voter-registration/registration-requirements.asp#P0_0
To find your polling place and a list of candidates:
http://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us/
When to vote: Between 7:00 am and 8:00 pm.
Having worked at polling places for more than a few years, at most precincts, voters tend to come in waves. The Eager Beaver voters are standing at the polling places by 7:00 am when they open. Then the on-the-way-to-work voters trickle in until 9:00 or so. By 10:00, most of the people who finish the second and third cups of coffee have voted and there’s a lull until the early for lunch crowd hits 11:30-1:30 or so. Then there’s a brief lull until the off work crowd hits 4:30 – 6:00. After dinner crowd rush starts between 6:00 and 7:00, and the stragglers line up between 7:00 and 8:00 pm.
Best bets: mid morning and mid afternoon. Be prepared to wait in line. Everybody in line by 8:00 pm will be permitted to vote. (If you are unsure of your registration status or your IDs, the later you wait, the less chance there is to obtain adequate identification.)
Challenges
If you are in the right ward and precinct and are challenged at the polls by a challenger or by an entry in the registration books, you must resolve the challenge with the election judges before you leave the polling place. Generally, you can do this by answering questions from the election judge and re-swearing the oath of eligibility. Do not speak to challengers or answer any questions unless they are asked by the election judges.
If you are having problems, ask to speak to the head judge. If you’re still having problems, ask that they call Election Headquarters. If you are challenged, do not leave the polling place until the challenge is resolved. If you leave without answering the challenge, you are giving up your right to vote.
Poll watchers or challengers can initiate a challenge to voters, but they have no say on whether or not the voter is allowed to vote. That’s up to the election judge. Challenging is fairly unusual in Minneapolis outside of the U of M area. Owing to the importance of this election, I expect to see more.
To check what you need if you’re not registered to vote:
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/elections/2004/voter-registration/registration-requirements.asp#P0_0
To find your polling place and a list of candidates:
http://pollfinder.sos.state.mn.us/
When to vote: Between 7:00 am and 8:00 pm.
Having worked at polling places for more than a few years, at most precincts, voters tend to come in waves. The Eager Beaver voters are standing at the polling places by 7:00 am when they open. Then the on-the-way-to-work voters trickle in until 9:00 or so. By 10:00, most of the people who finish the second and third cups of coffee have voted and there’s a lull until the early for lunch crowd hits 11:30-1:30 or so. Then there’s a brief lull until the off work crowd hits 4:30 – 6:00. After dinner crowd rush starts between 6:00 and 7:00, and the stragglers line up between 7:00 and 8:00 pm.
Best bets: mid morning and mid afternoon. Be prepared to wait in line. Everybody in line by 8:00 pm will be permitted to vote. (If you are unsure of your registration status or your IDs, the later you wait, the less chance there is to obtain adequate identification.)
Challenges
If you are in the right ward and precinct and are challenged at the polls by a challenger or by an entry in the registration books, you must resolve the challenge with the election judges before you leave the polling place. Generally, you can do this by answering questions from the election judge and re-swearing the oath of eligibility. Do not speak to challengers or answer any questions unless they are asked by the election judges.
If you are having problems, ask to speak to the head judge. If you’re still having problems, ask that they call Election Headquarters. If you are challenged, do not leave the polling place until the challenge is resolved. If you leave without answering the challenge, you are giving up your right to vote.
Poll watchers or challengers can initiate a challenge to voters, but they have no say on whether or not the voter is allowed to vote. That’s up to the election judge. Challenging is fairly unusual in Minneapolis outside of the U of M area. Owing to the importance of this election, I expect to see more.
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no subject
Date: 2004-11-02 12:33 am (UTC)Since I've lived at the same address for 9 years, have state ID for that address, have voted regularly, and according to the online info still vote in the same location, I'm not a good candidate for having much trouble this year, but still, knowing something about the procedures is useful and good.