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eagleoftheninth Midwest emo connoisseur from a dreamed portrait, imperfect (Don’t ask) Relationship Status: With my statistically significant other
Midwest emo connoisseur
#260026: Nov 6th 2018 at 3:36:43 AM

Have a good day voting, everyone! Hope the youth turnout is high enough this time that the human-tardigrade hybrids that rule over the irradiated ruins of Earth in 2040 won't have to dig up bootlegs of Hamilton to remind themselves of the progressive society that the world was heading towards before the 2018 midterms.

One day, we will read his name in the news and cheer.
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#260027: Nov 6th 2018 at 3:46:38 AM

I voted.

Straight Democrat. It's probably a meaningless gesture in Kentucky but he's hoping otherwise.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
HallowHawk Since: Feb, 2013
#260028: Nov 6th 2018 at 3:49:39 AM

As of this post, it's 6:54AM in New York City (Eastern Time Zone), 3:54AM in Los Angeles (Pacific Time Zone), 4:54AM in Denver (Mountain Time Zone), and 5:54AM in Dallas (Central Time Zone). What time do voting offices open in each time zone?

Sorry for the edit. Four minutes passed as of this edit and I can trace other time zones with my phone.

Edited by HallowHawk on Nov 6th 2018 at 7:52:27 PM

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#260029: Nov 6th 2018 at 3:59:40 AM

Generally between 6 and 7AM local time, give or take half a hour. Vermont 5AM or slightly later, Maine same, Massachusetts 7AM-8AM, Florida also 7AM.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#260030: Nov 6th 2018 at 4:04:59 AM

[up][up][up] You never know. If they flip Kentucky, you can congratulate yourself.

HallowHawk Since: Feb, 2013
#260031: Nov 6th 2018 at 4:06:28 AM

[up][up] Keeping track as it will be Nov. 7 in less than four hours here in the Philippines.

Back on-topic, given we've been talking about working in the middle of a voting day, I have this to ask: are all businesses still open on voting days in the US or are there some businesses that don't have to be open?

[nja] by Swanpride. That's a first.

Edited by HallowHawk on Nov 6th 2018 at 8:07:08 PM

LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#260032: Nov 6th 2018 at 4:12:10 AM

Every business that wants to be open is open.

There are almost no laws requiring people to be allowed to take off time to vote or for businesses to be closed or anything.

Oh really when?
Hylarn (Don’t ask)
#260033: Nov 6th 2018 at 4:14:21 AM

What does the house even do any way, senate is the only one that really stays in the news.

How is taking the house helpfull? Like how can they blunt things?

While the Senate is considerably more powerful, bills still need to pass both houses

As I understand, the House is the same as the House of Commons here, while the senate functions like the House of Lords.

Assuming I'm not wrong, that means the former write up new laws, while the latter assess them (with the President having a veto).

Noooooooope. Both houses can draft legislation (though the House has to originate budget bills), plus there's some specific duties/abilities for each, with the Senate getting most of the important ones. While inspired by the British model, the American political system is quite different (and they've both moved in different differections over time)

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#260034: Nov 6th 2018 at 4:30:37 AM

An useful reminder to not overread early voting results.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#260035: Nov 6th 2018 at 4:58:18 AM

A good number of states have laws where they are required to give you a few hours to vote. Currently at work at the moment, but here's a list from Business Insider from 2016.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#260036: Nov 6th 2018 at 4:59:26 AM

I voted! Arrived at 6:40am; my mayor was greeting people at the polling place (he’s apparently hitting 17 polling sites), which was unexpected and kinda hilarious. My metro area has like 1 million people, so odds of running into him were slim. Plus he’s embarrassingly plastic yet earnest; it’s... weird and annoying. Glad he’s putting in the work though.

Lines were long; didn’t finish voting until 7:15am, so over a half hour. Straight Democratic ticket and voted no against a stupid “balanced budget” constitutional amendment.

[up] I’d love to know how many restaurant and retail workers a) know about those laws and b) have successfully used them to go vote before/after/during a shift. Can’t really see managers giving a damn.

Edited by wisewillow on Nov 6th 2018 at 8:00:35 AM

Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#260037: Nov 6th 2018 at 5:39:12 AM

Having worked both restaurants and retail for many years, my personal experience has been that almost no manager would make much of a fuss so long as you gave them a heads up, but I can count on one hand the number of workers who knew that they could. By law the workplace has these giant workers rights posters in the break room or somewhere equivalent that employees have easy access to, but they're 90% wall of text so unless you are really bored one day, chances are you ain't going to see that part. Or will read it and forget about by the time election day draws near.

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#260038: Nov 6th 2018 at 5:49:08 AM

So...how many hours until the first results will come in?

LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#260039: Nov 6th 2018 at 5:49:57 AM

Most of those are irrelevant though when you're in an At Will Employment state or similar.

Oh really when?
CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#260040: Nov 6th 2018 at 5:58:32 AM

[up][up]Polls close at 7-8 PM local time, which is when vote counts start being counted.

"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
Friendperson Since: May, 2018
#260041: Nov 6th 2018 at 5:58:52 AM

Things are looking good. Huge turnout, I think in one state the ballots submitted for early voting was more than all the ballots submitted for the last midterm.

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#260042: Nov 6th 2018 at 6:00:37 AM

Of course, high turnout could be driven by Trump voters as well...

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
ViperMagnum357 Since: Mar, 2012
#260043: Nov 6th 2018 at 6:03:47 AM

I just finished voting, after some waffling on Angus King. Then I get my ballot and remember that initiative a while back passed, so Maine has ranked choice voting for the federal positions now. [lol] Voted King, then the looney Democrat as second choice for Senator. Rest of the ballot was straight Democrat apart from the county treasurer running unopposed (?), and yes to all of the referendums for more taxes (on rich people tongue).

Edited by ViperMagnum357 on Nov 6th 2018 at 9:04:28 AM

kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#260044: Nov 6th 2018 at 6:07:19 AM

[up][up][up]Is that with or without early voting? Because the actual votes on Election Day are what really count.

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#260045: Nov 6th 2018 at 6:11:17 AM

[up][up][up] It could but usually the higher the turnout, the worse the right-wing does. You can observe this pretty much everywhere, not just in the US.

3of4 Just a harmless giant from a foreign land. from Five Seconds in the Future. Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: GAR for Archer
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
#260046: Nov 6th 2018 at 6:11:52 AM

Nevermind

Edited by 3of4 on Nov 6th 2018 at 3:13:06 PM

"You can reply to this Message!"
wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#260047: Nov 6th 2018 at 6:12:29 AM

Here’s a history thread about the activists who have died for voting rights since the 1950s.

I’m really disgusted that 98% of this didn’t make it into my supposedly anti-American AP US History class (right wing republicans hate AP for that 2% of maybe we committed some genocide oopsies).

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#260048: Nov 6th 2018 at 6:12:46 AM

[up][up] Not sure I will sleep. Or I might get up early.

Edited by Swanpride on Nov 6th 2018 at 6:12:57 AM

Reflextion from a post-sanity world (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: What's love got to do with it?
#260049: Nov 6th 2018 at 6:24:44 AM

Just got back from voting and from driving my mom to vote. Both of us voted straight Democratic ticket, her probably for the first time in her life (she was originally planning to vote for the Libertarian candidates /facepalm).

Here's to hoping today will give me less of a reason to be a raging misanthrope that would make Teenage Douchebag Me shake his head and go "dude, chill".

Someone did tell me life was going to be this way.
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#260050: Nov 6th 2018 at 6:26:15 AM

What does the house even do any way, senate is the only one that really stays in the news. How is taking the house helpfull? Like how can they blunt things?

There are two big ways the House is important.

1: Investigations. If we take the House then we can thoroughly investigate the Trump administration and Kavanaugh, thus making life hard for them and obstructing whatever they want to do.

2: Proposing bills. While it's true that you need the Senate to pass bills the House can still propose them and thus if we propose bills attractive to the general public then the Republican's crushing them can be good ammunition for 2020 when many more Republicans will be up for election.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang

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