Another boring day at Precinct 007

[Doug1066]

It was another boring election day at Precinct 007.  We didn't even have a good wind to blow our signs around.

Altogether, 56 people out of 514 voted (10.9%) , counting one provisional ballot which I think will be sustained.  The statewide ratio was 62-38 against.

So now we can start the Wednesday-morning quarter-backing.  I think those who supported the measure but did not vote deserve what they got.

Ever stop to wonder how much an election costs?  Three precinct workers paid $330 for the day, times 29 precincts times 66 counties = 631,620 dollars.  That's not counting the cost of printing all those ballots on special paper, the cost of the machines, the cost of counting the ballots and so on.  Total cost of this single-issue election approaches one million dollars.

We have another election coming up next month.  It is a run-off and not every precinct will be involved.  Maybe I can catch up on my sleep.

Doug

[Myles]

56 minutes ago, Doug1066 said:

It was another boring election day at Precinct 007.  We didn't even have a good wind to blow our signs around.

Altogether, 56 people out of 514 voted (10.9%) , counting one provisional ballot which I think will be sustained.  The statewide ratio was 62-38 against.

So now we can start the Wednesday-morning quarter-backing.  I think those who supported the measure but did not vote deserve what they got.

Ever stop to wonder how much an election costs?  Three precinct workers paid $330 for the day, times 29 precincts times 66 counties = 631,620 dollars.  That's not counting the cost of printing all those ballots on special paper, the cost of the machines, the cost of counting the ballots and so on.  Total cost of this single-issue election approaches one million dollars.

We have another election coming up next month.  It is a run-off and not every precinct will be involved.  Maybe I can catch up on my sleep.

Doug

Do they only vote on 1 item or are there multiple things being voted on?

 

[Doug1066]

1 hour ago, Myles said:

Do they only vote on 1 item or are there multiple things being voted on?

 

This time there was just one.  Usually there are several.  State law specifies in which elections different types of issues/offices can be voted on.

There was a rumor going around that the legislature deliberately separated the marijuana issue from the election of state legislators so as to favor Republicans.  That is not true as the law already separated them.  The Republicans just got lucky.

Doug

[Myles]

39 minutes ago, Doug1066 said:

This time there was just one.  Usually there are several.  State law specifies in which elections different types of issues/offices can be voted on.

There was a rumor going around that the legislature deliberately separated the marijuana issue from the election of state legislators so as to favor Republicans.  That is not true as the law already separated them.  The Republicans just got lucky.

Doug

I blame the politicians for wasting the money.   Obviously they could arrange for a vote to not cost $1 million dollars.   Frivolous spending.  

[spartan max2]

What do people voting against weed legalization think they are accomplishing?

So they really believe that by keeping it illegal it stops people from smoking? 

[HandsomeGorilla]

5 minutes ago, spartan max2 said:

What do people voting against weed legalization think they are accomplishing?

So they really believe that by keeping it illegal it stops people from smoking? 

Law enforcement lobbyists.

[Doug1066]

2 hours ago, Myles said:

I blame the politicians for wasting the money.   Obviously they could arrange for a vote to not cost $1 million dollars.   Frivolous spending.  

If a large turnout is anticipated and/or there are a number of different issues and offices to be decided, it can exceed $1,000,000.  I suspect Oklahoma is not the only state where this happens.  In our last election we had three separate ballots, all of which have to be printed up in separate runs.

Nevertheless, Oklahoma has one of the country's best records for fair and honest elections.  We do get some things right.  All those crooks down at the capitol were fairly and honestly elected.

 

To re-visit an old issue:  the Swadleigh Restaurants that got the sweetheart deal from the governor to operate restaurants at state parks and turnpikes, have lost their contracts.  The state pulled them all.  Sometimes being the governor's buddy just doesn't help.

Doug

[Doug1066]

2 hours ago, HandsomeGorilla said:

Law enforcement lobbyists.

And privately-owned prisons.  The private prisons will lose a lot of business if recreational marijuana becomes legal.

doug

[Gromdor]

5 hours ago, Doug1066 said:

It was another boring election day at Precinct 007.  We didn't even have a good wind to blow our signs around.

Altogether, 56 people out of 514 voted (10.9%) , counting one provisional ballot which I think will be sustained.  The statewide ratio was 62-38 against.

So now we can start the Wednesday-morning quarter-backing.  I think those who supported the measure but did not vote deserve what they got.

Ever stop to wonder how much an election costs?  Three precinct workers paid $330 for the day, times 29 precincts times 66 counties = 631,620 dollars.  That's not counting the cost of printing all those ballots on special paper, the cost of the machines, the cost of counting the ballots and so on.  Total cost of this single-issue election approaches one million dollars.

We have another election coming up next month.  It is a run-off and not every precinct will be involved.  Maybe I can catch up on my sleep.

Doug

Heh, Brazil would be more fun for you.  Citizens are required by law to vote and get fined if they skipped.  (My wife and her friend were paying their fines last week.  The friend was updating her kids stuff with the Brazilian government and wanted to make sure she didn't have anything that would hamper the process like unpaid fines.)

[Doug1066]

27 minutes ago, Gromdor said:

Heh, Brazil would be more fun for you.  Citizens are required by law to vote and get fined if they skipped.  (My wife and her friend were paying their fines last week.  The friend was updating her kids stuff with the Brazilian government and wanted to make sure she didn't have anything that would hamper the process like unpaid fines.)

Somehow I managed to become an Election Judge in the smallest precinct in the county.  ALL other precincts are bigger and have more happening; although, this time there were no disturbances and nobody got arrested.  We did have two reporters want to interview people and get some pictures, but we can't allow that within 75 feet of the polling place.  They showed up again after the polls closed and took a few pictures (The force of that law ends the second the poll closes.).  The most exciting thing to happen this time was when an Election Clerk spilled her coffee all over the Election Judge (different precinct).

I don't think I'd want to force people to vote.  That would lead to chaos if we had to handle all those people.  We need to make it easier to vote, but compulsion is not the way.  I think it would lead to a lot of Democratic victories.  Dem's big problem is getting their people to vote and while I'm a Democrat, forcing people to the polls is not something I'd look at favorably.  Besides, the turn-out is a good gauge of how people feel about the issue(s).

Judging by turnout, the voters cared more about marijuana than they did about city councilmen.

Doug

Edited March 8 by Doug1066

[+Desertrat56]

3 hours ago, spartan max2 said:

What do people voting against weed legalization think they are accomplishing?

So they really believe that by keeping it illegal it stops people from smoking? 

Maybe they don't want a new very big tax for the state, want to keep the state impoverished.   That is usually how votes go in New Mexico but they are all over the marijuana industry creating huge taxes.   The state has a surplus of money now.    The problem is they let our only electric company sell themselves to an out of country company.    So we will never have reliable electricity or low bills again.   We have already seen the lack of care last week when one station was down twice for over 24 hours, ran out of electrical tape or something to keep the wires together.