What happens if the polls close and there's still hundreds in line? n/t

[ninainsf]

[TriMetFan]

1. Well here in Oregon they get to Vote.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

2. Good! If you're in the door you should be allowed to cast your vote!

[Pastiche423]

12. WTF?

We vote by mail here in Oregon. There are no lines.

[Generator]

15. Meaning

If you get to the drop off site at 7:59 and half seconds, and there is a line in front of you for the box, you get to put your ballot in the box and vote. Get there at 8:01PM and it's too late.

Many people drop their ballots off. (mailing is too late now and makes some us too paranoid anyway)

I dropped mine off personally 10 days ago. Turnout is now 59% as of this morning for Multnomah county.

[Toots]

16. Long lines in Oregon are there????

:+

[Lydia Leftcoast]

17. Yes, Oregon has vote by mail, but there is the option of dropping one's

ballot off at a number of drop-off points, including county election hq. There are always some procrastinators who don't get their ballots filled in till 7:30PM, so they hurry off down to election hq and stand in line. At 8:00PM, an official comes out and places a marker at the end of the line. All the subsequent people are too late.

[deadparrot]

3. I think that when the polls close, an election official

goes to the end of the line and stands there, and no one else is allowed in line at that point.

[ninainsf]

5. So anyone in line gets to vote, even if it's 10pm? n/t

[deadparrot]

8. That's how it was in MO.

Of course, back in 2000, we had issues, too.

[olddem43]

4. In Ohio, anyone in line by the 7:30 deadline gets to vote.

[SheilaT]

6. The rule EVERYWHERE

is that if you are in line when the official poll-closing time comes, you get to vote. Poll workers will make sure no one else joins the line, but everyone already there gets to vote.

I'm not sure how many people who are chronically late don't get to vote and are absolutely convinced that the poll workers lied and it really was 6:59, not 7:01 when they finally got to the polling place.

edited to remove a possibly inflammatory sentence.

[ninainsf]

7. Cool

I think we're going to have a lot of late night voters. I feel bad for some ppl because I suspect some lines will be 5+ hours long...hope they can stick it out! I wonder if there's going to be any encourangement allowed.

[0007]

11. Absolutely!

 Vote as if your life depended on it, because it does.

Call 866 687-8683
If Poll Workers refuse you to vote for any reason
If there is a late opening or early closing of a polling place.
If your polling place runs out of ballots or has an incorrect ballot
If you experience poll worker insensitivity or discrimination in the voting process

The civil rights community have set up a toll-free Election Day hotline. This line is
staffed now and, in addition to logging your complaint, the civil rights organizations have law
students and attorneys who can provide assistance on Election Day.

the hotline number is
866 687-8683
202 457-0473 fax

When you call the hotline, be prepared to give your name, telephone number, and note as many
details as possible, including the names of the people who are involved.

[splat]

9. they keep the polls open

Nothing says they have to close at 8 or 9. they usually stay open till everybody in line at closing time gets to vote.

[dave502d]

10. This might help.

In 2000 in MO the GOP told them to go home, than a judge said let them vote.The GOP went to a GOP judge and he stop the voting.So i don't know but this sounds like it could come into play.

http://www.nass.org/electioninfo/laws&admin.htm

[enough]

13. To repeat:

If you are in line before the time that the polls close, you VOTE.

If you get to the line AFTER the time the polls close, you do NOT vote.

All election officials know this.

[wanpete]

14. if you're in line before polls close, you must be able to vote. Don't let

anyone tell you otherwise.

[onethatcares]

18. in Florida, In line, You vote.

there can be no, I repeat, NO, turning away of voters. Our polls close at seven p.m. if you are in line, you can vote until the line is done. Those in line after the cut off, they missed the most important vote in their lives. I think that is fair, I don't know how else to say it.

Kerry/Edwards for the next eight years.