http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspxFrom NBC's Doug Adams and the "Make Your Vote Count" teamThere were long lines this morning in Denver outside some polling places, where hundreds lined up to wait. Among them was Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill Ritter, who spent several hoursen-USCommunityServer 2.0 (Build: 60608.1)http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#11925Tue, 07 Nov 2006 18:44:19 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:11925Laura Richmond, VAI'm in Richmond, Virginia and all 5 voting systems went down in my polling place. They were able to get 3 back up, but it was time consuming. Other places in VA are having problems with power failures, etc. It's always interesting. http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#11987Tue, 07 Nov 2006 19:09:37 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:11987GA Reece Louisville Kywhere I voted I was in and out 5 minutes. It longer to get there than to vote.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12014Tue, 07 Nov 2006 19:19:51 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12014rrce Salt lake CityIn Salt Lake, I was first in line, first to vote and first out...Except for the waiting for the poll to open, the process took two minutes...but in Utah, the redest state in the country, votes don't count for much anyway...http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12016Tue, 07 Nov 2006 19:21:15 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12016rrce Salt lake CityIn Salt Lake, I was first in line, first to vote and first out...Except for the waiting for the poll to open, the process took two minutes...but in Utah, the redest state in the country, votes don't count for much anyway...http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12024Tue, 07 Nov 2006 19:25:19 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12024JOHN AUSTIN TXIN AUSTIN TEXAS, LINES WERE LONG AND I WAS HARRASSED BY PEOPLE FOR WEARING A BUSH THIRThttp://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12062Tue, 07 Nov 2006 19:40:06 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12062rrce Salt LakeI bet they harassed you for your poor spelling...http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12068Tue, 07 Nov 2006 19:42:43 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12068Jason Cincinnati, OHOhio has a new law requiring ID be presented. The black woman in front of me and the black man behind me were asked for ID. I, a conservatively dressed white guy was not. Coincidence? Maybe...http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12082Tue, 07 Nov 2006 19:45:48 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12082Katie, AtlantaPower failures.. scary. Does that mean it erased all the votes prior to the power going out? EEEEKKK.. who trusts these machines? And John, from Austin.. I don't think you are supposed to wear political ads to vote.. no campaigning allowed at the polling places. http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12115Tue, 07 Nov 2006 20:01:54 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12115Laura, Richmond, VAKatie - I'm not sure how they were handling it with the voting machines. I think that they are supposed to be hooked up so that when the vote is cast it goes to a mainframe. But they also have some new systems where they scan Driver's Licenses and they were losing the power to those computers and had no back upsystem ready.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12151Tue, 07 Nov 2006 20:14:05 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12151Desmond We are in for a long night and many days. If the Supreme Court has to decide this once again, I for one am going to peacefully march in Washington for as long as it takes. Enough of this. I want my country back.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12156Tue, 07 Nov 2006 20:16:21 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12156Bob Zasuly, Denver, ColoradoI'm in Denver and can attest to the problems reported! I've voted for 12 years at my local precinct with NO issues, and this year they closed it and pushed us all into fewer sites and we had to go to 2 different places and wait on the longest lines I've ever stood on (except for Springsteen tickets!). Thankfully it's 65 and sunny here, but this is not helping the voting process!!http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12185Tue, 07 Nov 2006 20:27:05 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12185Anonymous, IllinoisWhy can't all the states do like Illinois? Just put a pretty circle on some paper with a..get this.."REGULAR INK PEN", then when you're done put it in a printer looking machine. Which just makes sure you didn't spoil your ballot. Don't think we'd have all these issues that are going on today if that was the case across the US.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12199Tue, 07 Nov 2006 20:31:37 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12199DIsn't it interesting all of the problems we're hearing so far (Virginia, Florida, Ohio, Indiana, Colorado) are in the states/districts where the Republicans have admitted all along might be their losing tickets? I'm not surprised about NJ as we're always more than a little off-kilter. Our country has been hi-jacked by PNAC. Read who they are, who the founders are, what their mission is. It will put all the puzzle pieces exactly in place.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12204Tue, 07 Nov 2006 20:32:47 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12204Cidne, Cedar City, UtahDoes any one else find it sad that there is an option to vote strait party. People who vote for the party and not the issues is what is destroying democracy. Democracy can only continue to exsist as long as there is a educated public.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12271Tue, 07 Nov 2006 21:03:54 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12271Becky, Denver, COI'm an absentee voter and it's so easy to have all my info in front of me at home and decide how to vote then send my ballot off in the mail or drop it off at the county clerk's office. I miss part of the thrill of voting in person but I also miss some of the headache.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12354Tue, 07 Nov 2006 21:38:12 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12354Olivia Elizabeth Burdon, Peoria, Ill.Anonymous, Illinois--In Peoria we vote on what an old man who was ahead of me called "contraptions." But I don't know if they're Diebold or Hugo Chavez' brand. I had no trouble voting, though.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12500Tue, 07 Nov 2006 22:30:10 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12500Anonymous, IllinoisOlivia, I was just making the point that isn't it pretty darn simple to vote in Illinois? Granted we don't have any "tight" races here, but I'd find it pretty hard for anyone to say we had many, if any, voting glitches. Cidne, when I was in NC, they had a vote straight party but not out here in Illinois. Granted this was my first election in Illinois, but I like people being forced to fill in the oval for each thing they're voting for. That way "maybe" they will put some thought into who/what they're voting for.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12507Tue, 07 Nov 2006 22:32:14 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12507Julie and Bill, Littleton, CO (suburb of Denver)We live in Littleton, CO and went to the nearby fire station to vote. It was quick, less than 5 minutes before we could vote, and there were only 3 other people there besides my husband and I. We were able to find out where to vote by going to a web site (www.fairvotecolorado.org). Easy. Now, let's just hope the electronic machines are not rigged.... Go Dems!http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12509Tue, 07 Nov 2006 22:33:27 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12509Anonymous, IllinoisBecky, I just wanted to let you know that also in Illinois, at least in my county, we had a sample ballot. So what I did was just look at everyone running at home and write down on paper who I was going to vote for. That way when I went into the booth this morning, it was pretty easy and very painless.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12516Tue, 07 Nov 2006 22:34:37 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12516Julie and Bill, Littleton, CO (suburb of Denver)In response to Cidne, Cedar City, Utah - I agree that the issues are more important than the party. However, when one party controls the country, if you don't agree with the leaders from that party, you have to vote a straight ticket to oust them, then hope your elected officials will bring about some sort of change. It would be nice to bring the country back to the middle, where most of us live.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12527Tue, 07 Nov 2006 22:38:12 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12527Julie and Bill, Littleton, CO (suburb of Denver)To Jason, Cincinatti - let's hope the black vote is actually counted, huh? I want to see Tennessee's results! By the way, we are "upper class" - meaning we earn in the top 5% of income, but we are AGAINST the Bush agenda. Wanna know why? Because once we were very poor, we are against war, and pro-environment. There's a guy in our neighborhood who has a bumper sticker that says, "Annoy a liberal. Work hard, be prosperous, be happy." We live in a house worth twice his. Kinda bucks his theory, huh? http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12580Tue, 07 Nov 2006 22:53:56 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12580Julie and Bill, Littleton, CO (suburb of Denver)Just heard a report that a Denver judge denied the Dems request to extend the voting time by 2 hours because of long lines and delays in being able to vote (voting stations were consolidated). Helicopter views show one of the lines (one of many) extending for several blocks and we only have several more hours to vote, and the lines are getting longer. Guess if they can't rig the machines, they can make sure you can't vote....http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12637Tue, 07 Nov 2006 23:12:54 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12637Russ WiI voted at 7:07am. I was the 47th person to vote. Waited about 10 minutes in line at the local library. Expect a strong democratic turn out because most republicans don't know where the library is.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12674Tue, 07 Nov 2006 23:28:26 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12674Lynn, Ignacio, COOh PLEASE!! Why extend for 2 hours - if you are in line then you get to vote. If you know the lines are going to be long like they've been saying - why not vote early or mail in? It appears to me that the Dem's are doing a great job of "boo-hooing" for just about everything and blaming it on the Reps. Shame on you - get over it and get on with it - just like I will have to IF the Dem's win.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12714Tue, 07 Nov 2006 23:43:21 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12714Bill Verdon, Denver, ColoradoWe went to vote Downtown Denver this morning right when the polls opened and it took 1 1/2 hours and the line behind us was growing by the minute. It is now 3 around hours. There were 16 voting booths and only 4 or 5 were being used at any one time. They couldn't get people processed due to slow computers.http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2006/11/07/11893.aspx#12720Tue, 07 Nov 2006 23:45:27 GMT8a5d2dbc-a0e4-4c7a-979f-3188051f228e:12720Joe Lillard, Colorado Springs, ColoradoIn my polling place there were about eight paper ballot voting booths and one electronic voting machine. My wife used the paper system and I used the electronic system. Her ballot took about 10 minutes to complete. She finished and I was still waiting my tutn at the machine. I waited another 10 minutes to get to the machine. Once I got to the machine, it took me a little less than 10 minutes to vote including a final re-check of my ballot. About 5 people were able to vote electronically in the time it took 30 people to vote using the paper ballot.