I Voted — Comparing NY vs CA

This was the first time I've voted here in NY since I moved back from CA.

I have to say that CA has it pretty buttoned down when it comes to voting.

First, in the area in CA where I lived, we used punch cards. You get a set of cards, printed front and back, and you slide them in a little manual punching device one at a time. You line up the arrow with your choice, punch, and move on. Place them all back in their little envelope, drop them in the box, and off they go to be counted by machine.

Before the election, you receive a complete sample ballot in the mail. It shows you exactly what your punch cards are going to look like when you arrive at the polling place. The polling location is also printed on the sample ballot. You mark that up, bring it with you, and the process goes really fast when you have the cheat sheet.

In CA, there always seems to be so much to vote on. In addition to the regular president/senator/congressmember, you have the statewide offices, countywide offices, city offices, community college districts, school districts, and judges. You vote for water district managers...it seems everything except the dog catcher. And then there are all the statewide propositions and local measures.

Besides the sample ballot, you also get a booklet where each of the candidates get to make a statement. For the propositions, you get a description of the proposition and its anticipated financial impact. Then, there is a grid of four boxes on the following page: Box one is an argument in favor of the prop, box two is the rebuttal to that argument, box three is an argument against the prop, and box four is the rebuttal to that argument.

As you can see, it is quite extensive.

Here in New York things are different. No sample ballot. No explanations. Perhaps it's because I only had to vote on five things today: President/VP, Congressional Rep, State Senator, State Assemblymember, and a judge.

There was no one signing in when I arrived. There were two machines — the hulking metal type with a large handle that closes the curtain behind you when moved to the right, and then opens the curtain, registers your votes, and resets the machine when you move it back to the left. Votes are cast by pulling down a lever in front of the name you want to select.

There wasn't anyone using the machines when I had my chance, and I passed two people coming in as I left. I was there a maximum of two minutes. I feel sorry for those folks I'm watching on TV that have to wait so long.