Dear Editor,
It took me 40 minutes to cast my ballot Nov. 7. No, it wasn’t long lines or complex issues.
It was the electronic voting machines. I showed up at my polling place at 6:55am, and was signed in ready to vote by 7:05. However, the volunteers manning the polls could not get the little plastic cards programmed for the machines to read them.
After 20 minutes, we were instructed to head up the block and across the street to vote by provisional ballot at another polling place. I opted to drive over. Even so, when I got there, the volunteers at that location weren’t sure how to process a provisional ballot, but worked as quickly as they could to get us out of there.
Finally, at 7:44, I was finally on my way to work. What I don’t understand about this whole frustrating process is why the volunteers didn’t test the machines before they opened the doors, and why paper ballots weren’t available at the polls.
There was a locked ballot box, which was used by voters to deposit forms listing their choice of language for future ballots.
Why couldn’t there have been paper ballots just for such emergencies? And yes, I did ask if paper ballots were available, and was told no.
The sad thing is, there were several people there who did not have time to traipse across the street, and stand in line while volunteers figured out how to deal with us. I don’t know if those people came back and voted later that night, but it seems unlikely. What a shame that in this day and age, we still can’t cover all the bases.
Sharon Starns, Morgan Hill
