Election Day in the life
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Local results
When a vote is tallied on the election machines used in the 6th precint in Poweshiek County, it’s recorded on a “cartridge” inside the machine, according to Tommy Haas, the chairperson of the 6th Precinct’s Election Board. A paper trail is also created, recording all the votes for each candidate. [more]
Word on the Street
His only complaint about his job on Election Day: “Not enough cookies.” Also that it is “very rugged to work 16 hours.”
—Jeff Garland, attorney for the Legal Voting Rights Team
“In 2000, 987 people voted at this precinct, the highest numbers of any precinct in Iowa. This year is lower because of higher rates of absentee voting.”
—Michele Parslow, poll worker
“Is the Green Party on the ballot?”
“Welcome to liberal hall!”
—unidentifiable shouts from the voting line
“We did not vote for the judges because we had no idea who they were.”
—Chase Martyn ‘07 & Brian Berman ‘07
It’s really strange that they’re counting and giving results while people are still voting.” In EU elections, no one knows any results on the night of the election.
—Roger Backhouse, British economist teaching a seminar this semester
“I thought that if Kerry won Viginia and West Virginia it would how him as being stronger, but now I just don’t know.”
—Ira Strauber, Political Science
7:15 p.m.: “I’m no more or less confident now than I was this morning.”
—John Bacino ‘05
8:22 p.m.: “Midwestern states are going to decide this.”
—Sarah Mirk ‘08
“I feel that given the nature of this year’s election and the way both candidates handled the situation, we as a nation are going to see much more bipartisan efforts on behalf of politicians in an effort to bring the nation together. In addition, I greatly admire Kerry and Bush for not drawing out the electoral process with lengthy legal proceedings and appeals.”
—Deborah Kaiser ‘08, Campus Republican
“I think Grinnell Dems did a great job. It was all due to a bunch of committed volunteeers who made tremendous efforts to turn people out on campus as well as efforts off campus. ... I’m very disappointed by the results of the election but I’m optimistic about the future. I’m committed to keeping Leonard Boswell in the House of Representatives and electing a good Democrat to replace Tom Vilsack in 2006. I also think that we stand a good chance of unseating Danny Carroll next time, ... who labeled his opponent, Eric Palmer, as the candidate of Grinnell students. ... I believe it’s important that a legislator should represent the entire community, not just those he or she believes is worthy.”
—Ben Jacobs ‘06, Campus Democrats
“In every election, there is voter fraud. Normally it is minimal enough that we can ignore it. However, 2000 showed that sometimes voting irregularities could be great enough to affect the winner of a state. We were concerned that if the 2004 race was as close as predicted, a complete accounting of the votes might change the result. However, this race was not as close as expected. ... We feel that despite some cases of voting irregularities, Bush was the true winner of the 2004 presidential election ... This is a victory for democracy.
—Grinnell College November 3 Coalition, which planned to protest if a stolen election had been called
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