I just voted...

mmmm, so, what do you think about that, bermits?

It is now clear to us non-Americans that you did not have one national election, but 51 state (or district) elections. Each one, with different registration rules, different types of ballots, different ways and means of checking that no fraud is done, different legal sets, and different levels of uniformity (some counties within a state can have different rules).
Most of you have each state's sovereignity in high regard. A true federation, it seems.

It may be merely a matter of taste, but it seems to me that if the USA is "one nation, united by God", then 51 different sets of electoral and voting rules make no sense... tend to create a mess and to give still more power to the lawyers.

I do prefer our system. Our "voting card" with a photograph is the only official I.D. in the country, (besides the passport, which only a minority has). Federal elections are organized by a non-government national non-partisan citizen institute (it is part of the State, but separate from government). State elections are organized by a similar local institute.
There are more than 200 thousand prescincts - usually a short walk and a line that lasts less than half an hour (and we have an average of six ballots per election). Every prescinct officer, and every party representative has the list of voters, with the picture on it. If you're not on the list or do not present your voting card, you cannot vote there. (If you're out of town, and are an early riser, you can go to the Special Prescincts, with a limited number of ballots, where you can vote only for President -if you're out of state-, President, Senator, and "Proportional representative", but not district representative -if you're in the same state). After you vote, they put indelible ink on your finger. All complaints end in a Federal Electoral Court (a sort of a Supreme Court only for elections), which is the only one that can nullify any votes. State elections have a State Electoral Court, but complaints in local processes can go "upwards" to the Federal Electoral Court.
The federal ballots are the same everywhere. Local ballots vary according to each state.
There are no absentee or mail ballots. All votes are counted on election day. All vote counting is public (any citizen can watch it).
The system is supposed to be fraud-proof. It is quite expensive, though. A long history of election rigging made us approve all the locks.

littlek - I came from Newton many years ago (31 to be exact) and was raised quite Liberal. When I got to NH in 1973, I brought the tradition, but it evolved over the years and I found myself growing much more conservative on issues, but still independently near the middle. In the past several elections, I voted Libertarian. My first shock came when NH elected Gov. Shaheen, a Democrat AND a woman!!!!! Now, Kerry and Lynch - whew.

Anyhow, to answer your question, I am glad. This election, while I wasn't crazy about Kerry, I was passionately against Bush, and to see the state agree (even though there was no landslide) felt pretty good.

Looks like a friend made it in again with boucoup votes. Pleased.

Not to claim close friendship, but not all that far away.

Well, our "own" Sonora born Ken Salazar made the Senate, defeating ultra-right winger Pete Coors in Colorado.
And, boy, Coors is just about the worst beer you can drink!
I'll have a Victoria to that!

(And Victoria -at least so claim the commercials- is a beer you CAN'T have in the States).

I just voted. I heard there were going to be long lines, but surpisingly, I was the only one there.

Come on Kerry!!!

What are you smoking? :wink:

Whattaya mean? And why do they have regular programming on TV, instead of all them fancy maps with the blue and red states. I love those things.

Come on Kerry!!!

Sweet, our Kicky...

Thanks for the answer bermits!

So. There's a sad and very accurate article in the boston globe about us cantabridgian voters. 13% of cambridge residents voted for bush/cheney. We are living in a bubble. The bubble let us in for a cold shock, but I'm glad I live here. Cambidge's response

A link to a globe article about the repsonses in our Bay State, in general:
sniff

New voting experience for me.

I went to the precinct, and there was no waiting. An 80 year old woman waved off my voter registration card and asked for my driver's license. I got the distinct impression she wouldn't have let me vote without it--but I had it.

I loved what I saw --there were about twelve poll workers. Every local demographic was represented. I overheard a phone call--someone wanted to vote, but needed a ride. They were looking for someone to dispatch.

We had the new touch screens--very easy, well organized.

We had the gay marriage amendment, and one about whether federal courts should have the right to overturn state decisions.

I was in and out in 5 minutes.

the lady Diane and I both registered here in Albuquerque when we moved here last summer, when we went to vote she was on the list and I was not, I was forced to cast a provisional ballot. I filed a complaint.

****, dys.

Sorry to read that..

My son, a college student who was voting for the first time, and has the same name as myself (he's the Fourth) was challenged and had to prove that he was not me. This despite the fact that we vote in different polling districts, and this is a small town. From my personal experience I think there was a systematic attempt to keep the vote down.