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Morning Poll: When Are You Voting?

by ARLnow.com | August 23, 2011 at 8:55 am | 888 views | 42 Comments

(Updated at 9:10 a.m.) The polls are open until 7:00 tonight in Arlington. That should give residents plenty of time to cast their votes in the four primary races on the ballot. As a recap, here’s a list of who is running, along with links to their candidate essays.

State Senate (30th District)

State Senate (31st District)

House of Delegates (49th District)

Commonwealth’s Attorney

If you’re a registered voter, when are you planning on voting, if at all?

Garden City

I always vote in the morning, as once I get to work it’s a possibility that I may not make it back to the polls before they close in the evening.
ArlingtonCountyTaxpayer

Always vote before work.
Work goes past poll times.
why isn’t this all done on the internet now, like my stock portfolio voting?
Jezebel

You left off another option in the survey:
Already voted absentee.
- http://www.arlnow.com ARLnow.com
  
  You’re right. We’re adding that now.
  - ArlingtonNative
    
    If you’re truly interested in making your “Poll” all-inclusive, you should also include an option for; “I am a registered Republican and not voting in this election”
    I realize how easily this could have been an omission since most think there is no such this as a Republican resident in Arlington.
    - BerryBerryCold
      
      One problem – in Virginia you do not register a party affiliation. Primaries are open, you can vote in either, but not both.
    - Rick
      
      I’m a Republician, so I voted today for the candiate that I don’t think can win against the Republician in the November election – - maybe I’ll get lucky! This is what all Republicians should do today – vote anyway!
      - Ted williams
        
        Same here. Voted for Jaime.
Bibbs

Remember in any election to vote early and often.
- http://www.exactcom.com.au/proofs/KombiPics/Wrecks/bayBushOvergrown.jpg Overgrown Bush
  
  Or if you don’t like any of the candidates save some time and gas and don’t vote at all.
G Clifford Prout

I can’t wait to hear what dirty tricks the Jamie/Babs campaigns are planning for today.

Feel free to suggest ideas:
- Bluemontsince1961
  
  Last minute flyers from Babs’ campaign suggest that Jaime is only interested in “certain” voters, has ties to La Raza and MALDEF, and wants unlimited amnesty for all illegals. Last minute flyers from Jaime’s campaign suggest that Babs pocketed secret big donations from Marymount U., Advanced Towing, and several big-time developers. These will be replaced around early afternoon with flyers where each accuse the other of being “secret Republicans” with ties to George W Bush and Dick Cheney. During the last desperate two hours, both candidates will appear at polling places to throw cream pies at each other, followed by a no-holds barred wrestling match.
  - G Clifford Prout
    
    Mud wrestling no doubt.
    - Bluemontsince1961
      
      Definitely.
  - NOVApologist
    
    Wouldn’t proposing blanket amnesty for illegals actually be an attractive platform for a candidate in Arlington?
    - Bemused bystander
      
      Even in Arlington, illegals can’t vote.
4Arl

Vote early, that gives you a chance to go to another location if your polling place turns out not to match their records, like if you moved or your district changed. Your vote will only count where the polling location matches their election day record.
Nunya

i have enough jamiebabs material to make a propaganda log for my fireplace.
- charlie
  
  those endless burning logs exude tons of chemicals. this can’t be any better.
- Scott
  
  I like the way “Propaganda log” rolls off the tongue.
ClizzleDizzle

I’m voting for the least extreme Democrat. Thank God we live in an open primary state.
- Aaron
  
  Yeah, normally I also wouldn’t have any qualms about expressing my preference for a Democrat candidate, but I really can’t decide between “supporting” the incompetent one who won’t make a dent in Richmond (and might even lose in the general election to Caren Merrick) and “supporting” the competent, intelligent guy who would be more likely win the general election and could actually seriously advance the liberal agenda to our collective detriment.
CrystalMikey

Finally enough of this phase of mud-slinging.
urmom

why would i vote? all of these candidates, except for commonwealths attorney w/ the death penalty issue, are exactly the same. there is not a single bill that could possibly be introduced in the general assembly that they would vote differently on.
VaSquare

You really should point out in your post these are only Democrat Primary elections.
- charlie
  
  Wrong. it is a Virginia State Primary.
  
  Because the republicans don’t have a candidate, much less two candidates to compete against one another, it is a primary in which only democratic candidates are being voted on here in Arlington..
  
  there are contested republican primaries being held TODAY in:
  State Senate districts: 3, 13, 21, 22, 36, 37, 39
  State house districts: 10, 18, 87, 98, and 99
Arlingtoon

I generally try to get to the polls right after they open. Not today — just stopped off on my way into the office. Voted in the Commonwealth’s Attorney race, and gave some consideration to holding my nose and voting for one of the State Senate candidates, but I just couldn’t manage to do it. Too bad they can’t both lose.

I had hoped to see a write-in option — there’s a puppy down the street that would have done a better job than either of these two.
James

Voted at 7 AM at Nottingham elementary…I was the only person there.
Bender

Why should I bother? Each and every one of them has pledged to ignore whatever I say.
Each and every one has run on a platform of doing everything contrary to what I want and believe.
Each and every one has assured voters that they will represent only a part of the electorate, that they will only represent the interests of Democrats and, if you are a conservative in the district, you do not count – you are not a constituent, you are the enemy.
- Bender
  
  OK, allow me to qualify my comment — Theo Stamos is the only one of any integrity. But then again, CA is not a legislative office.
- Josh S
  
  You might have got it a little backwards. I don’t think candidates run by saying they will represent everyone in their district. They run by saying what they are for and then those who agree with them vote them in. If they are the majority, then the majority is represented.
  
  So yeah, if you’re Republican in Arlington, prepare to be unrepresented in the state legislature. If you don’t like it, you need to start pushing for voting reform – perhaps instant runoff voting. Or a parliamentary style system where parties are awarded seats based on the proportion of the total vote they get. I am for both since it is obvious to me that a two-party system is responsible for a lot of the mayhem we have in our politics. And before you think that this is all pie in the sky – instant runoff voting (versions thereof) is already in use in several local jurisdictions around the country.
  - Stu Pendus
    
    Don’t fret too much for the poor “unrepresented” NoVa Republicans. With the house of delegates firmly controlled by Republicans, we’re not feeling that left out. Hopefully by November we’ll have the Senate too.
Jacob

My vote doesn’t matter so I’m not registered. Everyone who will pile on the hate to this comment is wrong.
ROBBIN IN DA HOOD

I AM VOTING (WRITE- IN) FOR MR PETER CIFALA.

HE IS THE LESSER OF THE TWO EVILS. (JAIME&BABS)
- Nunya
  
  you know he has money. and when he runs out, he knows how to get more.
  
  plus, he’s stylin.
- Richard Cranium
  
  I generally vote write-in, and I was wondering who I was going to write in this year. Thank you for the excellent suggestion!
  - Aaron
    
    Unfortunately, as of yesterday at least, he’s a DC resident, even if he will spend the next 10-15 years in Arlington public housing.
KalashniKEV

They’re all Dems?
charlie

the 116 people (at this point) who have declared themselves to be Dems but are not voting in this primary should HANG THEIR HEADS IN SHAME.
You have an amazing RIGHT to vote. Go VOTE.
People across the world would and do die for the right to vote.
sad. very very sad that people don’t vote. and admit it.
- Anonymouse
  
  They wouldnt “die to vote” if they realized how pointless it is in most cases these days. They would die over the “idea” of what voting means. Its just that these days… an “Idea” and little more.
  
  These days when i vote its simply a matter of voting for the lesser of 2 evils. It doesnt matter which election im voting in. Any of the choices will basically be the same in the end, regardless of what they preach. They may promise things, but 99% of the time those promises are not kept, or are altered so severely that they no longer are what you supported. In some cases i dont feel like any of the options are a good choice, and as such why even bother to vote when you get the same thing regardless. This is one of those occasions where it really doesnt matter who wins, because they are all exactly the same “evil”, so trying to vote for the lesser evil of the 2 or more is pointless.
- Jacob
  
  Your vote doesn’t matter. Admit it.
Take it down a notch

I voted at 12:30, on my way into the office after working at home in the morning. I was the 150th person to vote at Abingdon School today.

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