Ed-Tech mailing list,
[This is a non-education non-technology note. I hope it does not offend anyone. Remember to change the "To:" address to bill.vilberg@miami.edu if you choose to reply.]
It took me 2.5 hours, but I cast my vote yesterday after work. Early voting is available from 7 am – 7 pm, today through this Saturday. If you are interested in taking part in early voting, or voting on election day, consider the following.
1. Check your registration status and print out your sample ballot.
The ballots are different for each precinct, but this will pull up your information based on your address.
2. Look at the various early voting locations and check the wait time at each one to decide where you are going to go.
The wait time page is extremely valuable. At 10:15 the morning the wait time at the Coral Gables Public Library was 37 minutes. At other locations it was as long as 3 hours. You can vote at ANY early voting location, no matter what precinct you are in. You could run out to the Library and back in about an hour, or you could go somewhere after work and wait three hours. Note that anyone IN LINE at 7 pm is allowed to vote.
3. Research the items on the ballot. Mark your sample ballot so you will know how to cast your votes, especially in all the constitutional and charter amendments. The ballot is 10 pages (5 sheets, front and back) so deciding in advance is a real benefit.
Miami Herald "Naked Politics" site: http://goo.gl/JSws4 (This site links to information about the various contests, it does not list recommendations directly.)
League of Women Voters site: http://www.lwvmiamidade.org/ (The "Local Ballot Issues" link does a nice job, I think, of summarizing the various Charter Amendments.)
There are lots of other groups with recommendations. Just Google "Miami Dade 2012 Voter Guide" to find them.
4. VOTE! Whether you go early or vote on election day, I hope you will cast your ballot.
Bill Vilberg
