How many Presidential elections did you vote in?

[Opti]

Looking for something lighter and hopefully interesting to discuss

How many US Presidential elections did you vote in?

Where did you live when you voted?

Are you a registered voter in a political party? (Share or not)

What state or territory will you be voting in/from this election (Nov 2024)?




I have voted in 11 US Presidential elections 
My first two were when I was in college in Indiana, the rest have been here in NJ

I am a registered voter as a Dem. Because of NJ politics I stopped voting as an Independent

I will be voting in NJ again 


List of elections from Wikipedia if it makes figuring the first Q out easier.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_elections_in_the_United_States

[Opti]

www.usa.gov/who-can-vote

Learn if you meet the qualifications to vote in federal, state, and local elections.

Who can vote?
You can vote in U.S. federal, state, and local elections if you:

Are a U.S. citizen (some areas allow non-citizens to vote in local elections only)
Meet your state’s residency requirements
You can be experiencing homelessness and still meet these requirements.
Are 18 years old on or before Election Day
In almost every state, you can register to vote before you turn 18 if you will be 18 by Election Day.
Some states allow 17-year-olds who will be 18 by Election Day to vote in primaries.
Are registered to vote by your state's voter registration deadline. North Dakota does not require voter registration.


Just info from a website that may help, for me I just needed to think about when I was at least 18 and registered to vote.

[bookkeeper]

I have voted in 10 presidential elections.  I live in a state that is so red, our governor's grandbaby owns a gun.

I am currently registered as a Republican in this state because there are no Democrats to vote for in the primaries.  I switched parties so I could help pick better people as leaders in our state.  I worked for state government for a stretch and DH worked for a subdivision of state government for 32 years so we were registered independents during that time.  

My mother was a poll worker for 20 years.  She checked me in the first time I got to vote.   I try to balance that memory with what poll workers are going through now.  It is outrageous that election workers are threatened for simply doing their job.  We have a county auditor that faced recall efforts because she wasn't MAGA enough for the republican voters that elected her.  You can't make this stuff up.  

[Cheesy FL-Vol]

My first presidential election that I was eligible for was 1984.

I voted in the state I was born in through the 1988 election. I do not remember the voter registration process in that state.

By 1992, I was in a different state, and registration was by party. I voted in every election and primary available.

In 2013, I moved to a different state, but was back to the state above 2 years later, so I didn't miss any major elections. I may have missed some locals. I was in this state until late 2019.

The state where I currently live does not require party registration. I missed some local primaries, due to the dates of moving just missing registration for those primaries, but got registered in time for the 2020 election.

Fun fact: I grew up rural. Up until 2020, I lived in cities or towns for all of my adult life. Our precincts were never walkable from the house or apartment. I now live in the sticks, and my first election here, I was able to walk to the polling place in a rural community building adjacent to our property. Alas, they moved the polling place after that one time, so I have to drive again. 

[happyhoix]

Aug 8, 2024 7:50:18 GMT -5 bookkeeper said:

I have voted in 10 presidential elections.  I live in a state that is so red, our governor's grandbaby owns a gun.

I am currently registered as a Republican in this state because there are no Democrats to vote for in the primaries.  I switched parties so I could help pick better people as leaders in our state.  I worked for state government for a stretch and DH worked for a subdivision of state government for 32 years so we were registered independents during that time.  

My mother was a poll worker for 20 years.  She checked me in the first time I got to vote.   I try to balance that memory with what poll workers are going through now.  It is outrageous that election workers are threatened for simply doing their job.  We have a county auditor that faced recall efforts because she wasn't MAGA enough for the republican voters that elected her.  You can't make this stuff up.  

In the 2018 elections I went to vote in my very small, extremely red state and some older women in line in front of my started running her mouth at the poll worker about how ‘this better be done right and no cheating!!!’

Sure, the nice middle aged lady who teaches Bible study at Sunday School to third graders is secretly a far left radical who is destroying all the Republican votes. 🤬

My mom used to be a poll worker too, back in the 60s when she was glad to get out of the house and her four kids to go hang out with the other adults and chat with the neighbors.

[resolution]

I have voted in 9 presidential elections, beginning in 1988. I was raised to be Republican and was a reliable Republican vote.
In 2003 I changed my registration to Independent because I disagreed with the Iraq invasion.
In 2010 I moved to MD and they wouldn't let me register Independent, so I registered Unaffiliated. 
In 2020 I moved to PA and registered No Affiliation.

I was able to walk to the polls in AZ and in PA, but I had to drive in MD. In theory we could have walked, but there were no sidewalks and the one lane bridges are dangerous to walk over because you literally can't get off to the side of the lane.

[NoNamePerson]

Every one since 1964. Earlier you had to be 21. I hit 21 in 64. I've never been a "party" person. I have rarely voted for someone. Always voting against someone. I have a complete distain, dislike, distrust of all politicians equally. So color me red, blue, pink, purple, green and orange. LABELS are the most important thing today. 

[Opti]

I didn't even think about the getting to the polls issue, although it is an important one. When I did the first NJ mail in ballot during the Covid times, I drove to the county seat Dropbox which was closer physically to where I lived than the one at the muncipal complex for the town I live in.

If I am up to it, I can walk to my current polling place. Over the years the school elections migrated from the local elementary school to this nonprofit center that once upon a time was a school. (Not while I have lived here though, it has always held a changing number of nonprofits and occasionally overflow county offices - like recycling admin)

[Opti]

Aug 8, 2024 9:24:22 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

Every one since 1964. Earlier you have to be 21. I hit 21 in 64. I've never been a "party" person. I have rarely voted for someone. Always voting against someone. I have a complete distain, dislike, distrust of all politicians equally. So color me red, blue, pink, purple, green and orange. LABELS are the most important thing today. 

I am younger than you, but I do believe I did start out voting so not person X got in office. I've become a party person* because I realize most laws and actions go through one party machine or the other. It is rare that Independents do well in higher office or even locally more than once. Bernie Sanders can be himself because he represents Vermont and chooses to align with the Dems when it is time to. 


* A coworker educated me into that opinion. Our UNIX team alternated between being quite busy and having blocks of downtime. So sometimes we spoke about topics of the day. After learning what he knew, I realized just voting in the election and not the primaries limited my ability to influence who would be on the final election ballot. I do miss the county both my homes were in. The Women's League of Voters regularly had events where local candidates were invited to speak. I did not make all of them due to job and other demands, but I did attend a few, and I found it helpful. Because these days the words on the website may or may not clash with how they say their position on stage, and what you might discover is the real reason or one important reason they are running. 

[Deleted]

I have voted in 7 presidential elections, starting in 1996 in MD.  The last 2 elections, I have lived in ID.  

Since both states have closed primaries and one sided politics, I am usually registered as the party in power.  My whole household is currently registered Republican, even though we don't vote that way and disagree with almost everything they do.

I walk to my polling place and vote in almost every election.  Hoping our open primary ballot measure passes this November.

[billisonboard]

Aug 8, 2024 9:59:46 GMT -5 @pooks said:

I have voted in 7 presidential elections, starting in 1996 in MD.  The last 2 elections, I have lived in ID.  

Since both states have closed primaries and one sided politics, I am usually registered as the party in power.  My whole household is currently registered Republican, even though we don't vote that way and disagree with almost everything they do.

I walk to my polling place and vote in almost every election.  Hoping our open primary ballot measure passes this November.

Wow! I don't really stay up on my birth/childhood state's politics since disgust with them is one reason I will never move back. But potentially open primaries? Bet the powers-that-be aren't happy with that.

[billisonboard]

Think it has been 12 elections for me.

The first one I was living on Guam but voted "in" Idaho as allowed for service members. Eventually ended up in Washington state. 

Registered by party when required for party primaries but no longer required here. 

[soupandstew]

I've voted in all presidential elections since 1968 (first year after I turned 21), always in Texas and always as a Democrat.  Generally we vote in-person during the early voting period.  We tried mail-in ballots once or twice, but delivery is iffy with our postal service, and drop-off ballots are very heavily restricted.  Several years ago they began allowing persons to vote at any location, not just their precinct, and that has made voting much more convenient for people who work or go to school.  Of course, the Republican majority in the state legislature tries repeatedly to force a reversion to precinct only voting.  Our nearest polling place is a very large community center about 8 blocks from the house.  

[haapai]

I have voted in nine, every one since I first became eligible in 1988. 

The first was when I was going to college out of state.  All of the rest have been in the state where I was born and currently reside.  Strangely, I have no memory of how I registered to vote in that first election or physically casting a ballot. 

I have had a party affiliation in the past, I think.  I probably switched to Independent some time in the nineties when I wanted to do a little mischief.  I voted for the weakest/craziest candidate that the other party was running and he did altogether too well, so I won't be doing that again.  Since then, my home state has switched to an open primary. 

I'll be voting in MI this fall. 

I voted absentee twice when I was working as a poll worker in the 90s but I have voted in person every time since then.  I'm a bit put off by the multiple envelopes that have to be signed and how the signatures have to match the signature on file.  I tend to alternate between writing the first letter of my name in cursive and whatever the other type of handwriting is called.  I don't want my vote to be discarded because of that. 

I fill out my ballot completely.  I never pick the straight-party option.  I prefer not to vote for unopposed candidates. 

[soupandstew]

Aug 8, 2024 11:49:54 GMT -5 haapai said:

I have voted in nine, every one since I first became eligible in 1988. 

The first was when I was going to college out of state.  All of the rest have been in the state where I was born and currently reside.  Strangely, I have no memory of how I registered to vote in that first election or physically casting a ballot. 

I have had a party affiliation in the past, I think.  I probably switched to Independent some time in the nineties when I wanted to do a little mischief.  I voted for the weakest/craziest candidate that the other party was running and he did altogether too well, so I won't be doing that again.  Since then, my home state has switched to an open primary. 

I'll be voting in MI this fall. 

I voted absentee twice when I was working as a poll worker in the 90s but I have voted in person every time since then.  I'm a bit put off by the multiple envelopes that have to be signed and how the signatures have to match the signature on file.  I tend to alternate between writing the first letter of my name in cursive and whatever the other type of handwriting is called.  I don't want my vote to be discarded because of that. 

I fill out my ballot completely.  I never pick the straight-party option.  I prefer not to vote for unopposed candidates. 

The legislature eliminated straight-party voting 2 years ago.  That made our ballots incredibly long as we vote for judges at all levels and the last time around we had some 90 races on the ballot. I don't have a problem standing at the machine that long, but many seniors do and have to request a chair at a special voting machine 

[billisonboard]

Aug 8, 2024 13:03:08 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

Aug 8, 2024 11:49:54 GMT -5 haapai said:

I have voted in nine, every one since I first became eligible in 1988. 

The first was when I was going to college out of state.  All of the rest have been in the state where I was born and currently reside.  Strangely, I have no memory of how I registered to vote in that first election or physically casting a ballot. 

I have had a party affiliation in the past, I think.  I probably switched to Independent some time in the nineties when I wanted to do a little mischief.  I voted for the weakest/craziest candidate that the other party was running and he did altogether too well, so I won't be doing that again.  Since then, my home state has switched to an open primary. 

I'll be voting in MI this fall. 

I voted absentee twice when I was working as a poll worker in the 90s but I have voted in person every time since then.  I'm a bit put off by the multiple envelopes that have to be signed and how the signatures have to match the signature on file.  I tend to alternate between writing the first letter of my name in cursive and whatever the other type of handwriting is called.  I don't want my vote to be discarded because of that. 

I fill out my ballot completely.  I never pick the straight-party option.  I prefer not to vote for unopposed candidates. 

The legislature eliminated straight-party voting 2 years ago.  That made our ballots incredibly long as we vote for judges at all levels and the last time around we had some 90 races on the ballot. I don't have a problem standing at the machine that long, but many seniors do and have to request a chair at a special voting machine 

100% by mail elections are a great solution to the problems of time length both in line and voting.

[dondubble]

12 having turned 20 in 1972. Was not able to vote in ‘76. Tried to get absentee ballot in September but couldn’t get one. My buddy and me stopped north of Vegas for a drink and found out Dixey Lee Ray had been voted in as our governor.

[billisonboard]

Fun fact: Since I was on the other side of the International Date Line, I found out a day before others that Carter had won in 1976.

[Opti]

Aug 8, 2024 11:49:54 GMT -5 haapai said:

I have voted in nine, every one since I first became eligible in 1988. 

The first was when I was going to college out of state.  All of the rest have been in the state where I was born and currently reside.  Strangely, I have no memory of how I registered to vote in that first election or physically casting a ballot. 

I have had a party affiliation in the past, I think.  I probably switched to Independent some time in the nineties when I wanted to do a little mischief.  I voted for the weakest/craziest candidate that the other party was running and he did altogether too well, so I won't be doing that again.  Since then, my home state has switched to an open primary. 

I'll be voting in MI this fall. 

I voted absentee twice when I was working as a poll worker in the 90s but I have voted in person every time since then.  I'm a bit put off by the multiple envelopes that have to be signed and how the signatures have to match the signature on file.  I tend to alternate between writing the first letter of my name in cursive and whatever the other type of handwriting is called.  I don't want my vote to be discarded because of that. 

I fill out my ballot completely.  I never pick the straight-party option.  I prefer not to vote for unopposed candidates. 

The first mail in ballot in NJ was extremely confusing to me with all the instructions. Plus, since I was working at the hybrid nursing home/AL at the time many residents, caregivers and nurses had questions on how to fill it out and asked me.    I eventually did learn what to check for and when those other signatures were needed. This is partly why though I dropped mine off the last day or two it would be acceptable. I did not want my vote rejected over some administrivia.

[billisonboard]

Aug 8, 2024 14:26:46 GMT -5 Opti said:

Aug 8, 2024 11:49:54 GMT -5 haapai said:

I have voted in nine, every one since I first became eligible in 1988. 

The first was when I was going to college out of state.  All of the rest have been in the state where I was born and currently reside.  Strangely, I have no memory of how I registered to vote in that first election or physically casting a ballot. 

I have had a party affiliation in the past, I think.  I probably switched to Independent some time in the nineties when I wanted to do a little mischief.  I voted for the weakest/craziest candidate that the other party was running and he did altogether too well, so I won't be doing that again.  Since then, my home state has switched to an open primary. 

I'll be voting in MI this fall. 

I voted absentee twice when I was working as a poll worker in the 90s but I have voted in person every time since then.  I'm a bit put off by the multiple envelopes that have to be signed and how the signatures have to match the signature on file.  I tend to alternate between writing the first letter of my name in cursive and whatever the other type of handwriting is called.  I don't want my vote to be discarded because of that. 

I fill out my ballot completely.  I never pick the straight-party option.  I prefer not to vote for unopposed candidates. 

The first mail in ballot in NJ was extremely confusing to me with all the instructions. Plus, since I was working at the hybrid nursing home/AL at the time many residents, caregivers and nurses had questions on how to fill it out and asked me.    I eventually did learn what to check for and when those other signatures were needed. This is partly why though I dropped mine off the last day or two it would be acceptable. I did not want my vote rejected over some administrivia.

We use 100% mail in ballots here. I volunteer to be a count observer. When there is an administrivia issue, from the signature or lack thereof to a mark on a ballot, there are procedures in place to get legitimacy of ballot resolved or to determine voter intent. Waiting until the last minute to submit a ballot shortens the time for resolution.

[irishpad]

11 elections   (turned 18 2 weeks before 1980 election
All were in MN except maybe 1984 since I was in college in ND and probably voted there.
Registered Dem
Will vote in MN again.    

[soupandstew]

Aug 8, 2024 13:13:29 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Aug 8, 2024 13:03:08 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

The legislature eliminated straight-party voting 2 years ago.  That made our ballots incredibly long as we vote for judges at all levels and the last time around we had some 90 races on the ballot. I don't have a problem standing at the machine that long, but many seniors do and have to request a chair at a special voting machine 

100% by mail elections are a great solution to the problems of time length both in line and voting.

That would indeed be true if the postal service were adequate but sadly, in our area, they are not.  

[billisonboard]

Aug 8, 2024 14:44:41 GMT -5 irishpad said:

11 elections   (turned 18 2 weeks before 1980 election
All were in MN except maybe 1984 since I was in college in ND and probably voted there.
Registered Dem
Will vote in MN again.    

Tripping down memory lane: When the 26th Amendment was passed, it created concerns with the potential power of college students congregated in small areas. Also the GOP was not excited about this new voting block. So some state legislatures came up with challenging rules on where college students were to register. It was a common rule that dorm rooms could not be used to establish residence, those students had to register at their parent's address. I was too young to have to deal with it but I remember the band Chicago putting a detailed list of each state's rules on the record sleeve of one of their albums (actually had it in my collection years later) to help get out the vote for McGovern in 1972. Note: the GOP attempting to fuck with elections isn't new to Trump. 

[tallguy]

Aug 8, 2024 14:55:15 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

Aug 8, 2024 13:13:29 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

100% by mail elections are a great solution to the problems of time length both in line and voting.

That would indeed be true if the postal service were adequate but sadly, in our area, they are not.  

Which red state do you live in?  

[Opti]

Aug 8, 2024 15:07:58 GMT -5 tallguy said:

Aug 8, 2024 14:55:15 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

That would indeed be true if the postal service were adequate but sadly, in our area, they are not.  

Which red state do you live in?  

I believe TX and

SPOILER: Click to show

Houston or Houston area if I remember correctly

[billisonboard]

Aug 8, 2024 14:55:15 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

Aug 8, 2024 13:13:29 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

100% by mail elections are a great solution to the problems of time length both in line and voting.

That would indeed be true if the postal service were adequate but sadly, in our area, they are not.  

So what is the more exact problem? If ballot is not received one can go as far as personally pick one up, mark it immediately, and place it in an on-site drop box. Concerned about the return, again drop boxes. Drop boxes are no more inconvenient than in-person voting with the added advantage of not time dependent.

[haapai]

Aug 8, 2024 15:07:15 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Aug 8, 2024 14:44:41 GMT -5 irishpad said:

11 elections   (turned 18 2 weeks before 1980 election
All were in MN except maybe 1984 since I was in college in ND and probably voted there.
Registered Dem
Will vote in MN again.    

Tripping down memory lane: When the 26th Amendment was passed, it created concerns with the potential power of college students congregated in small areas. Also the GOP was not excited about this new voting block. So some state legislatures came up with challenging rules on where college students were to register. It was a common rule that dorm rooms could not be used to establish residence, those students had to register at their parent's address. I was too young to have to deal with it but I remember the band Chicago putting a detailed list of each state's rules on the record sleeve of one of their albums (actually had it in my collection years later) to help get out the vote for McGovern in 1972. Note: the GOP attempting to fuck with elections isn't new to Trump. 

I graduated from HS in 1986, and by that time nobody was afraid of college students voting too much or tipping the vote in an area.  Everyone in my life was just begging me to jump through a few hoops in order to vote and then assuming that anyone who had jumped through those hoops would vote.  

I remember being treated like some sort of hero when I actually hauled my butt to city/township hall and requested to register to vote.  Nobody cared that I was a college student who perhaps should have been voting in her own state by absentee ballot.  Everyone that I spoke to was just absolutely thrilled that I was actually voting. 

This was before motor-voter.  At that time getting registered took at least 40 minutes of your time at least six weeks before the election.

Also, we didn't have good ways to purge voters from the rolls when they had moved back then and college students moved a lot.  I've always wondered whether young folks actually had as lousy a voter participation rate as I was told or that we just were registered in multiple places and not voting in more than one. 

[swamp]

Eligible to vote in 1988.  I passed on that one.  Didn’t like my choices.  

I’ve voted in every election since 1992. 

I’ve been registered as a Democrat since 1988. I registered in HS.  The board of elections went to each senior social studies classes in the fall and registered everyone who wanted to. 

my kids pre register to vote when they got their drivers permits at 16. 

I’m in N.Y. and have always lived here. 

[chiver78]

Aug 8, 2024 9:59:46 GMT -5 @pooks said:

I have voted in 7 presidential elections, starting in 1996.

thanks, you saved me from having to look it up 

I am registered "unenrolled" which allows me to choose which of the open primaries I'd like to vote in. you select the party ballot and are automatically returned to unenrolled after you're checked out. I'm in solidly blue MA, and voted for Ralph Nader a number of times - in an effort to help him reach the arbitrary threshold to be granted entry into the national Presidential debates. I disagreed with most of what he has to say, but I hate that he was on a national ballot and couldn't get the air time the two major parties did with those debates. 

I have voted for candidates from both parties over the years, but have settled into checking off all the boxes for a (D) party ticket lately. I voted for Charlie Baker as a Republican governor each time his name came up, but where I live now may as well be MTG country as far as redneck MAGA heads. I don't want any local elected officials of that flavor. if you'd like an example, look up Kari MacRae for MA State Senate, Plymouth/Barnstable District. basically, the Cape and a lot of South Shore. 

[soupandstew]

Aug 8, 2024 15:16:34 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Aug 8, 2024 14:55:15 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

That would indeed be true if the postal service were adequate but sadly, in our area, they are not.  

So what is the more exact problem? If ballot is not received one can go as far as personally pick one up, mark it immediately, and place it in an on-site drop box. Concerned about the return, again drop boxes. Drop boxes are no more inconvenient than in-person voting with the added advantage of not time dependent.

The first problem is that Texas does not allow one to "personally pick one up, mark it immediately, and place it in an on-site drop box".  You can either request a mail-in ballot (should be done some weeks in advance to assure USPS delivery and return) or vote in-person.  The in-person option requires one to go to an electronic station, insert the provided paper, mark one's selection electronically, take the paper to another location in the room and insert it in a printer, and wait until it's accepted and processed.  Drop boxes in Texas are extremely limited in number and hours of operation.  During the last cycle, it was more of a "hand-off" box where you had to show ID and physically hand it to a person.  And most of the locations required freeway driving which I can't safely do.  I don't know where you live, but our Texas rules are obviously quite different.  At one time, we were allowed to do drive-by drop off, but that was banned shortly after.