Make Your Vote Count - How to Vote
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Reported by: WROC-TV
Monday, Nov 3, 2008 @02:02pm EST
You're in the voting machine. You pull the lever. The curtain closes. Now what?
"At that point, the voter has the opportunity to pull down the levers for any of the candidates they want in any of the races that they so choose,"
said Peter Quinn, the Republican Board of Elections commissioner in Monroe County.
That means you can just vote for one candidate, if that's your M.O. You don't have to vote in all races, or stick to party lines. While the curtain is still closed you can even change your mind.
Write-in ballots are an exception. Let's say you want to nominate a candidate yourself. At the top of the voting machine, you'll find a spot where you can write in your choice - but, write-in's beware.
"Once you lift a write-in slot, you've already committed to using up one of your votes, and you can't change your mind on a write-in."
All finished? Then leave your choices alone.
"Some people get confused actually, particularly those first time voters - once they pull the levers down, they try to put them back up. The machine will do that," said Thomas Ferrarese, the Democratic Board of Elections commissioner. "Once they're done, by pulling that red handle back, they'll slap a little 'I voted today' sticker on you, and you'll be on your way."
That's it. What's done is done. Once you leave that booth, you can't go back, even if you change your mind, or forget to vote in a specific race. That's why it's so important to take a second look before reaching for the handle.
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