They were inside. People were wet as they went inside and got water from their clothes or hair or wherever on the ballot.

Chad Bryden for President!

It doesn't matter what state you are from or how they vote every method had it's issues. As for online voting, can you imagine the draw that would have to a hacker?

InTX,

It is not wise to ramble off about another region when your post is lacking any thought at all. It is possible that while standing in line in the rain, jackets, hats, ets…got wet and when the individuals were inside and recieved their ballots the water on the jackets dripped. Please think before you post something idiotic.

NC resident

I was a poll watcher this morning. It was pouring. Do not demonstrate your ignorance by asking if there are roofs in North Carolina.

Hey InTx – it's not that they're giving the ballots outside, it's that people are wet because it's raining (funny how that works) and water from their hands, jackets, hats, etc. drips on to the ballots.

Just how backwoods are they in Tx that something like that isn't obvious?

I think "TOO BAD" could use a hug.

NC election polls law has "random" id checks that are selected prior to the beginning of the day. If your sticker in the book says check identification then you have to show your id, otherwise you don't. Most voters won't have to show id. I was checked once 3 years ago randomly and I asked why.

My goodness! They DID give them the ballots once they were INside! After waiting OUTside in line to get into the building to vote, people had water dripping off their clothes & hands, which then got on the ballots they were handed when they got INside to vote. Why is this so difficult for some to imagine? I guess common sense isn't so common.

they closed the 'Some absentee ballots MIA in NM county' topic so im posting here… regardless of who wins the other side is going to be upset. dont blame this on the dems or gop b/c its not their fault. its the state. same kind of thing is happening in gwinnett, ga. absentee balots were printed wrong and have to be HAND COPIED FROM ONE BALOT TO ANOTHER. good luck getting this right. on top of that, some didnt even receive their balot. this election will be worse than the flordia incident…

We receive our ballots last. People were getting the ballots wet from umbrellas or jackets(It is raining here)

Well, Joey. I guess that since we have RTP and Charlotte in our state, that we also have good educational institutions, since we "no" (know)how to use correct grammar. Joey: "Obviously you all no absolutely nothing about one of the fastest growing populations and economies in the United States."

Everybody is so bitter and uptight…get over it! It'a wonderful day…Barack Obama is going to be Predident!!

Have a wonderful Day, Rain or Shine!!!

This is for MEH, There's nothing wrong with touch screen ballots. They're great! We have them here in Guilford County. When you vote it makes a paper copy to feed into a computer that counts the ballots.

To InTX_
The ballots ARE given to the voters inside, but when you are dripping water because you've been standing out in the rain, the water drips onto the ballot, wetting it. Come on, use those brain cells!

"Everything is funny as long as it is happening to somebody else." …Will Rogers

Come on Jason lighten up…even if McCain loses…NC can continue to be the #2 financial center of the US….

I quote the following from this feed.
——————————————————
All you RACIST zealots that have been stoked by MCSAME and his PUPPET…maybe you should move to Alaska with your RACIST Sarah Pasty Palin!

The RP has GONE to HELL…not respectable–just dispicable!!
By TOO BAD
______________________________
Why do you Americans still tolerate such trash talk?

Personally I like Bonnie's suggestion above re: put your red or blue bean in the jar and voila! you have voted!!! Some times I think we make things too complicated for ourselves – go back to the basics of "bean counting" and we'd have no more problems!!

InTx:

smart enough to actually read an article before we comment on it

This election process has been so foul. The tone of the Repulicans and the anger generated is not what true democracy is supposed to be about. It actually may be largely the tone that dictates the direction of this election. Many people are disgusted.

I'm really saddened that failure of the absentee ballot system and other system failures will deny people their right to vote.

As an independent, real American voting Democratic this time, I surely hope that there never is another election campaign that sinks to the depths that this one has.

Get out and support Obama today. Don't take anything for granted…there could be a surprise. Vote!

Yes, we have roofs on our barns in NC. The problem is that there is a little bit of space between the boards, and that is where the rain gets in. Plus, since it's raining, we have to leave the animals in the barn, so there isn't enough room for all the people.

Just how backwoods are they there in that state? Why not wait and give them the ballots when they are INSIDE?

Leave North Carolina alone. All voting machines have benefits and drawbacks. Paper ballots ensure a paper trail, but they are sensitive to rain, erase marks, ect. You'll be hard pressed to find flawless voting machines, polling practices, voting machine manufactuers, election officials, ect. anywhere, whether the south or out west or in the northeast.

Let's drop the 'south is stupid and backword' jokes. They are old and inaccurate, biased and misinformed.

Hey, whatever it takes so that everyone gets an opportunity to cast a vote.

All you RACIST zealots that have been stoked by MCSAME and his PUPPET…maybe you should move to Alaska with your RACIST Sarah Pasty Palin!

The RP has GONE to HELL…not respectable–just dispicable!!

To solve all the electronic voting problems, they should have a big jar… you show your id, validate your address, and then request a red bean or a blue bean… throw your bean in the jar, and VOILA, you've voted. No more jammed-up machines!

Dont that have like roofs and floor in North Carolena? NC sounds like a fun place – no floors and no roofs. Cant they get something like electing the presidint right?

Lucky someone was there to point out to the NC folk that they should dry their hands before handling the ballot. The only problem now is quite a few people wrote their choices on the paper towels

Enter in SSN and PIN number given to you when you originally registered to vote (in person) and vote online. Receive confirmation number that vote was received and counted. I still can't believe this country hasn't gone to online voting at least for federal elections. Get rid of electoral college so that votes made actually count for something. Until that happens, there really is no need for me to vote at all as my state traditionally goes opposite of how I vote. I certainly wouldn't stand in line in the rain to cast that useless vote. I hate to sound so negative, but that's pretty much what it amounts to.

As A Canadian, I find it hilarious tht Americans are asked to act as observers for elections in countries, such as Zimbabwe and Haitti to make sure they are fair and democratic, but they cannot seem to run their own fairly. You would think after Bush stole the election in 2000 and rigged the one in 2004 you would have learnt a lesson.

Lol I like Turner's idea, just do it like American Idol! Then the lazy people don't even have to leave the house!

Are there republican ' issues' in north Carolina like there were in Florida a few years agao? hmmmm…. Ya just got to wonder.

The voting is inside. We have the plumbing in there too now It was wet hands and coats causing the issue.

In this area of NC we use touch screen voting. Every voter in my polling site was notified that a straight party vote did not apply to the big race. I was impressed that they went to that effort, and things were moving very smoothly.

And to the young soldier who drove cross-state to vote in uniform in his home district… Thank You. It does not matter how you voted, I was insprired in seeing that level of effort.

No, jymsis123, just like our plumbing, we vote indoors. Please read the article a little closer next time. Its raining outside but "Voters were coming into voting locations early Tuesday morning and getting the paper ballots wet as they handled them"

Go Obama

lol – they need a memo how to use a towel. Great…

The ballot in NC is really straight forward. when i was handed my ballot, I was also handed a slip of paper stating that you would still have to vote for president seperately even if you voted straight party. It is also written on the ballot in big bold letters with step by step instructions, there is nothing confusing about it.

John from Raleigh, NC

You know, I am tired of all the bashing. these people should be commended for standing outside in line in the rain so that their vote can count. We can joke all we want, but the simple fact is the voting stations were so crowded people stood outside in the wind and rain. This is a good thing. Make fun of NC all you want, I live here and I was happy to see so many people standing in line outside. Luckily I voted last week.

Do you people seriously think we vote outside in NC? Come on you guys, use a little logic, just because we are in the south doesn't mean we're idiots…

Yeah, sounds good, lets use electronic machines so when there is a problem with them there will be no record of any votes. At least we have a back of system in NC.

the people come in wet & need their hands dry to handle the ballots. duh

It rained so hard here in Raleigh, early this morning, that with umbrellas, wet rain coats etc, people were just wet going into the polling places from their cars etc. If, under those circumstances, someone hands you a paper ballot to complete, there is a chance it will get wet. It may be raining, but North Carolina is voting in record numbers!

Steve in Las Vegas> At least w. paper ballots there is a paper trail. I would NEVER use a touch-screen machine.

The ballot machines aren't the problem. The article says that voters' wet hands from the rain caused wet ballots.

Jason, 47yo male for McCain and everyone else cracking jokes about NC – They haven't invented roofs in NC yet? That's clever, really. That's why Charlotte is the #2 financial center of the US behind NYC. That's why the research triangle in Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill is considered one of the best places in the US to live. Obviously you all no absolutely nothing about one of the fastest growing populations and economies in the United States.

The problem was with people with wet hands, coming in from the rain, handling the paper ballot.

Don't you read the articles before commenting? They're getting wet as they're being handled by wet people who have just come in out of the rain. It's not raining indoors where the machines are.

Republicans will be buying up all the paper towels so there will be none left…its their only chance!

Their hands are wet from waiting in line outside, handling umbrellas, etc. It doesn't take much to mess up a paper that gets sucked into a machine.

47yo male for McCain November 4th, 2008 1:41 pm ET
Don't they have roofs over the ballot machines in NC.
————————————————————————————–
your ignorance is showing.

47yo male for McCain, please read the second paragraph again…

you know who are the ones playing tricks and will do wahtever it takes
but not THIS TIME
NOT THIS TIME
NOT THIS TIME

YOU WONT STEAL OUR FUTURE

NO MORE ROVE, MCBUSH, PALIN, LIMBAUGH AND HENETY

No, we dont have roofs down here in North Carolina. You must be one of those fancy northerners.

The issue came in because voters clothes and hands were wet and in turn got the paper ballott wet.

The polling stations were built by democrats so they can say the republicans are trying to steal the election. Next thing we will hear is that toilet paper helped solve the problems. Lets get with it. It is neither demo. or repub. doing this. It is just down right poor planning. as far as voting by mail, prove that your ballot got counted!

they vote outside in NC?

SORRY TYPEO ABOVE ABOUT MY VOTE EXPERIENCE ITS OBAMA.

i am noticing coverage on tv nationwide that voters even OBAMO was given something at the end of his vote. some type of ticket when his ballet went into the machine. what is that? is that proof that you voted. i was an early voter and i was NEVER GIVEN ANYTHING EXCEPT A STICKER THAT READ " I VOTED" I HOPE MY VOTE COUNTED?????

ELAINE FISCHER
FAIRVIEW NC

Umm… maybe you should read the article before asking stupid questions. "Voters were coming into voting locations early Tuesday morning and getting the paper ballots wet as they handled them."

It's water dripping off of the voters onto the ballots when the come inside. Yes, NC has no roofs, they have not been invented there yet.

Once again low tech leads the way. How novel! How 19th century!

This just shows what a state this process really is. How about electronic machines like we have here in NV…Don't need paper towels here…

what a sad commentary…..sounds so third world!.

Wet voters dripping water from standing outside for hours + handling paper ballots = Wet Ballots.

Yes, we have roofs over the ballt machines. I cannot imagine where this is, since we vote indoors.

I think the problem was people were coming in from the rain and their hands were still wet. Very innovative solution!

The people themselves were wet from waiting in line and when they handled their ballots they got them wet.

the water is on people's hands as they come in

Do the people in NC vote outside?

interesting

Wow. You're serious?

They were wet from the rain outside. They handled the ballots with their wet hands once they came inside. LTR. (Shouldn't have included that you're voting for McCain when making that post. Fuels the fire.)

NC FOR OBAMA

Yes, they do. That wasn't the problem. They hand you the ballot shortly after you walk in the door and it was raining rather hard here today. So, by handling the ballot with wet hands or a sleeve might drip on the ballot (it is chilly too), then it's getting water on the ballot.

the ballots need to be a fedral Nation wide form all under one system

this is starting to look embarrasing!

Don't people have reading comprehension where you're from?

It's not news… it's CNN.

47yo male for McCain, I believe the voters were wet coming in from outside and the water on their hands was messing up the ballots. Thus the paper towels to dry their hands.

All of these issues are crazy!! In 4 years I think the candidates should have phone numbers so everyone can call in there votes just like American Idol! We an even let Ryan Seacrest announce the winner!

Of course we have roofs over our ballor machines! But when wet people in wet jackets carrying wet umbrellas carry paper ballots, sometimes they get wet!

Why doesnt every state use the same form or machine to vote with? This could save alot of questons and problems later on if we all used the same way to vote. Just a thought

Yes they do; they don't have a roof over all the people waiting outside hoping to elect Obama

Well, I went early enough to beat the rain, however what I did see as a problem going on at the polls, is that no one was being asked to show their ID to prove who they were. I remember distinctly last election, I had to show my ID to get my signature card and ballot, and this year I guess you can walk up and say you are anyone, they read the address back to you off the sticker, and you say correct, and you get a ballot.

This is very distrubing to me with all the election problems over the years, and there reports of invalid voter registrations.

This is the 21st century and we still vote like its the B.C. era. Go figure.

Whatever it takes get those votes in.

Don't they have roofs over the ballot machines in NC.

LOL…how long did it take to figure that one out!