Advocacy & Safety - Did anyone ride to the polls this morning?

This morning during the three hours I stood in line waiting to vote I didn't see another cyclist. Not one.

I overheard one of the poll-workers say the line was between 400-500 people deep at any given time. This was in Alexandria, VA, between 7:00 and 10:00 a.m.

If you know anything about Northern Virginia, you know which way Alexandria leans politically. Why, then, no other cyclists?

Puzzling and sad at the same time.

I biked to the polling station before it opened and before I took off for work this morning, and I saw a couple of others doing the same. Of course, I do live in Somerville, Massachusetts (debatably the home of Tufts University, and neighbor to Cambridge), so the bicycling population is pretty high.

Buffalo NY, This morning between 8 and 9 saw one other biker at the polls.

Yup about a mile. Wife and I both went... arrived in light drizzle, went home in rain after casting ballots.

Interesting thing was that even though our polls are at an elementary school, there were no bike racks. Such is the state of the auto centric thinking in our country.

biked, voted, only cyclist within shouting distance. But, many people walked to the poll in my district

I usually vote in the evening. I will most likely walk to the poll rather than ride so that I can take my dog for a walk. The polling place is less than two blocks from my house, so it is hardly worth cycling. I've never driven there and don't intend to ever do so.

My commute is less than 4 miles so I decided to skip the morning rush and went in about 11:40. There were about 10 voters there, one other cyclist. Then I rode to the house and had a nice quiet lunch with Mrs. Caloso. We noted that we cancelled each other out with our votes for mayor.

I biked to the polling place at about 11am. Almost no one there.

I rode my bike. Twice.

At 10 AM...too busy. Long line.

At 2PM? Nobody there. One other bike.

;o)

I biked to vote, although it is a bit of overkill, since my poll is a block from my house. But I went by the polls around 8 to check it out on my way to buy my usual morning newspaper. The kine was out the door and down the block so I said, no thank you.

Then I got on the bike at a litte after nine to check out the line, there was none outside, so I left the bike unlocked in front (there were poll workers nearby), went inside where ther was a bit of a line, but so short, that I didn't even get through reading the ballot before I made it to the voting booth.

Elapsed time, 15 minutes.

Similar experiences at the five other places I voted. Just kidding, I was just imagining that I lived in Chicago.

voting is for squares

I did.

I did. Stopped to vote 6 miles into a 56 mile ride.

I rode to the CSU student center to vote this morning. Lots of young people out, voting.

If you know anything about Northern Virginia, you know which way Alexandria leans politically. Why, then, no other cyclists?Maybe that political side is all talk and no action!

rode to the polls this morning. as did my wife. there were a few bikes there. it was pleasure.

Yep, my daughter and I biked all of half a mile to the polling place. :D

I walked to the deli shop to get breakfast, ate it at a table out front, walked to the school to vote, spent maybe 15 minutes including waiting in line, then walked home. Everything was just too close to warrant a bike. ;)

I biked to vote, although it is a bit of overkill, since my poll is a block from my house. But I went by the polls around 8 to check it out on my way to buy my usual morning newspaper. The kine was out the door and down the block so I said, no thank you.

It was dead at 11:00 - two voting booths available, at minimum.

-Kurt

P.S.: Walked, in my case. I presently do not have enough sufficient locks to handle the type of locking I'd care to do (neither do I have a suitable beater).

I didn't ride to the polls until after work, only to discover someone's bicycle already parked just outside the door to our polling place. The bicyclist was just leaving as I was about to enter, and he cheerfully quipped about how convenient the parking was around there. :D

I rode and had the best parking. No other bikes . The parking lot had about thirty cars in it and there was about thirty people in line. Not much car pooling here.

I walked. My polling place is so close that I probably can't legally wear campaign buttons out my front door.

They're usually within walking distance, I think that's kind of the point.

voting is for squares

Not that there's anything wrong with being square.

I didn't cycle to to the polling place because ________ (insert lame excuse here).

Rode to the polls. Didn't see any other bicycles there.

I also worked the polls as a volunteer election clerk. I saw at least four people who rode motorcycles, helmet in hand, but no one who *looked* like they rode a bike. There could have been any number of cyclists, just that they didn't happen to have any bike specific clothing to set them apart.

I drove to my polling place in Falls Church VA (going to work right after, and then out to a meeting.)
I was there 15 minutes before opening. Saw two people with bicycle helmets among the couple hundred people in line.

My polling place is on a busy, urban university campus so there were literally thousands of bicycles around. No way to tell if any of the voters cycled in though since the cyclist uniform in these parts consists of street clothes with the right pant leg rolled up.

bf

I biked to the polls in the evening to drop my wife's absentee ballot off.

good test of my new romisen flashlight/bike light.

After hearing stories of people waiting in long lines, I decided to ride home from work and have dinner first. I then rode the 1 mile to my polling place around 6:30 and there was only one other voter there. I parked my bike just inside the front door and didn't have to bother locking it. One worker made a comment about me cycling in, like it was very uncommon. I told him I ride every election. When finished voting I rode to the store and picked up a 15 pack of Old Style beer. :beer:

When finished voting I rode to the store and picked up a 15 pack of Old Style beer. :beer:

You should double your pleasure after doing your civic duty with a 30 pack.

I did. A couple of the poll workers were very curious about my folding bike. I showed them how it worked and told them the maker (Xootr). I may have made a convert or two!

I rode, although it was overkill for me too -- the elementary school is half a block away. I slept in, and arrived at the busy morning rush - 20-30 minutes.

Rode to the polls and then rode to work.

There were a couple of other cyclists, but no real bike parking at the elementary school

I was an election judge and rode the 2 miles to the polling location I was stationed at. Got there before 5am, and got home at 9pm. Then I hopped on the el train to the loop in time for the victory speech. It was a long but glorious day.