Did you vote yet?

[DJ Apostrophe]

Talking to people at the vegas world cup this past weekend, I am hearing that very few members of our association have voted thus far. This is an important election and all members should exercise their right to vote.

The postmark deadline for ballots is TOMORROW (June 25th)!

Please submit your vote and let your voice be heard.

Thanks,

Wayne

[fencerX]

This poll is flawed.

There's no option for "I've mailed in some of my ballots and I'm going to mail in the rest before tomorrow night's deadline"

[MdA]

Participation does not look good. 54 views and 15 votes.

[epeemike81]

I'd be interested in the reasoning from the 1 vote for "I am choosing not to vote in this election."

-m

[KD5MDK]

I'd be interested in the reasoning from the 1 vote for "I am choosing not to vote in this election."

-m

"This voter is flawed".

[Capt. Slo-mo]

I talked with several USFA members who did not receive a ballot.

[500gms]

Capt,

Many members who think they are eligible to vote because they knew they had joined before 2/1/08 and their membership card says they were members and because they knew they were on the far side of 18, are WRONG! If you added your name and/or your spouse's as non competitive members to your child's membership application, checked family membership and paid $100.00, but, if you didn't read the fine print, and fill out an application for every member of your family, you are not a member. (your $100 however, is a CAPTIVE member!)
The USFA accepted your money way back in August of 07, issued you and your spouse membership cards and even listed you on the USFA website membership roll as noncompetitive members, but you are not a member.
If you read the fine print, filled out applications, filed prior to 2/1/08 but in haste did not see that you missed the "date of birth" blank, you can not vote.
Your son is 19, you were listed as a non-competitive member, for which you have paid an additional $50 which only allows you to run for office and/or vote and the national office has known about the slip up since August and for 5 months did nothing to call it to your attention, you cannot vote.
So, a lot of new members who were encouraged to join as family members to increase enrollment dollars without increasing the need for services and who had a inclination to perform volunteer service for the sport and who genuinely believed they were really, really members (see: I even have the keychain card with my name on it) are not members and can not vote.
Many of these people will not re-join the USFA.
most will not rejoin because they can't understand why the Nat'l office played "gotcha!" with their membership, when a simple courtesy e-mail in Sept could have resolved these inconsequential little errors on applications and members with membership cards and membership numbers and membership $ could and would exercise their right that they thought they were entitled to when they "joined" the USFA and vote.

[Wafath]

. . . when a simple courtesy e-mail . . ..

Like any of us (other than Oiuyt) would have read the email. Sheesh.

W

[MyrddinsPrecint]

So, I don't fit under any category, because I forgot to put my ballot in the mail before I fell asleep last night, and then forgot to grab it this morning, so my boyfriend is doing it.

Which should I pick?

: P

[KD5MDK]

See my previous post.

[Guymelef]

I didn't automatically get a ballot. I joined the USFA back in 1998, I was over eighteen then and they do have my birthdate on record. I had to e-mail for a ballot. I got it over a week ago and then returned it immediately. I was motivated by a lot of strong feelings about this election. No matter who wins, I don't envy them the job of shoveling out of this dung heap.

[fencerX]

I'd be interested in the reasoning from the 1 vote for "I am choosing not to vote in this election."

Some might be choosing not to vote because they're scared. Terrified even.

That's completely understandable considering the international media reports of PdF youth militias, with the aid or acquiescence of the old guard, operating freely throughout the country, engaging in a violent campaign of intimidation directed against opposition supporters or those perceived to be such.

[oiuyt]

The topic of the election came up today at lunch (with a bunch of other coaches working a fencing camp). Of the 6-7 coaches around the table, I was the only one who had voted. One voted later in the day, prompted by the lunchtime discussion.

-B

[Phrogger]

The recently retired head of our club said he voted randomly and basically told everyone "It doesn't really matter, that stuff doesn't affect us down here anyway." I don't think that's how most people feel, though.

[mrbiggs]

Some might be choosing not to vote because they're scared. Terrified even.

That's completely understandable considering the international media reports of PdF youth militias, with the aid or acquiescence of the old guard, operating freely throughout the country, engaging in a violent campaign of intimidation directed against opposition supporters or those perceived to be such.

I'd be interested in the reasoning from the 1 vote for "I am choosing not to vote in this election."

-m

I'm choosing not to vote in the election, and I'm doing it because I legitimately know nothing about what's going on. I do know that the status quo isn't satisfactory, but I really don't know which candidates will do a better job of fixing things.

Look at the quantity of posts in the election subforum. I've read essentially zero of them; how can I consider myself qualified to count my opinion?

I did attempt to keep track of various positions at the beginning of the election, but it soon became clear that the election is fairly complex in terms of issues and experience. I just don't have the time to go through the detailed platforms of the candidates, and honestly from what I've read I would wind up disenfranchised with all of the candidates as well as the current governing body.

So I'm not voting, but I encourage others to.

[noodle]

hold up, there's an ELECTION?

[MyrddinsPrecint]

hold up, there's an ELECTION?

Can I vote in it?

[Redblade]

I think I may have thrown it away with a bunch of coupons and promos I'll never use -- Domino's Pizza Mega Anchovy Combo, Schick Two-In-One Depilatory/Shampoo, Payday Pet Loans, U.S. Fencing Representatives... You know, the standard junk mail.

[Inquartata]

I voted, but no one else I know seems to have done. It's been a veritable chorus of "Oops, I forgot. When is the deadline, again?"