Tuesday, November 04, 2008

sun is in the sky

I voted today.

I think I was more excited about voting today than I ever have been. Maybe I'm just getting old, but somehow my ability to vote and make myself heard means more to me now than it ever has. I'm sure part of this has to do with the intense speculation and talk that have surrounded this election, but I'm also just as sure that the intense apathy that I've seen in J. has affected me just as much. I'm tired of hearing, "My vote isn't going to count anyway, because there is no way the person I want to vote for will win in this state, so why do it?" Never mind that people do actually pay attention to the margins by which a candidate wins, no matter that people have given their lives for your ability to walk into that booth, no matter that we will not allow you to complain at the lunch table or anywhere else when we're around about the future leader if you don't vote, it's not important, because it "doesn't count." I don't care who you vote for, vote for Mickey Mouse if you want, but vote. Because even if you vote for Mickey Mouse, you're making a statement about your belief that there wasn't anyone else on the ballot you felt was worth your vote, and that in and of itself means something.

This annoys me. I guess I have too much of RC1 in me… But when I walked into the Village Hall this morning, when I put my ballot into the box, I felt proud to be an American. And very, very thankful for the ability to vote for the candidate(s) of my choice. And I will proudly wear my sticker :)

That being said, voting in my village is an interesting experience. I must say I greatly enjoyed not having to wait in line for an hour and a half as I had to in some of my Lexington locations. Rather, there were 5 booths set up, and 3 of them were open the entire time I was in there. Which brings me to another point… I have been surprised at the lack of technology involved in the vote in this fair state. There are no voting machines, nothing of that sort. You're handed a paper ballet, a black marker, and pointed to a booth where you fill in the little bubble next to your chosen candidate. I felt like I was taking the ACT all over again. The other thing that bothered me just a tad was the lack of identification I was asked for. I walked up to the table, the lady asked my name, I told her what it was and how to spell it, I signed my name on the line in the book, and that was it. I realize I live in a small community where the majority of people know each other and their family histories, but I didn't know this woman from Eve, and I doubt she knew who I was either. Really, you don't even want to see my license? Anyone could have come in here and signed my name in some similar version to my actual signature, and could have taken my vote?! Interesting.

I voted today. :)

1 comment:

Rachel said...

They didn't even ask for my signature- they just checked me off on the list.
And I'm in a Milwaukee suburb, right near campus where voter fraud is practically ENCOURAGED.