Yes I did my civic duty and voted yesterday.
Voting is the absolute scariest thing we are asked to do as American citizens. There is so much pomp and circumstance involved (also: Senior Citz who run the place) and processes. I just get so anxious every year.
But when I don't vote I have the wrath of the Councilwoman to answer to, and lo, that is worse than voting. Behold, worse than the icy cold fingers of Beelzebub.
So I stood in line with my sour candy in hand because I am still apt to puke any moment or even at any moment's moment's moment. A man with two monkeys (or were they children?) in a stroller were in line in front of me. The monkeys kept jumping in and out of the stroller, the wheels rocked back-and-forth making it so I was constantly dodging the death of my toes. Why is it that dads don't realize these things? Oops my monkeys are annoying that pale faced anxious woman who keeps digging in her purse for sour candies. Perhaps I should tell them to STOP.
I vote mothers are better with child recognizance.
A really tall bald guy in a black peacoat stood behind me. I think he was somewhat well-known in these parts but I dared not look up. Oh, in case you are thinking that it was Chup behind me, it was not. Chup doesn't vote because HE IS CHUP! But the man was reading a paperback. Good idea tall baldy famous guy!
When it was finally my turn to sign in I was asked to state my name, turn my head and cough. Voting and a physical? Anyway, I had to sign on a specific line with a pencil. As details go, there were two identical pencils on the sign-in desk. Would you believe me if I told you that I picked up the wrong pencil (hence there is a wrong and right pencil for these things) and the poll-mistress let me know she wasn't happy about that incident.
"That is my pencil and I need it to write something down left of your name." So I generously gave her back the yellow number 2 pencil and picked up the other yellow number 2 pencil and signed my humbled name.
Conflict avoided, wipe brow and carry on.
I was then given a card with a chip, while a finger pointed me to the front of the room where a nice little lady in a denim apron waved at me. For a second I thought I was at Santa's workshop. The lady escorted me to a computerized poll (fancy!) and proceeded to give me eighty instructions all at once. I mean, I get it, you've had to explain this five million times today, but hold-up, what do I do first again?
Put the card in the machine. Vote, print, back, redo, sigh, look around, machine makes noises, cast ballot, get card back, swallow, pray, give card to the man by the door, get sticker.
So much work for one lousy sticker. And that is all I got too because not one of my votes won.
Then I went out into the parking lot and heaved so hard I got a headache. A kid with a skateboard curiously watched me. Then he took off due east.
Being a (pregnant) American is so hard sometimes.
November 7, 2007
I Voted, Did You?
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32 comments:
FIRST!!
a sticker AND the satisfaction that you tried.
AND an out for the councilwoman's guilt trip, no?
The pencil situation made me laugh. I got really nauseous at Target this morning and I actually thought to myself "This is what CJane feels like all the time". My compassion grew.
This is why I love Oregon. We don't have the hassle of going somewhere to vote. The entire state is vote by mail for every election.
K.C. thanks for the support.
Leisha, that was so sweet of you to think of me. Target is one place though that I've never felt sick. Coincidence? I think not.
Tia, no way. I didn't know there was such a thing. I guess I could do it that way here by absentee voting. But how would I get my sticker?
I think the skateboarder taking off due east is one of my favorite blog sentences ever.
Yes, I did my civic duty yesterday AND with no lines- is that possible? Sadly none of my votes won either... boo!
Well done, voter! I am sad to admit, I did not due my civic duty yesterday.
I am a firm believer in the ballot by mail.
BTW... tag!!
http://brysonsofbend.blogspot.com/
My voter sticker is different from yours. You and Darin got the same kind. I won 2/3 of my votes. I mean, not me personally... The citz in line in front of me was given specific instruction to NOT touch the gold chip in the fancy card. I received no such instruction.
I love how you make your trip to the polls a hilarious and colorful adventure tale. You're great!
I voted at a school and as we were standing in line the kids walking by kept saying vote against Referendum 1. (isn't this against the law in some way?)
I asked one of them why he said it he looked at me and kept walking. His friend slapped him and said answer her. He mumbled some thing then walked off. So I stil have no idea why they (well he) was saying vote against.
This seems like such a fitting post for today as I was just reading a newspaper article that summed up the key issues in each state during this election year and then stated how that state went in the 2004 presidential election and by what percentage. Well, I live in Washington, DC which often gets forgotten amongst the states, so I was happy to see us there and a discussion of our mayoral race and efforts towards representation in Congress. Well, I then saw that DC went 89% (89%!) for Kerry in 2004. I started looking through all the other states to see if we were the highest percentage in either direction (Kerry or Bush). Well, we were first, but Utah was second, with 72% voting for Bush in 2004. I then thought of you and some of the other Utah bloggers I read and I realized that while Washington, DC and Utah are about as different as can be in a lot of ways, it's almost like we're weird mirror images of each other. And then the fact that if we do get representation in Congress our seat will be balanced by an additional seat for Utah made total sense.
Sorry to go on for so long on something so boring, but one of the things I love about blogs is how they can make you feel so much more connected to places very far from you either geographically or politically. The fact that I "know" people in Utah made the boring statistics take on a whole new level of interest.
Oh, and thanks for all the baby updates! My husband and I have been unsuccessfully trying for a baby and reading your updates makes me feel like I am getting to go along for the pregnancy ride, which is such a blessing! Thanks again!
Yeah to voting! I voted for the first time last November, and it was thrilling. I made a mistake on my first ballot, and had to get another, but other than that all went well!
Oh, and sour candies are delish ; )
I voted (because you’re not allowed to complain if you don’t) and Other Half didn’t (because he and Chup are simpatico.)
The lady who was behind me in the voting line is literally 101 years old. If she can get out and vote, what’s the matter with the rest of you people? The babies and I walked to the school to vote and enjoyed ourselves. I was 50/50 on my votes.
Vote early and often!
I too live in an area where we HAVE to vote by mail and I miss the going to the polls, standing in line, dealing with the grouchy sr citz ladies and getting my I VOTED sticker.
As for my spouse, he just has me vote for him. Even when we went to the polls he had me write down everything/everyone I thought he should cast his vote for. Is that trust or what? Or is it laziness? I am going to consider it a compliment. But when every single issue I voted FOR was vote DOWN, and everything I voted AGAINST passed, what does that say about me? Maybe I am on the wrong planet? I never have been much for following the crowd though.
I feel sick every time I go to Target! There is SO much cool stuff and not enough money in my pocket. It just makes me feel sick, so I quit going.
Heave ho!
Will yo get better so we can eat at the whore house?
I'm gonna have a stern word for that little one when it comes out.
A stern loving word that is.
cjane, everytime I come here to comment, my mother has commented just before me and says exactly what I was about to say. Weird?
I voted and I'm proud that I did, because like Azucar said, if you don't vote, then you can't complain.
I too believe that you must vote to earn your right to complain. And since I like to complain and I really really wanted one of those stickers, I voted too. I was two for three but since one of those was more about voting against than for anyone I don't know if that one counts.
I pencil c-jane in on every ballot and nothing ever comes of it.
okay, maybe not really. I am totally pro-vote and even though I'm no longer a registered voter in Utah, I still take interest in what goes on.
Not one of your votes won? Hmmm, you have peaked my curiosity.
I voted too cjane, but I am in Miami Beach for work (tough duty I know) so I had to vote at the County Bldg a couple of weeks ago. I love voting! Isn't it sad that only 30% of registered voters did it, and you went my friend even feeling completely nauseous...God Bless America and you!
Those little ladies at the polls are feisty aren't they? They scare me so I suggest absentee voting as an avoidance technique, but at the same time one fulfills one's duty.
When I went to vote, I was the only one voting, so I didn't have to stand in line. No monkeys threatening my toes, thank goodness! Before I actually voted, I asked if I could have a sticker and was reprimanded because I guess you get a sticker as a reward for returning the card. Who knew? I was just trying to do some free advertising for voting! (by wearing the sticker all around)
Wow, I have never seen so many comments in my entire life. I have a lot to live up to!
That is possible that my lovely Jed is that same boyfriend from the haircut. Since I have only had 2 real boyfriends, it is very possible.
Well, unless you want to count Taylor Hanson from the Hanson Brother Trio, that would make 3. Speaking of, I don't think I ever properly thanked you for the lovely Hanson poster you gave me when I was what, 5?
So, um Thanks you C Jane for the hanson poster.
Your Chup is lovely and a photographer? So is my Jed. Good to know we will both be poor until after we die.
Deby, you are so sweet to tag C Jane, but unfortunately, memes raise her anxiety level and cause her to hyperventilate. She once took to her bed for a week after responding to a meme. Regretfully, out of a fear of her health, the tag must be declined, but she loves your blog and can't wait to read the other memes!
Why do they give stickers? It's so silly. What's even sillier is that people wear them all day.
I was at a District PTA meeting (yes, it was as fun as it sounds) and the president called me up to give me a shiny gold happy faced sticker because I was the first to respond to a survey. Give me a break!
I VOTED. But I only voted for one item. I didn't know anything about the people running so I didn't vote for them. I was woefully uninformed this voting time. I am glad that I voted!
BTW...my 10 yr old boy is going to sing "Grace Kelly" at the schools talent show this Friday....."!!!"
i voted, absentee, so it feels like i mailed it in weeks ago.
asked my DH why he didn't vote absentee & he said he liked voting on election day. upped the civic pride or something.
then, on the day of, he forgot to go & we did baptisms at the temple instead. still a good thing, but it would have been nice had he voted!
next election, i'm so pushing absentee. esp since i forgot it was election day too.
Funny, everything I voted for won. But we can agree to disagree, right?
My husband just called to report to me that everything/everyone I voted for failed/lost. Thanks husband.
You are the voting woman! I love the hurling stories. I can never figure out how to do the voting machines, either.
hey text me for my NEW blogspot
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