Well, didja, ya buncha procrastinators?
A bit harsh? Well you know how it is with converts. We get a bit carried away. All those years I have criticized and blasted early voting, and loudly sung communitarian joys of standing in line with my neighbors to do our collective duty… and then I vote early a couple of times, and I’ve just got no patience with the rest of you. Slackers…
But, let me piously add, it’s never too late… at least, not until 7 p.m.
So did you vote? And if so, how did it go?
My son’s car broke down today, so after he left work and dropped it at the mechanic’s, I gave him a ride to our polling place. Of course, when I walked in I had to make a general announcement that I was not trying to vote twice.
Anyway, it had been a modestly brisk day, for an election that offers little to get excited about here in South Carolina. As of 2:39 p.m., 537 people had voted at my precinct, Quail Hollow.
Later, I dropped by another precinct where I knew a friend of mine was working (talk about doing your duty!), and she boasted that they’d had 513. This was at 3:15,
They did have a queue while I was there, which I had not seen at Quail Hollow, so there’s that. They were trying. But still. That sort of pace might well be fine out in the country, although it would never do in town. Harrumph.
Anyway, how’d it go for you?
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I kept telling myself I should vote early. The early voting place is walking distance from my home. Just passing by a couple of times it always looked way busy, so I waited until today.
At 10:30 there were more poll workers than voters. Took me longer to make a left turn out of the parking lot than to vote.
The most interesting races for me are the local school board (Richland Two has had some issues the last few years) and State Superintendent of Education. It curls my toes that someone vastly unqualified might end up in that office.
I voted today. My precinct wasn’t very busy. I think most people voted last week. I was smooth. Everything seemed to be running well.
you know my answer.
It figures … I put my experience voting today in the “I voted. You should, too. You’ll feel better after you’re done…” post and just afterwards this one pops up …. 🙂
I guess I’ll repost this here so at least it’s in the right place ….
Have voted! There was a glitch reading my driver’s license and they told me that I was in the wrong location. After I respectfully pointed out that my middle initial was “E,” not “D” they were able to ID the right me. Of course, I had my voter registration card with me and tendered that along with the license but apparently that document means less than nothing now.
I did not vote in any race that where the candidate was unopposed. I had toyed with writing in the names of obscure 19th century serial killers to show my disdain, but because of the glitch more people had arrived behind me and since I’m a slow typist I decided to go with the other. Found it interesting that the poll workers did not suggest I check my ballot before I deposited it …. (yes, I checked it)
Now, were my vote “wasted?” In the sense of changing the outcome, that’s probably the case (although I do have some faint hope for the local school trustee race). But if I don’t vote, I play right into the hands of the undemocratic forces out there. They don’t *want* people to vote … the lower the turnout (except for their base, of course) the better they like it. They *want* people to be disillusioned and no longer participating in the democratic process because it’s easier to get up to shenanigans if people are indifferent and not paying attention. Besides, the more people who say “my vote doesn’t count and isn’t going to change anything so I’m not going to vote,” the more that becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. At least if people vote they are shown the scale of opposition to their ideas, if nothing else. And if it’s close enough, it might even instill some caution (me being optimistic there).
According to unofficial results from the SC Elections Commission, in my precinct 86.5 percent voted straight ticket R. One and done. These folks would fit right in in North Korea.
Yes, they would. That’s precisely the kind of mindset — perhaps it should be called “mindless-set” — the Dear Leader values…
Correction.
After looking at the numbers again, it was more like 50 percent voted straight ticket. Of those, 86.5 % went with the Rs and not quite 13 % with the Ds.