Well, I got that done. Did you yet?

17 Replies

At 11:37 a.m. Friday at the West Columbia Community Center. About 50 people behind us, too.

Finally.

I have voted. After what seems like 100 years of people yammering about nothing but this election, to a point way beyond weary disgust. (People talk about Kamala Harris having only 100 days to campaign. That’s more than enough, people.)

Anyway, it’s over. And as I’ve said before during these last four years since I voted early for the first time, can we just go ahead and count the votes and move on? Not one of us needs 11 more days of this hysteria.

Anyway, the line was fairly long outside the West Columbia Community Center. You can see above what it was like at at 11:37 a.m. At that point there were also 50 people behind my daughter and me in line (this wasn’t the first picture I took). But it moved pretty well. Going by my texts and other evidence, we were at the door of the building at 11:54. And we were completely done by a couple of minutes after noon, in spite of my usual obsessive slowness, checking and double-checking each step as I’m voting.

As we were leaving, and the lady was about to hand me an “I voted” sticker, I pulled out my phone. She reflexively started to tell me not to take pictures, but I explained, that no, I wanted to show her something. That was the photo below, of a friend’s 3-month-old after her parents voted at this same location yesterday.

I told the lady I wanted a sticker that would make me look THIS cute. She admired the picture, and gave me a sticker, but It didn’t work….

17 thoughts on “Well, I got that done. Did you yet?”

  1. Brad Warthen Post author

    And how did I vote? Well, I told you most of that already. But to summarize:

    • Harris/Walz
    • David Robinson (I don’t know much about him, but I voted just to express my wish to have a new congressman — and of course, my vote will have no effect. Not meant as a slap at Joe, and I hope he’s recovered well from his recent health problems. I’d just like for someone else to have a chance, and no one does, because gerrymandering.)
    • Russell Ott (Go, Russell! I didn’t wear my Russell Ott hat to the polls — my headgear was totally neutral. But I’m putting it back on now to go walk in the neighborhood. Because, you know, some people still haven’t voted, and I don’t think the two signs in my yard are enough…)
    • Micah Caskey (Which reminds me. Voters were talking kind of openly about what they were doing with the volunteer who was there to answer questions, and it become painfully apparent that the lady at the machine across the table from me was about to vote a straight ticket. I just didn’t have time to jump across and wrestle her to the ground and prevent it. I’m not as spry as I was…)
    • Mary Burkett for Lexington 2 school board. (I told you before I was going to vote for her — and you could tell by the sign in my yard. But there were four seats being filled, and since then, I had also decided to vote for Craig Aull, Liz Chitty Castles and Brian Habing. And so I did.)
    • As for the stupid mock “referendum” thing about non-citizen voting… I could have just ignored it, but I voted no. (Not because I want non-citizens to vote, but because I know it’s not going to happen, and that there’s no problem here to address, and moreover, I know this is just another case of Trump-era Republicans going out of their way to milk resentment of immigrants to promote turnout for their ticket. And I’ve had more than enough of that crap.)

    Of course, I didn’t bother with any of those countywide offices in which the Republican nominee had no opposition. We all know their elections were over in June. And of course, if I were voting in Richland County, I suppose there’d be some Democrats I’d be ignoring for similar reasons….

    Reply ↓
    1. Bob Amundson

      I’m writing this from my little slice of rural New York State (closer to Pittsburgh or Cleveland), surrounded by stretches of land dotted with Trump signs and very few Harris/Walz signs. It’s a stark contrast from life in South Carolina, where “Bass Akwards” — if you catch my spoonerism — feel more at home. But this election season, even out here, things feel charged.

      Now, I’ve mostly voted Democrat this year but with a twist. I leaned into the Democrats also running on the “Working Families” ticket. In races with no competition, I even wrote in Donald J. Trump just to add a little spark — after all, every ballot deserves attention, and why not make it interesting?

      Tomorrow, I’ll be mailing my vote and watching what follows with interest. According to some research, there are widespread concerns about possible unrest after the election. Media stories report that people across the country are bracing for anything from protest to potential conflict. But as for me? I’ll be celebrating resilience and community with a survival party at my RV Park, Misty Mountains (check it out at http://www.mistymountainsrvpark.com) or in my 1860 Restoration project (2600 sf with servants quarters entrance, most likely used in the Underground Railroad – I’m the third owner)

      After all, I’m here not just for myself but for my family. My 7-year-old Filipina daughter’s name is Hope (Abbey Grace)— and I believe in that name, deeply. She and other young voices remind us what truly matters and why we keep pushing forward. Maybe it’s time we start listening to our children. They’re the future, and they’re always watching. No matter what happens this season, let’s listen and hope — because, after all, hope is what lights the path ahead.

      Reply ↓
  4. Barry

    So today, Judge Daniel Coble of Columbia ruled that about 2,000 17-year-olds who had signed up at the SC DMV indicating they would like to register to vote could not register to vote because of the DMV’s admitted mistake.

    The 17 year olds who would be 18 by election day had signed up at the DMV so that the DMV would pass the info on and they would receive their registration forms. The DMV didn’t do it though, and the teens waiting on the information never received it.

    (I just went through this process with my daughter, but she didn’t want to register so she left it blank on the DMV license application)

    The published story on WIS-TV in Columbia specified that “Republican Leaders” were against a remedy for the 17-year olds so they could vote.

    As I have taught my children and they now understand, Republicans only want you to be able to vote if you will vote for them.

    just another reason not to vote and thankfully, my 21-year old USC student son today -over our usual Friday lunch – told me he had decided he would not be voting either.

    Reply ↓
    1. Ken

      Ain’t it interesting that eligible voters (illegitimately) removed from Virginia’s voter rolls during the recent roll purge can nevertheless (re-)register to vote through same-day registration and then go ahead and vote. Somehow, Virginia can manage this but SC can’t.

      Reply ↓
      1. Ken

        Sorry, no, it doesn’t matter in this state. South Carolina’s electoral votes were in the bag for Trump as soon as he began his latest run. The polls have not budged. DeSantis didn’t budge’em, Haley didn’t budge’em. So,in this state, the only votes that will actually be applied toward electing a president will be those that go to Trump.

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    1. Barry

      There is one way to make this a non-issue.

      Don’t vote. Problem solved.

      The lady mentioned in the story became a citizen last year but is worried she could be forced to go to great lengths to prove she has the right to vote (and someone can create a lot of problems for her if they want to with accusations, etc).

      It really is a lot easier. No worry that you can be arrested because some government official at the registration board screwed up or started causing problems telling people that someone that is a legal voter is suspected of fraud. Even the accusation could ruin someone’s career.

      not worth it.

      Reply ↓
        1. Barry

          The problem is really one of accusation, whether legitimate or false. As I mentioned, even the accusation can create serious problems for someone. It’s like a spouse accusing the other of abuse. How do you prove you didn’t to someone that wasn’t in the house with you?

          It is to some people’s benefit to sow 100% doubt in elections.

          We now have at least 3 incidents of ballot boxes being destroyed with ballots in them in news stories in the last 3 days by known people.

          Down is up, up is down.

          I do not know how to solve the problem. Other than not voting, I do not have an answer.

          Over the weekend, a Republican Congressman in North Carolina seriously promoted the idea of the Republican North Carolina legislature declaring Donald Trump the winner of the state’s electoral votes before election day.

          A similar, more discreet effort was floated in Pennsylvania by some Republicans.

          If legislatures end up one day just voting to award electoral votes before election day, the system is over and civil war begins.

          Reply ↓
          1. Ken

            Actually, an accusation of casting an illegitimate vote could be grounds for a defamation suit. Ever thought of that option?

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  8. Leon Smith

    Well, I discovered today that I could cast a write-in vote for school board all the way up to the SC Senate but I could not cast a write-in vote for President and Vice President. SC does not allow a person to do that. I googled it. I do not like either candidate for President so, in lieu of just skipping that race, I had to hold my nose and vote for the lesser of two or more evils. Anyway, it took only 25 minutes for me to vote at the Lexington County Voter Registration office. At least that was a plus.

    Reply ↓

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