Well, I'm just back from the polls, where, in order to vote for who I hope will be the Democratic candidate, I had to fight to overcome my performance anxiety about writing in front of other people. I filled out my voter registration card and was signing it when another person appeared in front of me. So that set me off; then I had to present my voter registration card to another woman, and I had to sign my name again against the town resident list . . . I know you can't understand this, but this was really stressful. I have coping mechanisms, like putting my enormous handbag between me and the person, but still.
I took my registration card to yet another person, who took it this time, asked me, "Democrat or Republican?" and handed me a ballot after I answered.
I took my ballot to the shielded nook at the long folding table, and shakily blackened the dot for Barack, signed my name (shakily; why? I was alone; built-up stress that comes from these kinds of institutional places, too, but that's a whole other story) on a detachable stub on the top, and brought it up to the little old guy who had me push my ballot into an electronic box that whooshed it inside. Then I had to put the signed stub with my signature into a cardboard box.
Phew. I only hope that this makes some kind of difference. And, believe me, if I can go out and vote, you can too.
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16 comments:
Barrack?!? Oh dear... OK I'm not American but why.?... WHY?? please do tell I'm British and in great pain I WANT HILLARY TO WIN!!
you can still be my friend though
;->...
Yes! I just posted on FP that we will be taking All My Children to vote due to lack of sitters and the fact that we always vote together. We find it to be oddly romantic. Plus, it's good to get the kids involved early. Teach them a good lesson at a young age. STL is having crappy weather today, so I hope that doesn't hurt voter turnout.
I thought about the choice for a long time, Gled; I think we need a sweeping change. Hillary voted for the war twice; Barack has been consistently against it.
We'll see tomorrow, though, which way the wind is shifting.
tt
yay! washington has determined that the democrats vote in the primary won't count. we can caucus on saturday but i won't be able to do that sooooo... i won't be having my vote count in the primary. really am excited about obama - he seems so inspired and imaginative and hopeful - all things that hillary doesn't seem to have - and i think we desperately need that kind of imagination right now. would you like to go vote again, for me this time???
I tell you what, from here, the voting system looks sooo complex, that I'd be anxious about voting too.
But yay you! You did it!
PS I haven't forgotten...I'm still sending it...just been a bit frantic.
It seems strange that they ask you which party you want to vote for. Here everything is completely secret.
Good job on the voting...
thank you for stopping by my blog..
I don't know why we can't use computers for this sort of thing? And every library has one so I don't want to hear anything about disenfranchised people lacking a connection. I vote with only 400 others in a small church, and it is still stressful!
Dennis has extreme issues with other cats standing too close. Dennis would love to snuggle with Tut Tut though. Dennis loves humans.
Dennis likes Barack too.
I'm another Obama supporter too. I don't know why but I also feel somehow shaky about this race, especially with "100 years in Iraq fine by me" McCain rearing his experienced head on the other side..
I would have found it extremely stressful having to declear my party affiliation in public!
Being a Brit-Canadian (dual citizen) I have only a very vague understanding of the USA democratic voting procedure, but it seems like a lot of signing of names and paperwork.... I don't blame you at all for getting all stressed out about it.
I really need to get registered to vote. I did last time, and because I didn't like the outcome, I have been dragging my feet this time.
DO IT NOW! Depending on the state where you lived, you may be able to vote absentee and not as an overseas citizen. It all depends on the state's definition of who can be considered absentee. Some are surprisingly lax.
Where were the Gods of Spelling when I typed "declaer"? ;-)
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