Happy Election Day, Happy Birthday Momma!

This is just about the best prelude to Election Day I've seen... Love it!



Happy Election Day...

Today is my mother's birthday. Were she still with us, she would have been voting proudly today, musing about how it is our civic responsbility etc. So, knowing all that, I proudly got up today and my husband and I went with our little guy (7) to the polls.

The school where we vote typically is very unorganized with the entrance into the gymnasium. Today in the rain (always fun to stand in the rain in line to vote...) they switched up the line to form under the MAIN entrance to the school, thus allowing for long lines to form under the wonderful "tunnel" leading into the front door. This will alleviate many many difficulties with people coming in and leaving by the same door as it's been in recent years. In a neighboring city they've had trouble with the ballots being accepted by the mean green ballot eating machine because people were so wet the paper was just too mushy to go into it. The advice of the election officials in their town said, and I do quote, "You must dry yourself off before entering the voting area." Great, no problem! It's pouring down rain but if you supply me with the towels, I'll dry off before attempting to vote!

Rain not withstanding, typically handicapped folks such as I, go to the front of the line so we don't have to stand longer than is necessary (those of us who aren't confined to chairs quite yet). Not so today. Thankfully Kevin was there to help me stay upright! I got my pen and my big long ballot with the great big letters so those of us who are half blind and don't have glasses can read it, went into my voting booth, voted in all three categories and quickly bent my ballot (not creasing it, just gently bending it) in half. I did this so when I walked with my walker to the electronic box (that somewhat obnoxious contraption that both reads and sucks up your ballot quickly rather like jerking it out of your hand ungratefully so you have no time to change your mind), no one would be able to see my votes. Now mind you I'm not ashamed. However, I do believe that my vote is MY vote! It doesn't matter that I have a presidential candidate sign in my front yard. It doesn't matter that I've spoken openly about my choices. What matters is that in this place, this "sacred" voting place, aka the elementary gymnasium, my vote is secret.

Now why this old codger decided he needed to peek inside my folded ballot, rather blatently I might add, is beyond me. Furthermore, I find it downright amusing. How many years have I heard from the older generations that "your vote is private and it's your vote. It's no one elses business for whom you vote but yours." Well, so much for privacy.

I nearly stopped dead in my tracks and asked him did he want to see it! As I approached the ballot eating machine there sits another old goat who blatantly does the same! As I manipulated my ballot to be accepted and read by the box, he all but broke a vertebrae trying to see my presidential vote! At that point it was downright funny. I asked him in my best honey dripping southern belle voice, "Did you see what you were trying to see?"

With a red face and a duck of his head, he simply replied, "Thank you for voting."

So, go people, wear your best red white and blue, put on your poker face and vote. And when all those old codgers try and get their peeks, ask 'em if they'd like to put it in the eating machine for you!

Happy Birthday Momma!