Voting is fun!
Nevada has an early voting program. I'm not sure how it works, but I for one am thrilled about it. I know there's a polling place near my house, but with early voting, I can vote at the outlet mall 1 minute from work and near my parents. So tonight I exercised my right, and in my opinion my duty, to vote.
Nevada sends out a sample ballot that you can mark up before you go to vote. I did my research, including asking the government affairs department about ballot initiatives and candidates (they had interviewed all the candidates to give endorsements), read the paper's voting guide and reference the judge survey. The only thing I didn't do was talk to lawyers I knew about the judges. I marked up my ballot, and went out to the polls. We had electronic ones with a touchscreen. The machines even printed out your ballot so you could make sure it was correct. Very cool.
I felt really proud and somewhat giddy after voting. The last time I voted in person was in college, so it's been two presidential races that I've missed. There's definitely something about voting in person that voting by mail doesn't have. I think for one, it's being seen, having someone else recognize that you've done it, even if it is only the coordinator at the polling place. Since I was in a shopping mall, there was the added benefit of being an example for the shoppers, that I was doing my civic duty and they should do theirs. It may also go beyond that, though. It's a kind of ritual, an affirmation of belief in democracy, to physically step into your polling place and mark your ballot. I'm trying to find a good analogy and can't.
And I got a nifty sticker to wear, too!
Funny thing, I went dancing after voting with my super sticker and had two very interesting reactions. One was from an older guy. He asked me to dance, then asked who I voted for. When I revealed my choice, he thew up his hands as if he didn't want to dance with me. The music was more advanced than his level of dancing and I had to pay for my food, so I just turned my back and left to take care of my bill. I know he was joking around, but it was rude and obnoxious in the extreme.
The other reaction was from a younger guy, who asked me "Why? Do you think your one vote matters?" I said, yeah, it does. If you don't vote, you can't complain, first of all. If everyday Americans don't get off their asses and vote, then the election is decided by the extremes of either party, because they do care and will go vote. Finally, didn't we see in Florida last time around that every vote counts? That each little chad and each unreadable ballot was critical in choosing the leader of our country? He's graduated college, which means he's either 22 or 24...and could have voted in the last presidential election. And in any rate, he had to have seen that. If he's so jaded that not even last election could motivate him, then I really don't know what this world is coming to.
I'm not an idealist, am I?
Nevada sends out a sample ballot that you can mark up before you go to vote. I did my research, including asking the government affairs department about ballot initiatives and candidates (they had interviewed all the candidates to give endorsements), read the paper's voting guide and reference the judge survey. The only thing I didn't do was talk to lawyers I knew about the judges. I marked up my ballot, and went out to the polls. We had electronic ones with a touchscreen. The machines even printed out your ballot so you could make sure it was correct. Very cool.
I felt really proud and somewhat giddy after voting. The last time I voted in person was in college, so it's been two presidential races that I've missed. There's definitely something about voting in person that voting by mail doesn't have. I think for one, it's being seen, having someone else recognize that you've done it, even if it is only the coordinator at the polling place. Since I was in a shopping mall, there was the added benefit of being an example for the shoppers, that I was doing my civic duty and they should do theirs. It may also go beyond that, though. It's a kind of ritual, an affirmation of belief in democracy, to physically step into your polling place and mark your ballot. I'm trying to find a good analogy and can't.
And I got a nifty sticker to wear, too!
Funny thing, I went dancing after voting with my super sticker and had two very interesting reactions. One was from an older guy. He asked me to dance, then asked who I voted for. When I revealed my choice, he thew up his hands as if he didn't want to dance with me. The music was more advanced than his level of dancing and I had to pay for my food, so I just turned my back and left to take care of my bill. I know he was joking around, but it was rude and obnoxious in the extreme.
The other reaction was from a younger guy, who asked me "Why? Do you think your one vote matters?" I said, yeah, it does. If you don't vote, you can't complain, first of all. If everyday Americans don't get off their asses and vote, then the election is decided by the extremes of either party, because they do care and will go vote. Finally, didn't we see in Florida last time around that every vote counts? That each little chad and each unreadable ballot was critical in choosing the leader of our country? He's graduated college, which means he's either 22 or 24...and could have voted in the last presidential election. And in any rate, he had to have seen that. If he's so jaded that not even last election could motivate him, then I really don't know what this world is coming to.
I'm not an idealist, am I?