Voting and other grief associated with "democracy"
So I had a terrible morning, running late and totally freaked out by a random cricket in my closet, which was on my shoe but then when I moved my shoe, jumped and scared the willies out of me.
(still running late). This is the first time I have voted in Chesterfield County (a suburb of Richmond and my new hometown). Let's just say things didn't go smoothly. First of all I come from a rural area and it isn't the richest county in the state, but even we could afford the lever machines... So I walk in today and of course no one recognizes me like when I vote "back home" so I have my voter ID ready and give them my name. THEY HANDED ME A PAPER BALLOT!!!!!
Not realizing that this is my voting ballot I walked over to the ballot booth and look at the instructions. At this point everyone is looking at me and asking questions like "M'am, have you ever voted before?" ("Gee, no. I am 25 and have never voted before so I thought I would come out and vote for rinky dink offices like treasurer and soil and water conservation director..." Morons!)
Anyway, they were just trying to be helpful, but I have a giant chip on my shoulder about people treating me as if I were a completely incompetent voter... I once yelled at a pollster who called my house when I was an 18 year old newly registered voter and asked if I knew who the candidates were. "Ummm, yeah!"
So I figure out that I NEED the paper ballot - stick it in the slot according to instructions on the voting booth, then pick up this little punch! THAT"S RIGHT A PUNCH TO GO WITH MY PAPER BALLOT!!!
I completed the voting according to instructions, which took forever. My husband finished only slightly before I did though.
I walk over to place my PAPER BALLOT into the blasted machine and IT DOESN"T WORK!!! GAH! So I check for any hanging chads and the guy places it in this huge black 1930's-esque gangster suitcase with a big slit it the top. Could this system be any more backwards??? Didn't they learn anything from the Florida election????????? ARGH! Some days it just doesn't pay to be a good citizen...
After the turmoil that was voting I came to work and was pleasantly surprised to discover that the mailboxes I ordered came in, albeit completely unassembled, so I spent the better part of the day putting the blasted things together, but what a sense of accomplishment!
Supposedly Comcast will be fixing my cable tonight! YAY! Don't even get me started on that one. Maybe they will give us another credit though since we have been without internet since last Wednesday and without most of our cable channels since then as well. BLAH!
(still running late). This is the first time I have voted in Chesterfield County (a suburb of Richmond and my new hometown). Let's just say things didn't go smoothly. First of all I come from a rural area and it isn't the richest county in the state, but even we could afford the lever machines... So I walk in today and of course no one recognizes me like when I vote "back home" so I have my voter ID ready and give them my name. THEY HANDED ME A PAPER BALLOT!!!!!
Not realizing that this is my voting ballot I walked over to the ballot booth and look at the instructions. At this point everyone is looking at me and asking questions like "M'am, have you ever voted before?" ("Gee, no. I am 25 and have never voted before so I thought I would come out and vote for rinky dink offices like treasurer and soil and water conservation director..." Morons!)
Anyway, they were just trying to be helpful, but I have a giant chip on my shoulder about people treating me as if I were a completely incompetent voter... I once yelled at a pollster who called my house when I was an 18 year old newly registered voter and asked if I knew who the candidates were. "Ummm, yeah!"
So I figure out that I NEED the paper ballot - stick it in the slot according to instructions on the voting booth, then pick up this little punch! THAT"S RIGHT A PUNCH TO GO WITH MY PAPER BALLOT!!!
I completed the voting according to instructions, which took forever. My husband finished only slightly before I did though.
I walk over to place my PAPER BALLOT into the blasted machine and IT DOESN"T WORK!!! GAH! So I check for any hanging chads and the guy places it in this huge black 1930's-esque gangster suitcase with a big slit it the top. Could this system be any more backwards??? Didn't they learn anything from the Florida election????????? ARGH! Some days it just doesn't pay to be a good citizen...
After the turmoil that was voting I came to work and was pleasantly surprised to discover that the mailboxes I ordered came in, albeit completely unassembled, so I spent the better part of the day putting the blasted things together, but what a sense of accomplishment!
Supposedly Comcast will be fixing my cable tonight! YAY! Don't even get me started on that one. Maybe they will give us another credit though since we have been without internet since last Wednesday and without most of our cable channels since then as well. BLAH!