...since here in Oregon we vote by mail. The ballot comes in the mail- you open it up, mark the little ovals (rather like the scantron forms in college exams) and put it in the envelope provided, sign it, stamp it, and put it back in the mail. Wanda and I both did ours tonight- two votes for Obama for the record. The hardest part is reading all the little tiny type on the sheet that explained all of the ballot measures.Voting used to be mysterious. I can remember going into the voting booth with my dad once, when he pulled the lever for Richard Nixon. (I'm not certain but I think mom voted for Humphrey.) And the day I turned 18 I went down and registered to vote, at my brothers' elementary school. My first vote was for Ronald Reagan (I'm sorry! I got over it!), down at the fire station in Puyallup. I had Annie in the Snugli when I did it (and she was terribly scarred, I'm sure ;-)
In '88 it was clear from the pulpit who we were supposed to vote for- Bush Sr, of course. But I didn't. I'd been paying attention during the Iran Contra scandal, and was appalled when Bush claimed he hadn't known what was going on. I couldn't vote for him, because either he was lying, or he'd been the stupidest vp ever; either way, I didn't want him in the Oval Office. So I voted for Dukakis. My first 'protest' vote, I suppose...
Voted for Clinton twice, voted for Gore, voted for Kerry. Heck, I even did a little volunteer work for Kerry. Been volunteering for Obama too. Bought the yard sign, so we look like all over the other neighbors. (I love this neighborhood!)
Coloring in the little oval for Obama, I almost felt like some stirring anthem should be playing in the background- if it had been a movie, there would have been dramatic lighting and French horns. Instead it was just my desk lamp and the hum of my computer. But I filled in the ballot and it's stamped and sitting in front of the printer, waiting to go into the mail tomorrow. No band, no purple finger. Just the sense of a job well done. :-)
2 comments:
I get to vote in a booth for the first time ever this year! And for the first time in my voting career I feel like I'm voting FOR somebody rather than against somebody else. I can't wait.
Doesn't it feel good? I felt the same way! And I think others feel like it too- at least if you believe the polls. I Think we're going to win this one!
Post a Comment