Writer's Block: Secret Ballot
Nov. 4th, 2008 12:12 pm[Error: unknown template qotd]
I actually voted yesterday. I had picked up my ballot over a week ago because I had to check my voter's registration and such. I thought that the Registrar of Voters would be the same as when I visited the first time; it was very quiet and there weren't very many people inside early-voting and I was able to check my registration, change my address and pick up my ballot in less than 10 minutes. I also was able to park right by the front door.
I figured I'd be able to do the same thing yesterday, and went to the Registrar at about 1:30pm, which would be certain to be a non-busy time (not the morning, not lunch and not after work).
Man, I was wrong.
The Registrar happens to be at the end of a very long block/street. On the left, when you turn the corner onto the street, is a hospital/clinic. Then you drive down the street where there are no other buildings, and at the end of the street on your right is the Registrar building. When I turned the corner, I saw A WHOLE LOT OF CARS parked on both sides of the street. I just figured that the hospital was busy. I kept driving. When I finally got to the Registrar building, it was a CRUSH of people and cars. People were lined up outside the building, and they actually had people out on the sidewalk and in the parking lot holding boxes to just drop your mail-in ballot into (I had the ballot).
I was so shocked to see SO MANY people there. It really was people voting who had parked the whole length of the block then walked the distance to get in line and vote. There were also a lot of minorities. I was so very proud and happy to see all these people, and they didn't seem angry at all. They were talking amongst each other in line, and just seemed very happy to be voting.
I drove through the parking lot (a whole line of cars that, like me, couldn't park), then dropped off my ballot into one of the volunteers' boxes. He was very kind and even jogged over from the sidewalk he was standing on to come straight to my window. I thanked him, then drove past all the cars and people again and went home.
I actually voted yesterday. I had picked up my ballot over a week ago because I had to check my voter's registration and such. I thought that the Registrar of Voters would be the same as when I visited the first time; it was very quiet and there weren't very many people inside early-voting and I was able to check my registration, change my address and pick up my ballot in less than 10 minutes. I also was able to park right by the front door.
I figured I'd be able to do the same thing yesterday, and went to the Registrar at about 1:30pm, which would be certain to be a non-busy time (not the morning, not lunch and not after work).
Man, I was wrong.
The Registrar happens to be at the end of a very long block/street. On the left, when you turn the corner onto the street, is a hospital/clinic. Then you drive down the street where there are no other buildings, and at the end of the street on your right is the Registrar building. When I turned the corner, I saw A WHOLE LOT OF CARS parked on both sides of the street. I just figured that the hospital was busy. I kept driving. When I finally got to the Registrar building, it was a CRUSH of people and cars. People were lined up outside the building, and they actually had people out on the sidewalk and in the parking lot holding boxes to just drop your mail-in ballot into (I had the ballot).
I was so shocked to see SO MANY people there. It really was people voting who had parked the whole length of the block then walked the distance to get in line and vote. There were also a lot of minorities. I was so very proud and happy to see all these people, and they didn't seem angry at all. They were talking amongst each other in line, and just seemed very happy to be voting.
I drove through the parking lot (a whole line of cars that, like me, couldn't park), then dropped off my ballot into one of the volunteers' boxes. He was very kind and even jogged over from the sidewalk he was standing on to come straight to my window. I thanked him, then drove past all the cars and people again and went home.
