It’s voting time again!

  I woke up early this morning to vote. I was at my personal polling place before 6:30. There were five people ahead of me and one husband behind. Things were extremely quiet. I’m not a quiet person. I fidgeted, looked around, wondered how the eighty year-old man a few feet ahead of me was sleeping while leaning on a cane. About fifteen minutes later the trucks started pulling in. I say trucks because I didn’t see one car, not one. (You’re starting to figure out where I live right?) The man ahead of me said hello to every single person who joined the line- he was very friendly. About ten minutes before seven a man walked up  alone and proceeded to tell us about his son. He explained that he was away in Iraq, sleeping in the middle of the day between vehicles in a two-foot space, and would be home sometime in December to see his newborn daughter who he had yet to see. Most days it is 115 degrees there and they still have to wear full tactical gear. He even mentioned that his son sent him home a box and it was metal with a lock on it- to keep people from stealing. I have to say that I found this man to be not only intelligent but sly. He wasn’t endorsing a specific candidate or telling anyone who to vote for; he was merely offering some family knowledge to his neighbors.  The doors finally opened right at seven a.m. One lady was all full of energy. She had ten people filling out forms at once. She validated identifications and left nothing for the lone man at the table to do. Then we made it to the final table and it was all down hill from there…Did I mention that the ladies at the last table didn’t turn the computers on until the doors opened? Did I mention this was the first time the electronic polls were used at this location? Did I mention that all of the volunteers were over ninety and wore glasses three inches thick? The first man walked up…you aren’t supposed to vote here sir. You’ll have to go to another place. “No, I vote here.” This is when Billy Bob behind us yelled, “He votes here, he lives right across the tracks from me. I see him mowing his grass all the time.” Okay. Hmmm. Well, the second man walks up. “Oh, sir, you don’t vote here.” (You see where this is going right?) They didn’t understand how to use the new-fangled computers! They knew exactly how to use the ole paper method but I guess that was too darn efficient! Now we have computers that were paid for with tax money, that need software updates every year, and that aren’t reliable. Isn’t government great?We only had two computers and one was deemed non-working. I was bound and determined that I wasn’t going to that computer. Luckily it was determined that I was at the right place that I’d voted at for eight years. Long story long- I was late for work. Not too late but a few minutes. I went, I voted, I’m waiting for the results like everyone else.Kudos to those of you who voted today.