Pulling the lever 2004
Nov 02 2004, 16:14 EST [updated Nov 02 2004, 16:34 EST]
In order to vote I had to run a gauntlet of kids on the playground. I don't know if I could take them all but I was damned if they would stop me from voting.
There were zero signs advocating candidates or parties anywhere nearby. About five poll workers (average age 65+) and one cop standing over the ballot box. I assume he's there to inspire confidence and not to intimidate (he did, and he didn't). I hadn't voted before in this precinct so they had to pull out a seperate book to look me up and then hand copy it onto the short list. The woman read out my name, address, and party afilliation out loud to the list keeper - and no one even flinched when she said "Republican." The ballot itself was uninteresting, all uncontested Democrats except for President and State Rep. I didn't have to stand in line but it was a bit slow (in addition to doing my stuff there was one guy who said he voted in 2002 but wasn't on the rolls and everyone had to figure out how provisional ballots worked). I walked away as #845 for the day.
There were zero signs advocating candidates or parties anywhere nearby. About five poll workers (average age 65+) and one cop standing over the ballot box. I assume he's there to inspire confidence and not to intimidate (he did, and he didn't). I hadn't voted before in this precinct so they had to pull out a seperate book to look me up and then hand copy it onto the short list. The woman read out my name, address, and party afilliation out loud to the list keeper - and no one even flinched when she said "Republican." The ballot itself was uninteresting, all uncontested Democrats except for President and State Rep. I didn't have to stand in line but it was a bit slow (in addition to doing my stuff there was one guy who said he voted in 2002 but wasn't on the rolls and everyone had to figure out how provisional ballots worked). I walked away as #845 for the day.
I was talking to my father the other day (he lives in suburb of Philly, PA) about voter fraud, showing ID, etc and he said "Not an issue in our precinct, the poll workers know everyone by name." Which dovetails into my brother's email about voting in PA today, " Saw good old [Mr] Chippendale, he made some underpants burning refrence. Also Mr Snyder from Devon 50." Mr Chippendale was scout master for Devon 50, and the underpants thing was about me (Hey, it was the 80s, it was dark, it was raining, it was cold, and I was lost in the Colorado Rockies at the time, so it seemed like a good idea).