Thursday, June 9, 2016

My Vote Counted! Did Yours?

Dear Diary,

I know!  I know it's been a while.  Today, I just need a place to vent.  Here is my experience at the California primary election.  My hubby, a registered democrat, went straight through, got his cards and voted.  Myself, I'm registered as independent.  I get halted at the card station and am told to chose one of five selections.  I was unaware this would happen.  I ask what the difference of each voting choice was and was told I had to choose one and they couldn't influence me by describing anything.  Color me stunned. . .I may as well roll a five-sided-die and see what I get (that was for my gamer kids).  After my refusal to select randomly, one of the ladies turns the five different cards around for me to "accidentally" look at them.  I point to the one that has my candidate on it (and YES, it was Bernie) and say I choose that one.  I am told I must state verbally this choice that I want.  I guess pointing was too general?  I have no clue what to call this choice I needed to make . . . damn those Math and Engineering degrees.  I should have taken English or some other form of Communications.  So, the nice lady points to a location that lists all the possible voters for each card.  I then look at the card I want, find the magic set of words that matches the set of words in that list of five choices I was expected to choose from.  Then the lady tells me I must state exactly what I want.  The words had so little meaning to me, I can't even remember today what they were, but I finally got my card and was able to step up the to voting station.  Meanwhile, the hubby had finished.  Who knew being independent would be such a struggle?  I've never had an experience like this in all the years I have voted.  So tell me, what if I hadn't had someone willing to go the distance to help me out?  What if I had accepted my crap shoot of a card based of the roll of the die?  What if I wasn't strong willed enough to demand that card I wanted?  What if I spoke limited English?  Now, tell me, do you think some votes were lost for my candidate of choice?  I don't doubt it one tiny bit!

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