i've been voting for a while. normally, i don't get very worked up over elections. someone wins, someone loses, life goes on, blah, blah, blah. this year however was different.
there were a lot of new people interested in politics, interested in voting this year. mostly leaning towards the democratic party, but there was a new crop of republicans as well. it's great that they're taking an interest in wordly things and voting. i just wish that someone would have done a better job of informing them about actual voting rules and etiquette. here's my laundry list of things bugged me.
1.for the first time ever in my voting career, i actually had to wait in line. why? i had to wait for a poll worker to explain to a first time voter that you did not return your absentee ballot to the polling place. i know that now, absentee voting would be better off known as convience voting, but really... if you can take the time to drive to the polls you can either A.) vote at the polls like folks have been doing for years, or B.) actually read the instructions on the absentee ballot packet and follow them. i have to appluad the poll worker for actually keeping a straight face the whole time.
2. along with new voters came new last minute campaigners outside the polling place. i wish that someone had alerted them that not everyone will want a party line sample ballot or another whatnot or thingamajig or doohickey. i said "no thank you" as politely as possible, but a couple new hands looked like i had just shot their dog.
3. exit poll workers. i hate living in a swing state. stop calling me. don't pester me at the pollng place. no means no. if i wasn't afraid of the consequences, i'd probably just tell them that i got drunk and voted for mickey mouse.
which brings me to this point:
4. don't ask me who i am voting for or who i voted for. it's none of your business. period. if i wanted you to know who, i would have told you. i don't discuss politics with most people because a.) i have no desire to argue over it, b.)i don't want to be put in the posistion of preaching to you and c.)i don't you to preach to me. this year, a lot of people had a hard time wrapping their heads around that. what made it even worse, was that this year a lot of people decided that a "none of your business" meant that you voted for the opponent of their desired candidate. it's really hard to keep a straight face when you hear someone berate you for "voting" for someone that you actually aren't voting for. it was also tough to keep from flying off the handle when one candidate's supporters berated me and called me some terribly offensive things. it's confusing to hear how your stances are wrong when you don't reveal them, but to have someone jump to conclusions and then demean you in terms of where you're from, what you do for a living and what they perceive your education to be and are actually wrong on all aspects. in retrospect it's a sad, sad, sad funny, kind of like at my old job, where i was called racial slurs by a couple customers, but the wrong ones for my race.
in other non-pet peeve news, the county library levy passed, so that means we get a new branch and more of everything to fill it and the other branches up. it also means that they'll be able to expand programs for kids, so hopefully, my niece will be able to go to a whole mess of them and keep up the family tradition of reading double their grade level until that no longer is a meaningful comparison.
the weather's held together and been real nice and that means the that the bmx trails season is extended. it's been fun playing beat the clock to ride before the sun goes down. this week, here in ohio we've had one of our four of five weeks of san diego weather. i'm trying to put these blue skies deep into my memory bank for the coming next few months of grey.
there were a lot of new people interested in politics, interested in voting this year. mostly leaning towards the democratic party, but there was a new crop of republicans as well. it's great that they're taking an interest in wordly things and voting. i just wish that someone would have done a better job of informing them about actual voting rules and etiquette. here's my laundry list of things bugged me.
1.for the first time ever in my voting career, i actually had to wait in line. why? i had to wait for a poll worker to explain to a first time voter that you did not return your absentee ballot to the polling place. i know that now, absentee voting would be better off known as convience voting, but really... if you can take the time to drive to the polls you can either A.) vote at the polls like folks have been doing for years, or B.) actually read the instructions on the absentee ballot packet and follow them. i have to appluad the poll worker for actually keeping a straight face the whole time.
2. along with new voters came new last minute campaigners outside the polling place. i wish that someone had alerted them that not everyone will want a party line sample ballot or another whatnot or thingamajig or doohickey. i said "no thank you" as politely as possible, but a couple new hands looked like i had just shot their dog.
3. exit poll workers. i hate living in a swing state. stop calling me. don't pester me at the pollng place. no means no. if i wasn't afraid of the consequences, i'd probably just tell them that i got drunk and voted for mickey mouse.
which brings me to this point:
4. don't ask me who i am voting for or who i voted for. it's none of your business. period. if i wanted you to know who, i would have told you. i don't discuss politics with most people because a.) i have no desire to argue over it, b.)i don't want to be put in the posistion of preaching to you and c.)i don't you to preach to me. this year, a lot of people had a hard time wrapping their heads around that. what made it even worse, was that this year a lot of people decided that a "none of your business" meant that you voted for the opponent of their desired candidate. it's really hard to keep a straight face when you hear someone berate you for "voting" for someone that you actually aren't voting for. it was also tough to keep from flying off the handle when one candidate's supporters berated me and called me some terribly offensive things. it's confusing to hear how your stances are wrong when you don't reveal them, but to have someone jump to conclusions and then demean you in terms of where you're from, what you do for a living and what they perceive your education to be and are actually wrong on all aspects. in retrospect it's a sad, sad, sad funny, kind of like at my old job, where i was called racial slurs by a couple customers, but the wrong ones for my race.
in other non-pet peeve news, the county library levy passed, so that means we get a new branch and more of everything to fill it and the other branches up. it also means that they'll be able to expand programs for kids, so hopefully, my niece will be able to go to a whole mess of them and keep up the family tradition of reading double their grade level until that no longer is a meaningful comparison.
the weather's held together and been real nice and that means the that the bmx trails season is extended. it's been fun playing beat the clock to ride before the sun goes down. this week, here in ohio we've had one of our four of five weeks of san diego weather. i'm trying to put these blue skies deep into my memory bank for the coming next few months of grey.