Five hours in Detroit. Six hours in St. Louis.
In tiny Limestone, I walked right in.
Media reports indicate heavy turnout across the country today, which is incredibly heartening to me. On the homefront, in rural western New York, things were a bit quieter. One woman, a teacher’s aid at my son’s school, was walking out as I walked in. Another voter walked in a few seconds behind me. That was it. So much for any long lines, I thought.
Several overweight women with big smiles full of bad teeth sat at the rows of tables in front of the voting machines. I didn’t know them, which is unusual for this small town, but I admire them nonetheless for their willingness to sit there all day.
They checked me in, and then Jackson and I walked into one of the voting booths and pulled the lever to close the curtain. “One fifty-four,” a pollworker called when the curtain snapped shut. It was mid-afternoon, and in a town of 500 residents, I was voter number 154. Not too bad.
I’ve voted in this style of voting machine my entire adult life: a boxlike turquoise monstrosity that stiffly folds its curtains around me as if giving me a hug and finding the experience distasteful.
Jackson and I both put our fingers on the switches and flipped them together. He wanted to feel like he was part of the process, and I wanted him to be able to say he “voted” in what his generation will surely look back on as an historic election. That phrase—“historic”—has become so trite from overuse…but that doesn’t mean it’s not true.
Voters elsewhere in the country were using touch-screen technology. Some still used paper ballots. Some require Spanish translators. News reports this evening have included tales of trouble of varying magnitude all over the place.
But in Limestone, the process went smoothly. It took all of five minutes. SO easy.
I’d like to think I would wait in line for hours if I had to. Some people—blacks, women, unpropertied males—have had to wait for years, decades, centuries. What’s a few hours? How amazing, really, that it was such a breeze for me.
I’m glad so many Americans care that they’re willing to show up in literally overwhelming numbers to voice their opinions. I’m glad so many people realize it’s worth the wait.
Related posts (automated):
- Election Reflection I: “Early” voting
- Election Reflection III: Does Every Vote Count?
- Election Reflection II: Who Gave that Speech?
- Enough with the “historic election”
- Election Reflection V: Blue States and…Gray States?
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This radio show is about what is truly at stake in this election, and what we are TRULY voting for. This election can change the mindset of the entire country and could have an effect for years to come. Most people don’t think of it in this way. It’s very surprising. And either way you decide, you will at least be aware and understand the unspoken implications. If you like what you hear, please pass the link on to others who you may think might like it.
http://tinyurl.com/5znubc
i was expecting a longer line as well, almost hoping for it because it would somehow make for a romantic story but the line was short for me as well. I was in and out. Which was surprising considering how much the media have been talking up turnout check out this clip from newsy.com
http://www.newsy.com/videos/daily_political_rundown_november_4_2008/
I live in North Buffalo, about a 45 minute wait at 6:15ish! That’s long considering I had no wait last time. I have to say the poll workers were over whelmed, and the workers were considerably older than Yoda. They got it togother a little later, and I kinda feel guilty for not volunteering.
I’m a die hard so I wake up at 6 and get to the polls at 6:15. Usually it’s a bunch of middle aged white people. This year it was a huge mix! A lot of younger people, black people, and latinos, and they all had their voter registration cards present. If you are like me, you usually don’t carry your card. I have my licence and sign my name. Talking to people in line they were so afraid of not being able to vote so they brought every form of identification. They wanted to be part of history.
I walked away with such a great feeling. There was an energy I can’t describe. It’s cliche know, but it’s true
i can’t help thinking it’s awesome that there has been such long lines all over… people taking a greater interest in public issues is always a good thing