The Handy Husband and I started voting absentee ballot a number of years ago, for several reasons: 1) we don't have to rush home from work to vote, 2) we don't have to worry about being too tired to go to the polls and just saying forget it, and 3), my personal pet peeve, I do not have to endure the wait and humiliation at the polling place while they search for the ballot of my political party. "Hey, can you find one of those * ballots?" they yelled across the room. Because we live in a neighborhood where the others predominate and they somehow conveniently managed to misplace the ballots of my party. And I felt my party affiliation should not have been broadcast to everyone standing behind me. This really happened. I should have reported it. I've voted absentee ever since.
We suggested Frank also vote absentee, because...well, it's just easier in so many ways and he's also just lazy in so many ways. His first ballot came today.
So Frank read his ballot and decided on his votes for certain key races. Some things he knew nothing about. He asked my advice. I said, if you don't know enough about the issue, don't vote on it. I pointed out propositions that might affect him.
- Passing lanes on the 2-lane highway nearby? A resounding YES!
- A certain proposition for who can marry whom? He has gay friends. He made his own decision.
- School boards? I told him what I knew about the candidates.
- The mayor? She was appointed to city council, not elected. She walks her dog around town. Her identical unlocked car was once parked next to mine and I got into hers by mistake. He stands on street corners, holding signs with his name, and waves at you. He came to our door and gave us chocolate. Yes, we live in that small a town. We're still undecided on the mayor, since we only know trivia.
Am I brainwashing him? No. He asked for my opinion and I gave it. I didn't tell him how to vote.
But I am "darn" glad he is voting. Here's to our future.
Obama 2008.
10 comments:
May I recommend the League of Women Voters; a nonpartisan organization that looks at local issues and offers clear sighted suggestions. There are both national and state web sites. They don't do candidates, just issues.
And proud of Frank as always.
m-i-l
1. WTG Frank for registering to vote, it's so important.
2. I can't believe they shouted your affiliation out! Here in the UK, when you go and vote, everyone is given the same ballot paper and you make the cross where you want, which does seem to protect your privacy more. Though I always used to take my daughter into the cubicle with me so she could see me voting but I stopped that after she marched out and said My Mummy put an x next to the ...(insert political party here).
Rock the vote, Frank!!
Absentee, Polling Place, however you do it, as long as you vote! Great job, Frank!
I take my young kids to the polling place with me. It's important that they see me vote. Sometimes I feel too lazy to vote in certain elections (not this year!), but I remember to set an example for the kids and I go anyway!
My kids go with me when I vote and I have to remind them not to ask people whom they're voting for.
I, too, am glad to see Frank rockin' the vote!
I see so many ex-pats over here not even trying to hide the fact that they don't vote...that's just wrong.
I am waiting for my absentee ballot...got e-mail messages from Joe Biden, Jimmy Carter and others...am waiting for the one from Bill..that one will probably come soon!!
I can't believe that happened to you (well, yes I can, but I'm still outraged by it).
I have a friend who recently told me an opposite story of trying to help our kids think for themselves. When she was old enough to vote, her mom actually sat her down, went over the ballot and TOLD her who to vote for, trying to insist the young woman vote as her parents wanted her to. She of course exercised her freedom behind a curtain.
My party affiliation was announced in our small town voting area, too. I thanked the woman for announcing it to everyone and made sure I asked for her name. She was nervous...I never did anything about...she didn't know that. Everyone was staring at her and she was visibly shaken. As I finished my ballot and went to turn it in I leaned in and whispered to her, "Yes, I voted for the *'s and have a nice day"
Bravo to you! Voting is such an important thing that many take for granted and simply don't participate.
You are doing the right thing. Information without opinion.
My daughter is 6 and her first-grade friends are talking about candidates. Our daughter asked us, and we told her who we wanted to vote for, but did not trash the other candidate. We also told her not to discuss it at school because her "opinions" are only based on what we told her, and she is too young to make a decision herself. It bothers me--a LOT--when parents want their kids to believe everything they do. We teach our kids principles and values, but they will be left (when older) to follow those things with their own convictions.
We are also in a state that requires party registration. It bugs me to death mostly because I cannot embrace either of the main parties whole-heartedly--often not even half-heartedly. We started absentee voting this year. At the last major election, we each had to wait in line 2 hours because neither of us wanted to take the kids with us for a line like that (at the time almost 3 years old and 4 months).
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