If you're a US citizen over 18 years of age, please remember to vote today, if you haven't already. Click here if you need help with registration--in many states, same-day registration is available, so it's not too late!--or to find your polling place. Finding out enough about the candidates in your major/closely contested races only takes a few minutes, the act of voting itself a couple more. Whatever your political leanings, please remember to go express them today.
Crap, I totally forgot about elections. I haven't researched any of the candidates or issues, so I'm no more informed than the average voter!
ReplyDeleteJust checked and it looks like I was supposed to renew my registration, so I guess I'm not voting this year. Guess I'll just get the next one
DeleteMy younger self would be so disappointed in me right now
I either hate or don't know anything about the people running in this state, so I'm expressing my political leanings by staying home.
ReplyDelete> Finding out enough about the candidates in your major/closely contested races only takes a few minutes, the act of voting itself a couple more.
Hang on, what nirvana do you live in that waiting in line at the polling station takes only a couple of minutes? :P
Good point. Better one: who takes that little time to research the candidates and issues?! Yeah, it's a lot of people, but it shouldn't be
DeleteEven when I was painfully unimpressed with all the major party candidates in a given race, I've never yet failed to find a minor party or a person running as a write-in candidate who I felt comfortable voting for. Those votes matter--Democrats as a party became much more "green" after Nader's 2000 run, and Republicans (at least, Republicans in blue-purple states) have moved away from anti-gay policies in recent years in no small part to avoid losing voters to Libertarian candidates, just to name two large, recent examples.
DeleteAs for the nirvana I live in? Statewide, we had an average wait time of 6.2 minutes in 2012, and those times are always down in midterms with fewer people voting. Anecdotally (i.e. speaking to a couple of people I know who are election judges), the only time you actually have to wait is if you get to the polling place first thing in the morning, when everyone's trying to get in before work. Other states need to get on Minnesota's level!
I think today was the first time in recent memory I had to wait more than a minute at the poll. I was the line, but still. Of course, I vote in every election regardless, so that's a lot to remember. I also go in the middle of the day, which I wouldn't be able to do if I was working. :B
DeletePresent... :p
DeleteThis is the best reply ever. :D
DeleteYay! I came this close to using Professor Farnsworth instead
DeleteI voted in the middle of the day . . . because my company's policy is that voting is good, and you don't need to take vacation or anything, you can just take the time you need. Granted, I've gathered that's a little atypical. :P
DeleteI voted after work, and there was no line at all! Not that they get long anyway. It's not a very populous county.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reminding me I had a ballot to turn in.
ReplyDeleteI voted. At least, I'm pretty sure I did. I woke up with an I VOTED sticker stuck on my cheek, after drinking a lot of cheap whiskey to dull the pain and suppress the memory of the awfulness of the candidates.
ReplyDeleteThe last time:
ReplyDeleteI had to stand in line to vote was way back when California decided to replace its governor with Arnold Schwarzenegger. My theory at the time held that most of the voters thought they were waiting to see one of Arnold's movies.
I always like to study up a little more for mid-term elections, too, 'cause so few people ever seem to show up for them...
Mike