Okay, maybe there's no voting in your state (or country for that matter). But it's primary day in New York, and there is a palpable excitement in the air. People in the office are talking around the lunch table of delegates and super-delegates and winner-take-all. They are wondering if you can split your delegates - half for Clinton and half for Obama - and checking the web to see. (Maybe there are some Republicans in the office, but they haven't come out of the woodwork.) For the first time in my life, I think, I've voted for a different candidate than my mother did - my family just another iteration of the many instances of families splitting between Clinton and Obama. But pulling the lever this morning, with my daughter on my hip - for yes, we still vote on old-fashioned lever style machines - was thrilling. Because whichever way the Democratic primary goes, we'll have made history.
Did you vote? Go, now. It's your duty and responsibility and right and privilege. Do it. Vote.
Just got back from the voting booth! My 6 year old made me promise to wait until he got home from school so he could come with me.
ReplyDeleteI'm leaving for the caucus in two hours. They're expecting record turn-out and a long night. Which begs the question: is it ethical to drink and caucus?
ReplyDeletesadly no voting in my state today.
ReplyDeletemany a time, my kids went along to the election booth. both are eligible to vote now, and neither one of them is registered yet, giving me something to lean on them about in the next few months. [daughter even picked up the registration form in september. sheesh.]
ReplyDeleteat my polling place, the workers had the election official scrambling for a key to the scan machine and more pens. but they were cheerful and helpfu, even brought along bagels and cookies for the voters!
i do not want to hear one more word on the local news about how it is all sewn up because so many voters did vote-by-mail. that is all.
good for you!
ReplyDeleteI miss the lever machines we had in NYC. I guess they're still statewide?
ReplyDeleteIn NJ, they you touch an "X" under the candidate and then you push a red button on the lower right to cast your vote. Totally not satisfying for a NY girl to push a button.
I remember during the whole hanging-chad whoo-haa that there was a map of voting methods in Time Magazine, and NY was the LAST state in the union to use those player-piano type lever machines. That alone makes it special.
Everyone in our household is wearing a red "I Voted!" sticker. Today's California primary is my 18-year-old daughter's first time voting--very exciting. I remember the first time I brought her to the polls with me: She looked increasingly puzzled, started frowning and then seemed near tears. Finally, she said: "You said there'd be a boat. I don't see any boat!"
ReplyDeleteI have to wait 2 more weeks. I wonder what it'll be like by then!
ReplyDeleteSettling in for a night of watching the news now.
I live in TEXAS. Oh that says so much, that one little sentence.
ReplyDeleteI maintain I want it as a committee: Obama, Clinton and Edwards.
Is it just me or is there a repulsive habit of referring to the men by last name and the woman by first name?
Why don't we have cool voting machines like that?
ReplyDeleteNo voting here... I'm thinking about filing out the vote my mail form that came in the mail...
ReplyDeleteI voted!
ReplyDeleteWe don't have levers in Chicago. We have to draw a line connecting the arrows.
My voting place had one electronic voting machine, but the idiot decided that she should try out the new fangled technology and hold up the line.
How hard is it to touch the screen?
This time, I agree with you. (Well, last time too but for different reasons.) Sometimes I think disengagement has its reasons. We might say it is your duty but when there seems to be nothing there for you, if you are disenfranchised in every way the 'duty' argument seems hollow.
ReplyDeleteBut now there might be hope. And there's always the stopping evil thing.
Being in Germany, I did not vote today (and in my home state there wasn't voting today anyway). But I will be voting via absentee ballot this fall!!
ReplyDeleteObama supporter on board. However, if Clinton wins the nomination, I will throw my weight behind her.
ReplyDeleteI voted, I voted!
ReplyDeleteI love election day. I stayed up way too late last night watching results come in. I certainly did vote, though I wasn't really sure about my choice until I got in line. It's nice to have such good options.
ReplyDeleteI've thought about what Julie said. The whole "Hillary" rather than "Clinton" thing gets on my nerves, but I think she prefers it that way so that she has some distance from Bill.
Of course Bossy chose to live in a state where her primary vote is so late it's nearly redundant.
ReplyDeleteWe're voting in Virginia on Tuesday. And I am delighted that for once, my vote will count.
ReplyDeleteNow if there was just a Democrat I wanted to vote for! Oyyyy!
Caucusing Saturday. And in the spirit of democracy, my husband and I will be in different areas. Thank God we at least share a party.
ReplyDelete