I voted today. Had wanted to get in during early voting because here the county uses electronic ballots at all early polling sites, but didn't make it. Thankfully the lone electro-booth today was empty and I didn't have to wait to cast my ballot.
The right to vote seems to be taken lightly across the country. I wonder if one reason is all the homework required to know what on earth you're voting for; Texas now has what it calls "uniform election dates," which means under most circumstances elections can be conducted twice a year on specific dates (in May and November). This is an effort to get more people to vote by pairing crowd pleasers like the governor's race with local questions such as bond elections and whatnot. What it means for voters today is there are a ton of offices and questions to consider all at once. I smell backfire!
Another reason voting may not be the best way to spend a few minutes is the candidates themselves. The governor's race features five candidates (a Republican incumbent, and challengers representing the Democrats, Libertarians and two Independents). I can't agree on all the issues with one single candidate, and each one believes something so counter to my intelligence that it pains me to mark the box to any of their names. But I did my duty. Hope the winner doesn't do a doodie all over us.
In a statewide office like that, some officeholders believe their election is a mandate that their agenda is What The People Want. They don't lend an ear to many of their constituents on a certain issue because they believe that ship has sailed, docked at the Happy Place and whatever they do can't be wrong. What they don't realize, particularly in such a hotly contested race, the person who wins may have done so because he or she is the Candidate Who Doesn't Always Make Me Want to Puke, Despite Having Some Rather Stupid Ideas (wish that would fit on a bumper sticker). The winner will also likely garner only a small percentage of the total.
Local pols may be more receptive, but the key to democracy is realizing that not everyone's going to always be happy at the same time. Always going to be someone on the opposite side of the issue, swimming against the current and not being real happy about it.
So, did you vote? Or are you exercising your American freedom not to vote? Can't fault you for either one. That's what democracy is about, too.
I voted this morning. I'm like you, I'm never happy with the choices and I think your point about candidates thinking that they have a mandate when they barely win is so true.
As as aside, the governors race here was so ugly, the independent candidate ran an ad that was a cartoon of members of the current administration sticking their heads up their butts when asked a question about 'The Big Dig' tunnel project (Big Dig= Big mess!) At least it's entertaining!
voted this morning, picked the "least likely to disrupt my life" person for governor. The rest I picked based on how melodic their name sounded...
Yes, I definitely voted!! I'll blog about it very soon.
Yes, I voted. I find more and more that I am not casting my vote for someone I endorse; but rather for someone who is left over after I have eliminated all the other canidates who have major problems aligning with my take on the issues. The often heard, "If you don't vote, you don't have a right to bitch about what's going on in politics," is what drives me to the polls.
I voted. And I agree, sometimes it's voting for the best of the worst. I agree even more that the candidates should not ignore the platforms and policies of each other, there are lessons to be learned from all. I hope that having one party as President and another in control of the House (and Senate perhaps) will help us balance out ALL of our interests and lead us as a more unified nation. - Hey, I can dream, can't I?
i love voting. love it. i love turning the dial until the candidate i want lights up, i love hitting the next button, i love the eight pages of positions i had to vote on. i love getting a sticker that says i voted. i love that one of the local restaurants gives out a piece of pie for free if you wear your sticker. i love seeing kids at the voting booths. i love it all. all of it. loves it.
Candidate Who Doesn't Always Make Me Want to Puke, Despite Having Some Rather Stupid Ideas would be a good T-Bone post title. =)