I think my first voting post was in 2010, and I've blogged about it several times since.
For example, the elections of 2020, which I think few of us will ever forget.
My personal pandemic voting experience.
The first time women voted in the county where I've lived for years.
When I moved back to New York State from Arkansas in the 1980's, we were still using mechanical voting machines. As the saying goes, "how times have changed".
Yesterday, early voting for the New York primary elections started. New York State didn't even have early voting until 2019. I didn't expect this election to be well attended - all we were voting for was a family court judge - still important, and we voted both yesterday and in the recent school board election.
As opposed to the election of 2020, where we (and many, many others)
waited a long time on line, the early voting center was empty. Our county has two this year, both in highly populated areas.
None of the poll workers were masked when we walked in. Only one put on a mask as we (we still mask when indoors although both spouse and I are full vaccinated) approached. She was elderly, another change from last year, where elderly poll workers stayed home and many young people took their place.
This year, New York State sent out cards to our house that were scanned by the poll worker. This is a first. Based on that, and our identifying ourselves, a ballot was printed out for our district.
We cast our votes quickly. In New York, you take the ballot and walk to a corral where you mark your vote (in those little circles, like an old time school standardized test). You then insert the ballot into a machine and if all is in order, your vote is cast.
Simple? Sadly, in our times, not so simple.
Tomorrow is Flag Day, the commemoration of the adoption of the United States Flag on June 14, 1777. Our country and its people are being severely tested right now. In which direction will we end up going? Will we ever be able to unite and make the decisions that will preserve our democracy?
It's up to all of us. Still being interested in the voting process is still crucial.
History is waiting to judge us.
...in this area there is just a Republican primary.
ReplyDeleteIt always felt important to go to the polls to vote on election day! Now, it's only vote by mail. Easy, and more people seem to vote that way, which is why some politicians are trying to stop it! Certainly a backwards way of thinking. Sore losers. I don't mail mine though, I take it to a drop box, either at the library door, or drive by drop off. There's something else the sore losers are trying to change, drop boxes! Can you imagine one box for an entire city? No one would vote! I guess that's the idea.
ReplyDeleteHistory is waiting to judge us. That is so true.
ReplyDeleteWe are living in a very scary time right now!
ReplyDeleteI’m going to vote sometime this week. Primary for two town offices.
ReplyDeleteWe've got a recall election coming up. Some people seem to hate our governor. Last time we did this, we ended up with Schwarzenegger. I'd like to say we won't be so stupid this time, but I'm not holding my breath.
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