maybe only a little bit futile (sigh)

[saffronhare]

Last November, when I voted, it was frustrating that my polling place was a church. I understand that churches can be forces for good among the electorate during the voter registration and education process. I've just got an issue with the line that seems to be crossed in my mind when the government conducts business in the church.

Anyway. I resolved to vote by mail if I found out that my polling place for the next election would be at a church. (I'd previously resolved to vote early at the election office, but failed at this and had to vote at the church. Because Not Voting was not an option.) A couple of weeks ago, I got a postcard from the county election office that an election was coming up and that my polling place had changed -- to a different church. So I went online and requested an absentee ballot.

It arrived and I felt so very pleased with myself, opening up the ballot this morning to fill in all those little circles and send it in like I'd promised myself. Except. Except, except. All we're voting on this time is the JCCC Commissioners. There was a list of about eight folks, and I got to choose three or fewer. ::headdesk::

Oh, yeah. That was a significant bit of civic involvement. It's in the mail now. Fear me. Bleh.

Comments

[angelbedwell.livejournal.com]

LOL...

I'm proud of you! Hell, I might even make up a cheer just for you!!!

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

Oh, that'd rock. A cheer for stoopid ballots. :)

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

So what? Now you know the process, you can do it again if you need to, and don't have to worry about how to do it anymore. More significant than you think, I think.

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

You're right. :) I'm still glad I did it. It was a pretty simple process, as bureaucracy goes.

Imagine how pissed off I'd been to have to go vote at the church for that? I enclosed a little note of protest about the polling place with my ballot. Maybe it'll stand out more since this is likely to be a low-participation election.

[triadruid.livejournal.com]

Exactly. You stuck to your principles, you got to vote from home, and you made your case for what you object to. I think ever since school boards started trying to determine what was science and what wasn't, there are no "small elections" anymore.

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

Lookit this: We've got a full-on Civic-Minded Cheerleading Squad now!* (eez delighted)

I don't know if we ought to wear little pleated skirts or jackboots. Maybe both? Decisions, decisions.

Ha! I should put together a poll. That'd be all appropriate 'n shit. :)

*Not making light of the process and stuff. Just wildly amused. As agrnmn said last night, my shadow has a wicked sense of humor.

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

You can do the skirt. I'll take the jackboots.

Besides, have you not noticed that we are in the habit of not letting people get away with downplaying their successes? It's a theme in our happy little group, I think.

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you used your superpowers on me this morning. :)

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

I am happy to use my superpowers on you any time I think I can get away with it. :)

[celticwhistlin.livejournal.com]

I'd previously resolved to vote early at the election office, but failed at this and had to vote at the church. Because Not Voting was not an option.

That's wonderful! I am glad that you take voting so seriously. Something that you should be aware of though... if there is no concern over the tally, mailed votes are not counted. Mailed in ballots are only counted when it is a close enough race that the electorate feels they need to be...

Not that I want to rain on your parade, just something you should be aware of...

[zylch.livejournal.com]

This is why I haven't requested absentee ballots for the elections while I'm away. Because then they'd have to be sent to me overseas, which costs taxpayer's (meaning my) money, and then I have to send them back, which costs more money, and then they are exceedingly unlikely to be counted. Hence, a big damn waste of money 95% of the time. Not that I expect the savings will be reflected by lower taxes instead of increased paychecks for politicians, of course.

Sometimes I wish I could be more idealistic when it comes to voting, but it's hard for me to be anything but a cynic when it comes to givernment.

[zylch.livejournal.com]

givernment

That spelling was actually unintentional (or at least subconscious).

[triadruid.livejournal.com]

Interestingly, California voted 45% absentee last November (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/02/01/BAGB8NSLBQ1.DTL&type=printable), so the numbers may become impossible to ignore (http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20061106/ai_n16825052) sometime in the near future. I can't seem to find good nationwide statistics, and of course Missouri's rules are still archaic, but...

[zylch.livejournal.com]

Hm. So far as I understand KS law, the counting of absentee ballots is somewhat discretionary. If someone hollers loudly enough for a recount, or if the margin on poll-votes is close enough that the absentee ballots might make a difference, they'll be counted, but not otherwise. And I think even that is left largely to the judgement of the officials; since absentee ballots are largely military, and military votes have a strong correlation with "republican," if the poll-vote margin is in favor of the Republicna candidate they may not count absentees.

If the demographics of who's voting absentee change, though, then yeah it might make a difference.

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

I don't know KS law on the subject, but it is my understanding that after the Great Bullshit of 2000, several states (Florida among them) changed their laws to require a full count of absentee ballots. In fact, I was reading reports coming out of Florida in 2006 that said that voting absentee was a stronger guarantee that your vote would be counted than voting at the polls in some areas. The whole system wants for a reboot.

No, RLY?

[saffronhare.livejournal.com]

"It's hard for me to be anything but a cynic when it comes to [fill in the blank]."

:)

Re: No, RLY?

[zylch.livejournal.com]

Ththththbbbbbbbtt.