REVEALING HOW I VOTED

BY DAN MILLER
November 8, 2006

That's right.... today I'm disclosing how I voted on Tuesday.

I arrived at my polling place around 12:45.
It was lightly raining, so I took an old umbrella with me as I left my car.
Since it was lunchtime, I anticipated a long line of people.
But that wasn't the case.
Once inside, it was a short wait of no more than 10 or 15 minutes, since there were only 10 or 12 people ahead of me.

I turned off my cell phone as I entered the voting room, heeding a big sign that warned I must do so.
The last thing I wanted was to cause a disturbance and have security feel the need to wrestle me to the ground.

The nice woman at the voter verification desk said I'd arrived at the perfect time.
She explained how, for much of the morning, there had been a line wrapped around the hall outside.
I finished up, left, and called my wife to meet me nearby for lunch.
I enjoyed an egg salad sandwich.

So there you have it.... that's how I voted on Tuesday.

By the way, this was my first election to use the new computer screen voting method, and I now understand why some folks complain about these devices.
They really should provide voters with a paper receipt.
Goodness.... whenever I pump gas.... or withdraw cash from an ATM.... or pick-up a Wendy's Spicy Chicken Filet sandwich.... I always get a paper receipt to verify the transaction.

But after voting on Tuesday, I walked away with the haunting feeling that maybe my vote didn't register on that computer.... I had no receipt to verify my vote.

After lunch I dropped by Kroger and picked up some creamer for my coffee at work.
The self-service checkout popped out a receipt for my purchase.

So while I can't prove to you that I voted.... if you have any doubt that I have hazelnut creamer.... I can prove that!

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