Well this morning on the way to work I stopped by the polling place for ‘Ward 2’, “Your Place”, the local chem-free community center where NA & AA meetings take place… and I guess other stuff but I’m not exactly sure what, we’ve only ever gone there to vote. Last time I voted there in primaries the little old ladies told me I was ‘THE Green’ for ward 2 (as in the only one). I’m honored.
Maine uses paper ballots. Just take the black marker, fill in the dot next to the candidate or issue you want, and move on. Guess it’s read in optically, though it would be just as easy for anyone to count them by hand.
When Emily, Owen & I arrived, a little after 8 AM we were the only voters in the building. They had a guy at a table with a folded paper plate reading ‘Legal Aid’ and a big law book opened on top of a bunch of papers. He was kicked back in a chair, bifocals down to his nose reading. I noted his folder had ‘Kerry/Edwards’ written on it, but that may have just been the top folder. Next to him was a polling observer, Helen, whom we know from the local UU church and Mac User group. She checked off our names and I chatted with her while I held Owen and Emily voted. Then we switched places and I voted.
For city council I never know who to vote for so I pick anyone who I know from some other connection, then females, then people who live on streets that I know.
Everything else I vote for Democrats, unless there’s a green running against a republican, but I think that only happened once a while ago. In 2000 I voted for Gore but I had swapped votes with my father in NY so he voted for Nader there. This year I think Nader’s an egotistical nut.