the act of voting

I love the act of going to the polls. One of my clearest snippet of a childhood memory is from election day 1976, weeks shy of my 8th bday, I was online with my mom at our polling place on east 82nd street with at least one of my sisters singing Dole is a pineapple, we know he is, Dole is a banana, we know he is . . . . If you don't remember, or don't know, Dole was Ford's running mate. My first election day eligible to vote the NYC elections consisted of various judge positions. 6am to 9pm with maybe 20 people tops turning up at the pols. One of the longest days of my life.

I like to vote in person. My last election day in Oregon was the first run of mail in ballots only. While I understand its efficacy both financially and for ability to spend time on the various ballot measures, I still love the ritual of the process. So today I went down to the Webb building while doing some errands downtown to vote early (my preferred way now, so I can be available to a campaign of choice on election day itself). At 10:30 there was no line and my arrival specifically to vote was practically an event. I was reassured to see the paper record printed out with my selected choices (the only real choice city wide being the Xcel monopoly - voted no, and I did have a primary for SD 32 - one more vote for Jennifer Mello there), but who knows what really happens when all is said and done. I trust the city of Denver, I do not trust the secretary of state (only Ken Gordon will be able to fully restore my trust in that office).

So, primary down, genral election to go and a long slogging fall campaign season between. Happy Politicing.