Now, let's come back to today, again.
A few weeks ago I register to vote in Virginia, since I obviously can't make it to the polls in Maryland (I can't make it to the polls in Virginia even though the polling place here is literally 3 blocks away, but that's beside the point.) Since i obviously can't vote in person, I register for absentee ballot. And I either gave it to the person who handed them out to us or I had mailed it in or did it on-line, I don't remember.
So, anyway, what I do remember is I'm mailed my voter registration card for Virginia a short while ago.
Today I got another piece of election mail; I'm thinking that maybe they're sending out absentee ballots early because of concerns about the Postal Service.
Nope, it's a notice from the Arlington County board of elections. My request for an absentee ballot has been denied. The reason?
"You are ineligible to vote absentee because you are not registered to vote in Virginia."
Included were a voter registration and an application for absentee ballot.
As it happens, while i have saved lots of other papers, some including the empty, opened envelopes mail came in, i.e. trash, I did not save my voter registration card. Aww fuck! I gotta fill out the goddam paperwork again, which requires using a magnifying lens. So I do, then I need to find the address of the county Election Board. So I have to go on line to the address it gives me,
http://www.elections.virginia.gov/locations , which returns a 404 error. Maybe I read it wrong and it's
http://www.elections.virginia.gov/location only that also returns a 404 error. I try going to the registration page, then I rediscover (I had forgotten) that I can register on-line. It also has a component allowing me to check on the status of my registration.
Okay, supply my information and check the box indicating I understand either it's my own record or it's illegal to look at someone else's record except by permission. And it comes up! Correct address, has a voter number, registration effective August 4, and approved for absentee ballot.
But the letter I got is dated August 17. Which is right? So I decide to call. After, surprisingly enough, a not-really-long wait, I get someone in the county Election Board, and he looks me up. Yep, I am registered. The letter was in error, i guess.
Last edited by Tdarcos on Tue Aug 25, 2020 8:24 pm, edited 7 times in total.
"People need some reason to believe
I don't know about anyone, but me."
-Jackson Browne, Runnin' on Empty
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User avatarTdarcos
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Re: Stupid election shit
Unread post by Tdarcos » Tue Aug 25, 2020 8:18 pm
Ice Cream Jonsey wrote: ↑Tue Aug 25, 2020 7:55 pm
Who ya voting for, Commander?
Well, of course I'm voting for Trump, whom do you think I would vote for?
All kidding aside, suffice to say I wouldn't vote for him if he could guarantee I could get up and walk out of this place. Strike that, in that case I would, but under normal circumstances I wouldn't vote for him even if it meant I'd lose one of my arms too. Strike that, if that was the threat I would. But seriously, I'd have to be reduced to the intellectual capacity of a mongoloid idiot to vote for him.
As for whom I'm going to vote for, that's for me to know and you not to find out. Other than that you do know of someone whom I am not voting for.
"People need some reason to believe
I don't know about anyone, but me."
-Jackson Browne, Runnin' on Empty
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User avatarBilly Mays
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Re: Stupid election shit
Unread post by Billy Mays » Tue Aug 25, 2020 11:41 pm
He's afraid to share who he's voting for because of how open minded everyone here is.
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User avatarAArdvark
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Re: Stupid election shit
Unread post by AArdvark » Wed Aug 26, 2020 3:33 am
he's exercising his right for a secret ballot. It's good to see him tone up.
since the only real choices are 45 or Biden I'm guessing the latter.
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User avatarTdarcos
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Re: Stupid election shit
Unread post by Tdarcos » Wed Aug 26, 2020 4:49 am
Billy Mays wrote: ↑Tue Aug 25, 2020 11:41 pm
He's afraid to share who he's voting for because of how open minded everyone here is.
Nope, 'Vark has it right. (See below.)
AArdvark wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2020 3:33 am
he's exercising his right for a secret ballot. It's good to see him tone up.
That's exactly why. People have fought and died to grant us the privilege of the ballot box. And more than that, the ability to vote in secret.
And the thing is, the US didn't even invent the secret ballot. In some parts of New England, they still have a town meeting where everyone registered to vote can show up, and the town decides the matter. Oh not by a board of selectmen or town council doing so; the entire town votes by raising a hand for "yay" or "nay" and they decide. When elections were in cities having too many people to vote that way, they'd have people write down how they were voting. You actually brought your own ballot with you. Vote-buying was easy, and common, in many cases whoever bought your vote would have someone "help" you fill it out.
When i was an election judge in Maryland, we had strict rules about someone getting "help." You are permitted too have one or two people with you in the voting booth if they are under 18 years of age. Nothing special, presumably someone voting doesn't have to leave their child alone. In fact, we'd give kids their own "I voted" sticker just like their parent got one. Now, if the person helping you is over 18, they have to sign a form in which they agree they will not choose how you will vote, and they are not a representative of a candidate, a party, a union or the person's employer.
I'll give you a hint where we imported it from. The idea of a secret ballot is called the "Australian ballot."
AArdvark wrote: ↑Wed Aug 26, 2020 3:33 am
since the only real choices are 45 or Biden I'm guessing the latter.
Whom is 45? Is that someone like Fourteen from Donovan's Mellow Yellow or Thirteen from House?
But again, as for whom I'm voting for? I'm not telling.
"People need some reason to believe
I don't know about anyone, but me."
-Jackson Browne, Runnin' on Empty