Day of Destiny!

I voted. Obama - Biden. NO on 4. NO on 8.

I'm scared. Here we are at Stanford University, and the voting process is unclear, clunky, and slow. There are at least 3 precincts that vote at the same location (Grad Community Center) on campus, but when we arrived at 7:45 am there was one line wrapping around the building. Having experienced a 2 hour wait to vote during the democratic primary, we knew to look for a shorter line for our specific precinct. We found it, and then still waited about a half hour to make it to the front of the line. I spoke with a lawyer that was there to ensure that the voting was proceeding without trouble. He was trying to help sort out the mess with the different precincts.

Finally, I received my ballot, but all the booths were full, so I had to prop up a shield on a table while I voted. Tell me, how is it acceptable that the process of selecting a choice on the ballot is unclear? Given two pieces of a chunky black arrow, would you know to draw a thin line in between the chunks of the arrow to make a selection? Come on! It is not acceptable that I had to read the instructions as to how to fill out my ballot. For such a critical decision with so much at stake, the ballot needs to be intuitive and mistake proof. I'm disappointed.

I fletch therefore I vote!

I voted today, by mail. Even though I see the signs around on lawns, left and right, the bulk of the issues beyond the Presidential race completely escaped me. Doing the legwork to make an even marginally informed decision took better than two hours today. On this wondrous occasion I would like to thank all those people and resources that made my hopefully correctly completed ballot count: the googles, friends via email, the sample ballot sent to me weeks ago, and candidates with websites. Most of all, I offer thanks to the League of Women Voters. Damn! They really put together a tight package, linking to everything that counts and clarifies. There are still a couple of mysteries, that even with some serious thought, I could not fully decipher (e.g., Proposition 7). While I happily wear the sticker, I am still concerned that in this age, my ability to construct an arrow with a thin shaft of blue or black (not red!) will determine the impact of my voice. Actually, I am more concerned about those who are more inclined to launch, rather than draw, arrows.