Deciding how I was going to cast a ballot in this year's general election was a bit of a conundrum. I voted absentee for the first time in a long time in the spring -- I think since college. I've never needed to vote early, and nor have I wanted to. I like the excitement of voting on Election Day!
But this year is a different beast. The question wasn't whether I would vote early, but how. I leaned toward an absentee ballot for several weeks but never quite sent in the request. I just didn't want to do it. Then came the questions and doubts about absentee ballots, such as the reliability of the post office and whether the Board of Elections would actually receive it. I could drop it off at the board, that's true. But there's something about going in person ...
Early voting it was.
Paul took Monday off of work, so it was the perfect time for me to go. I was up early, so I decided to get there shortly after the board opened at 8 since Paul would be here to make sure the kids logged into school. I arrived at 8:15 a.m.
So did a million others.
Maybe not quite a million, but it felt like it. People were directing traffic, and I had to park in a lot a half a block away. It took about 5 minutes to find a spot and then another 5 minutes or so to walk to the end of the line. It was 8:26.
Did I mention it was raining?
I wore a raincoat and carried an umbrella. No rain boots, which was a big mistake. I thought the rain would keep the lines short, but no dice. Although the line was entirely outdoors, it luckily continued to move -- certainly faster than any line I've been in at Cedar Point! I was in the building faster than I would have predicted.
I had previously read that Franklin County has 150 voting machines set up, and there was a pleasant hum of excitement. Really, the buzz was just as thrilling as a real Election Day vote. Plus I got my sticker.
Vote cast! (But I bet the mailers will still come.)
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