My Vote Is In!

Yesterday I stopped in at City Hall and voted. I should be home on Friday but I was a little paranoid that something might happen and I would get stranded in Anchorage, as has been known to occur. We are urging people to vote early this year but I have to admit that it was not nearly as much fun as showing up at the polls on Election Day, standing in line and chatting with friends and neighbors, being a part of this big exercise we call Democracy. On the other hand, the most important thing is the vote, not when or how we do it, right? The clerk handed me a blue pen and I was nervous that maybe black ink was required (don't ask me where I got that idea) rendering my votes invalid. She reassured me that blue was fine (yes, we are still coloring circles on paper ballots in Unalaska). I marked my ballot for Obama/Biden, Mark Begich, Ethan Berkowitz, and Bryce Edgmon. Yippee! It felt great! I folded my ballot, placed it into a little cover, slipped both into a big envelope and sealed the edge shut. On the outside, there was a spot for the clerk to confirm that she checked my ID and another for her to sign the envelope as an election official. She just took my envelope and set it aside. That made me nervous, too! I told her I wanted her to complete her part before I left the office. I did not want to take any chances that my ballot was not going to be counted! I feel (fairly) certain she would have filled it out as soon as I walked away, but I was not about to risk it. She probably thought I was a bit overbearing, ya think?

The good thing about voting early is that I will now be able to dedicate November 4 to my duties as a poll monitor, calling people to remind them to vote, and assisting with getting folks to the polls. I love this stuff!

Get out and vote, everybody! Now is our time!