anarchy at the polls

in the last election i was old enough to vote but didn't...we all see how that turned out...
so in an effort to not blame myself for another four years of turmoil i made my way to the local polls and did my civic duty.

although illinois always seems to turn up blue, in the end there was something somewhat enticing about actually participating in the process for this election.

for a while i told my mom there was no way in hell i was going to vote...it seemed like a waste of time in my book and in all honesty i'm not even familar with all the issues (although i'm not sure how you can be). in my mind i see someone who looks fair and someone who doesn't but neither actually represents me or my interests. so the less of the two evils gets my vote right? well what is the point of that?

she told me if nothing it would be something to tell my kids...i voted in the first election where a non whitey had a shot of being the next PUSA. that seemed cool enough so i gave in.

there wasn't a line at my local school which was a sigh of relief (i hate lines) and a cause for concern in my mind (this is a neighborhood filled with Obama signs). i give my idea to this young girl, i sign my name and she gives me a ballot. tells me to go behind some metal contraption and fill out my card. i get there and read the instructions...i'm not a stupid girl but the way the ballot is set up could be really confusing...but i press on. i realize there is nothing to punch my choices...oh wait apparently you don't punch choices, but instead connect these two parts of an arrow...but alas no pen...so i dig in my purse and find one...and begin...the instructions don't say much about whether or not the line has to be straight...what if you only fill it in half way...what if you go outside of the pre marked arrow lines...so i just do what i can.

i realize that i know relatively nothing about everyone else on the ballot besides the presidential nominees. i vote democrat where i can and if the option is for green i vote that. the whole backside of the ballot revolved around people who wanted to retain their positions in the courts. i abstained from those...i have no idea who any of these people are. this whole process has me wishing i followed politics closer.

i finish up and then i put my ballot through the electronic counter...they give me a voting receipt (i want a fucking sticker) and they say bye. as i go to put my pen back in my purse a woman says...wait...can we have our specialty pen back. i tell her the pen was mine...she asks if i voted with that pen...i say yes...she says...wait a second. turns out...you have to use a special type of pen to vote...which i never got from the girl who gave me the ballot. the print out when i put my ballot through said defective...but no one checked it and had i walked out of that place without her seeing me put the pen back in my purse...it would have been like i didn't even vote.

i get another ballot, go through the whole process again but fuck up, so i have to do another one. third times a charm with me i guess...i finally put it through, it's accepted and i walk out of there slightly annoyed and slightly satisfied...

i can't even imagine the amount of problems there are going to be tonight after work lets out...
good luck obama