I promised myself I wouldn’t rant any more about the election. Really, this is it, and I promise to return to my regularly scheduled navelgazing after this. 🙂 Not in the mood for whining? Then move along. Honest, I won’t mind. 😉
I talked to my grandfather today (in Pennsylania — a blue state! yay!). He had assumed he was still eligible to vote, but apparently he wasn’t (he last voted four years ago — for Gore, god love him). So he went to his polling place on Tuesday and asked for a provisional ballot. The elections people said they were only giving out 12 provisional ballots per polling place, and he was too late. He was very disappointed he did not get to support Kerry. Apparently, he and a number of elderly people were turned away for the very same reason.
Argue with me all you want that we all knew this was going to be a ridiculously important election year. Point out the millions of PSAs that encouraged us to update our voter information, especially if we haven’t voted in a few years. (I do vote in the general elections; I’ve not historically educated myself by the time of the primaries.) But I guess I was kind of sad that my grandfather and several others like him went to the polls, assuming that if they’ve voted for the past 50 years, then they would be welcome to do so again this year. They assumed their votes would count for something. I had no idea about the 12-vote limit. Is it the same everywhere?
And I’m not faulting the system — I’m just hurt for him. Really, if my voter registration never expired, then I’d still be be registered 252 miles from here. Even if it expired every four years, same deal. I probably would have (prior to this election) only voted in presidential races.
But it’s difficult to explain to elderly people (who just don’t get out as often as they used to) that their vote doesn’t count if they haven’t A) voted recently or B) renewed. And to see it from his POV, he’s a World War II veteran; thus, it’s a shame to be turned away from the polls because he swore his registration was still current. This is such a misconception — thinking they’re active when they’re not.
Mom always told me to never discuss politics with anyone, but he and I have always had the best political go-’rounds. And I think he has hope for me that while I live here in D.C. that I will get involved in the process somehow. And I will, believe me. Just you wait! 😉 And part of will probably revolve around how you become inactive and what happens (*cough cough four more years of nonsense cough cough*) as a result!
I do have another political wish up my sleeve, though — I would love to see Northern Virginia grouped with D.C. when it comes to doling out electoral votes. Just sayin’. I’m too tired to come up with the full argument for it, because it ain’t ever gonna happen anyway. But it would have changed the outcome of this last election.
In any event, I am out of Bon Jovi albums to comfort me. I also had four bootlegs, and each one is screwed up in some way. What I’ve had, though, has gotten through the weekend (one of the most dismal of my young existence, by the bye). And now, I’m facing one of the hardest weeks of my life — and my strength has been waning. But my first love has inspired me to keep fighting the good fight. He just needs to make a new album to keep me afloat for a little while longer! 😉
On iTunes: Bon Jovi, “Dry County”