Here in MA, there are three ways to vote this year: by mail (via drop-off box or through the USPS, both with tracking), in person early, or in person on Election Day. We opted for in person early.
Early in-person polls opened last Saturday across the state. Saturday had record turnout, even in my rural town. We opted to go Sunday morning, and got there an hour early. We still weren't first in line! And this year, they even had stickers! THEY NEVER HAVE STICKERS!!!!
Every day, the lines have been nuts. As a History major who probably should have declared a Political Science minor (I was only a few credits shy of that, should have stuck it out), I have watched every election and studied it since I was of voting age. This is unprecedented.
It's easy to feel disillusioned by politics, and I don't blame anyone for feeling that way, especially lately. But voting is important, especially when it comes to the more local stuff. The policies of your local elected officials matter just as much, if not more, than the national stuff. That's where your vote can be heard and counted most.
Please vote!
After working a regular day yesterday and then going back to work at Midnight and working until 3 and then getting paged out again at 6 for an outage they wanted to blame on my change, I was irritated. When I was finally able to disentangle myself from that mess, it was about 11:45, I'd gotten 2.5 hours of sleep, had already worked a full shift for the day and I thought, "Self, it's unlikely that you can be more aggravated today than you are right now RIGHT NOW. You should go to the early voting place."
So I did, and it turns out they're running it pretty dang well. They got an online doodad that shows the early polling locations and the estimated wait time. My location was showing a zero wait time, so off I went. Upon arrival, they gave everybody a pen to keep at the entrance that said "I voted in the 2020 election!" and had other good pandemic protocols in place. Plenty of staff was working, even this early. I was in and out in a painless 30 minutes. It actually improved my mood a little bit.
I noted that I was number 4213 to put my ballot in for the day. I like that number.
When I got back into the car, the first thing I heard was the local DJ commenting how early voting this year has completely blown away early voting from 2016. With two weeks to go, 60% of the *total* ballots cast in North Carolina for the last Presidential election have already been counted this year.
I decided after leaving the mazda dealer for the takata recall that took FOUR MOTHERberkeleyING TRIPS an hour each way, with corresponding time off work that i didn't get to enjoy, and the recall itself taking two hours longer than they said it would, and no loaner car so i could get lunch, id finish off my craptastic day by going to deal with the E36 M3show that is our early voting.
Except it wasn't. All corona protocols being ho ored, no wait time, polite folks. In and out in 15 minutes! Hell, i wish fast food was run that well!
Got out of the dentist early yesterday so went to vote. Took under 10 min at like 9:40 am.
Done. Now if voting eliminated the ads.
