Friday, October 31, 2008

1 hour & 24 minutes


That's how long my hubby & I stood in line today (on our 13th anniversary together, thank you very much!) at the local public library to cast our early votes. It was, by far, the longest time I've ever had to wait to vote in the 28 years (ouch! that number hurts) that I've been voting!! I had NO idea there would be SO MANY PEOPLE THERE!! No wonder Gov. Charlie Crist declared an election emergency & ordered the early polling places to stay open 12 hours a day (7 am - 7 pm, and a total of 12 hours this weekend, too). There had to be at least 300 other people there waiting in line with us. If you've ever been to Disneyland or Disney World, it was the kind of winding queue that kinda makes you dizzy & makes you wonder where your next step will take you! I have to say that, while no one LOVES standing in a painfully slow-moving line, I didn't see anyone leave or really complain much (beyond moaning about tired feet & how warm it was in the library). I guess I could have been doing something else for nearly two hours, but I know it was time well-spent & it made me feel good (my aforementioned tired feet notwithstanding) to do my civic duty. All-in-all, it was worth every minute (and then some), and a great way to spend part of my 13th anniversary.

When I finally got back home & read my local newspaper online (The Orlando Sentinel), I got some potentially good news (although, here in Florida, it's not wise to count your electoral chickens before they're hatched), but the hateful Amendment 2 seems to be stuck just a tad below 60% in approval (since 2006, in Florida, to add an amendment to the state constitution, you have to get 60% of the vote + 1, instead of the traditional 50% + 1). Of course, there's always the margin of error involved in polls, and the one involved in today's Orlando Sentinel article is plus or minus 4%, but still if it's at 55% support, if you took the pessimistic view (at least pessimistic for me), support would be at as much as 59%...which is less than what is needed for passage, but which is also too close for comfort for me! Of course, I'm hoping it's closer to the 51% mark (55% - 4%).

Anyway, voting for me for 2008 is done. If it's this bad on the Friday before the actual national election, I don't even want to think about what the line will look like come the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November! I am glad that part--for me--is over! Now all I have to do is keep nagging my friends & relatives to vote Obama: YES & Amendment 2: NO!

Is it too much to ask for 2 out of 2?? I don't think so.

Though I am as far from a Bible-thumper as one could possibly be (ya know, being the abomination to the Lord that some say I am), I am reminded of the verse from James 4:2, to wit, "...ye have not, because ye ask not."

Well, universe, I'm asking...

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