Bless the hearts of Ohioans and Floridians, who stand in voting lines for HOURS. Seriously, it's an incredible source of dedication as well as sacrifice.
Follow me after the fold.
I have no sense of what it is like to stand in line for hours to cast my vote. Truth be told, I'm not a patient person. Heck, I've got stuff to do!
In my 26 years in my suburban town in CT, I can tell you I have NEVER had to stand in line to vote. Yes, there may be a handful of folks ahead of me. That's it. I honestly don't know what I'd do if it were more like this:
Early voting has reached record numbers this year. Including absentee ballots, 27 million people have already voted. That's in spite of lines that stretch on for hours.
"Six hours is ridiculous in terms of waiting in line," one Ohio voter told CNN. "I still haven't had an opportunity to vote," said a Florida reader after waiting in line for three hours. "It seems crazy."
Indeed, it does seem crazy. We don't have early voting here in CT (I am going to fight to change that). In fact, you can't even vote absentee unless you can PROVE you will not be in town on election day. It's a bit backwards.
Our Secretary of State said yesterday that they expect a 90% voter turnout at the polls tomorrow. It's unprecedented, and that's a great thing! I'm wondering what that will be like for me. What time is the best (fastest) to go stand in line? How do I endure more than a handful of folks ahead of me?
I know, it's a selfish attitude. I'm not proud of that. And I'm quite fortunate I don't have to go to work (although I'm pissed I haven't been able to get a job in the past two years), so that is not an obstacle in my idle time. So, I'm going to fill up my IPod with lots of fun political talk radio; stand in line; and I will do it with a smile on my face! I will do it in honor of my fellow Americans who have been standing in line MUCH longer than I will likely have to because it matters!
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to those who stand in those long lines. It doesn't matter who you vote for (well, maybe a little). But your dedication to the good of this country is to be commended. It makes me proud that many Americans are willing to sacrifice precious time to fight for what they believe in -- a better future for all of us.