So last Monday, I arrived at work. Checked my email inbox and found like 50 messages. This is becoming regular every day now. I joined a few mailing lists on the Barack Obama page and the email just flows. After deleting those messages that had to do with enlarging myself and getting replica watchs (not from the Obama people, just my usual spam), I had a shorter list of messages to wade through. Finally I found one saying there would be a voter registration drive on Saturday at 17th and Sheridan in Lakewood. I thought this sounded like fun and asked my wife if she also wanted to help out. She did. So I replied to the message and we were set. Neither of us had done this, and I'd admit that I was a bit nervous doing such a thing ..
Oddly enough, not 10 minutes after responding to the email, I got a call about another drive in Wheat Ridge the same day. Oh well. I can only be in one place at a time. Believe me, I've tried to be everywhere at once. It doesn't work well.
So below the break is the story of what happened yesterday.
Everything at the park started at 9:30. We drove by .. and there was a table with a hand made Obama sign on it and several people standing around it. We got there, and stood around a bit. Everything must have started soon after 9:30. Stories were told. We got to know each other a little bit. Then they weeded out those who were trained from those who weren't. Those who were trained were assigned sites. Those of us that weren't got a little demo about the voter registration form. Sign here, put an 'x' here .. that sort of stuff. Some Q&A, and then we were assigned locations. Many people went to various King Soopers in the area, some to libraries, and some walked the park. My wife and I were going to a King Soopers a bit off highway 6 on Alemeda and were told that we shouldn't expect a big turn out. Well, let me tell you, that warning turned out wrong.
We got to our location and met Eliot .. another person who was registering people, but had been trained .. so he was probably there a good 20 or 30 minutes before us. So he let us observe him for a few minutes .. and it seemed like he was getting people left and right. I think in the first few minutes we were there he had registered 2 people. He took a bit of a break and so we took over. Soon my wife had one .. then I got one ... and then another. Eliot came back, and the rate continued. Maybe not quite like one after another (but there were certainly times). There were still many people exiting the store who had blinders one (they never look at you) and those who said they are all set.
I think I personally got 3 or so brand new registered voters. Maybe more. And they weren't people who were 18 or 19, we are talking 50ish. So great they felt they should finally vote. Many others had moved and so needed to register with a new address. I think I had given about 5 forms to go home with people because they wanted one for themselves and a spouse.
I had two people who really stuck in my mind. One was a woman who was probably 70. She didn't need to sign up, she just wanted to talk. She said he was really upset with the choices this year. She said she was going to be a judge (I assume at the election) and she just doesn't know who to vote for. She was upset that out of all the republicans, the had to pick McCain. I felt bad that she felt she didn't have a choice, but not that she doesn't like McCain. I wonder what the odds are she'll vote for Obama? Probably not great, but still .. I don't mind knowing there are those who don't want to vote for McW.
Then there was a guy who said what ought to be done .. come election day have someone going around and getting people out to vote .. I think he wants people to drive voters to the polls. I told him that its been done before, and I'm certain someone will be doing it this time.
Once all was said and done, my wife and I had 13 registration forms filled out. 2 were republican (oh well, maybe Obamacans?), and the rest were either unaffiliated or democratic party .. about 50/50 for each. We also ran out of forms. So that means we must have given away about 7 or 8 to people for them to mail in. Luckily for us, Eliot had more in his car. Back at the park where we started our morning, Eliot said he had about 8 or 9. So between the three of us we had about 21 or 22, when we were told not to be disappointed getting 12 (or 4 each). BAH!
When we got home, I had an email from the organizing team that said they had about 40 volunteers helping out today and we collected 196 registrations! Excellent! I'll certainly wouldn't mind doing this again sometime soon. It made me feel good to help the Obama campaign.
Jefferson County is going blue .. Colorado is going blue .. this whole country is going blue!!