I'm usually a procrastinator in life, but not so with voting. What if I were to get sick, injured, or some emergency were to happen before election day? This is far too important to put off until another day.
So I voted this morning. But my tale doesn't consist of tales of long lines, special interests trying to pass of their "voter guides" on me, weird machines with no paper trails, or people hounding me for my ID. I had the pleasure of sitting at my desk and filling out a bubble sheet.
I love that Oregon is all vote by mail.
We got our ballots in the mailbox on Saturday. I opened it this morning and, knowing that I wouldn't have to work until noon, hopped on the computer. Obviously, I voted Obama. Already knew how I was going to vote on all the legislative and statewide races, as well as the ballot measures. But those races that few people ever know much about, like judges or soil and water board, I was actually able to sit on my computer and research and make informed decisions.
Then I put a stamp on it, though I could just take it to the big box at City Hall if I wished, and that was that. Plus, because I voted before election day, the elections division will call me if there is a problem with my signature or some other issue that could invalidate my ballot so that I can ensure my vote gets counted.
This system is easy. It ensures access to all. It empowers people to vote, instead of attempting to suppress. It allows people to be educated while voting. And it restricts attempts by local politicians or ballot workers to disenfranchise voters. There is no reason that every state shouldn't be on board with this.