The perfect plan:
Up at 5:40 am. Everyone out of the house by 6 am, in line by 6:15am – doors would be open at 6:30am and we would be soon voting! (Both of us – while Carol was hanging with the kids in the car) After we would drop her off at the bus stop at KI and head out to start the day.
Well – of course things never goes as planned – Murphy’s Law.
What happened:
Up at 5:40 am. Everyone out of the house at 6 am, in line by 6:15am – doors open at 6:30am – still in line at 7+ am so I get out of the line and drive Carol to the bus stop… at this point I realized I forgot my cell phone at home. I stopped at a drive thru for coffee and headed back to Lebanon to get back in line to vote.
Getting there I spotted a friend standing in line so I was gonna ask him to watch the kids (cause they were sleeping at the car) that was parked right by the line) so I could let Dan know I was back – cause remember – I forgot my cell? – yeap.
But before I could ask him anything he asked me “Lilian – Do you know you have a flat tired?” He left the line right the way and came to help me (How thoughtful – Thank you GK!)
Yes – I had a VERY flat tied and before we even spent anytime looking around we saw this huge nail sticking out of my tired – GREAT!
Dan voted and came out to get me the number to the Costco AAA thing, he called for assistance and I got back on the line to VOTE. – In the mean time I called Tati to see if she could come get my kids, cause they were there since 6ish, on their pjs and now we were waiting for a towing… there was no way to fix that tired and the front one was licking slowly.
When finally it was my time to pencil in my vote – guess what?
Lady that can’t read and should not e working on voting station “Do you live in this address?”
Me: “No – I moved a couple of mos. ago”
L: “So you can’t vote here – You need to vote where you live”
Me: “But I JUST got a post card that say THIS is where I vote”
L: But if you didn’t tell them you moved they had no way to give you the correct address”
Me: What are you talking about – see this? It’s my husband’s name – how come did you let HIM vote? Uh? Uh? Uh??
*insert a 15 minutes discussion here – where NO ONE knew what to say – there were 4 “adults” there but they all said something different - until lucky me a woman who worked for the board of election showed up asking “If there was anything they needed before she left” and we got her!*
At this point Dan’s vote has being canceled and I have a new address to go and try to do this all over again!
Yes – I held the line for at least 10 minutes – people were pist!! (sp?)
As I step outside, this is about 9:30ish – still out there Dan with both kids waiting for the towing truck and Tati. Blah blah blah
Dan left with the car – Tati drove me home with the kids and she said: “Go vote –
I’ll stay with the kids”
Well – after getting a phone call from Dan and finding out we had just spent close to 700 bucks on a set of new tires I didn’t think much. Got the car and left to my “new” location.
I called the board of elections to make sure “that” was the place I was supposed to go and left – hopeful.
Stayed in line for about an hour – I was happy to talk to the lady behind me that had just moved this past weekend – called the BOE and was also in the wrong place (at least someone benefited of my wasted time) and when I finally it was my turn the “very very old lady that can’t really read well” came to inform me that my vote was going to be
So – still with hope I filled out everything and turned in my envelope in about 11 am.
Not that really matters at this point but I can call on the 14th on this month to find out if my vote was or not counted. Lovely, uh?!
Oh – and just to make it clear – I do not have anything against older citizens – it just really bothered me that both locations I was in there was older ladies that could not read well (even with reading glasses). I do not understand WHY they would do such a thing. Have them working on these stations and making this already very long process (excuse me – that WAS ridiculous) even longer and more complicated!
In the end all it matters is that I done my part – tune back Nov. 14th and we’ll find out if it counted or not – for “them”. As of for myself – I feel pretty accomplished – I done As much as I could! At least for the day! =)
______________________ * ___________________
Comments:
I was laughing the whole time reading your post. NOT because of the car or the frustration, that Im sorry you had to deal with girl. But, talking about the poll workers. Did I tell you that I worked the polls? I of course, was the youngest one there. I could totally visulize your entire process. Sorry you had such a rough time with voting and the car. But congrats on the vote!
Luv ya girl. =)
Shannon L.
