I voted

The other day (Tuesday, November 2, 2010) was of course Election-Day, and yrs trly has voted in just about every election since getting married. which is coming up on 43 long years ago.
That makes my first election in 1968.
Probably not every election, but every presidential election, nearly every Congressional election, and almost everything else, which includes state and local offices.
If I didn’t vote, it was probably for feeling not informed.
In 1980 I voted absentee ballot because I was about to take a cross-country trip.
That was a presidential election, and I voted for Jimmeh Kah-duh, who lost to Ronald Reagan.
I voted for Kah-duh in 1976, one of the few times I voted for a winner.
Last year was the last time for the old lever machines (illustrated at left).
This year was the first time for the new paper-ballot scanner machines (illustrated below).
I dreaded it — almost didn’t vote.
Scuttlebutt was paper-ballot scanner voting might take much longer.
Lever machines, though clunky, were much quicker, in-and-out in about five minutes.
Show up at the inspection-table, sign in, and vote.
If there was any delay, it was lines at the inspection-table.
You had to arrive at a down time, when no one was at the polling-place; like around 3 p.m.
But you weren’t being delayed by the old lever machines.
The new paper-ballot scanner voting could be a hairball.
You were allowed five minutes with the lever machines, 30 minutes with your paper-ballot.
There also was the possibility the scanners could go haywire; it is the new technology, after all.
Which seems to go by the rule “if anything can go wrong, it will.”
After doing my paper-ballot “this scanner is a bit flaky,” the attendant said.
Uh-ohhhh.......
My wife explained the new paper-ballot scanner voting to her 94-year-old mother in FL.
“Sounds like the system you have.”
“Well, it’s not scanner voting, but it is paper-ballot.
You mark your ballot, and then a machine zaps it.”
“Mother, that’s the scanner.”
“I’m your mother!” followed by “I guess I’m just dumb,” and finally “Computers! I sure am glad you understand ‘em.”
“You would think in a time of ATMs, etc., they could come up with a better voting system.
Perhaps I should get into it; somebody’s back is being scratched.”
My wife pretty much nailed the election, trumpeted as a rebuke of Obama.
“Good luck finding common ground,” I said.
Obama observes the sky is blue, Boehner and the Republicans say no.
Obama notes there are fish in the sea, Boehner and the Republicans say no.
“Don’t expect economic resurgence,” my wife said. “Obama might get re-elected.”
We can’t have that. The Republicans want their guy in office.
Extend the tax-credit for the ludicrously wealthy, and thereby increase the deficit, then blame Obama.
Back to government by stalemate, and blame Obama.

• My wife of almost 43 years is “Linda.”