Well, it is election day, and I voted this morning. I purposely waited so I could use my constitutionally protected right to vote as an excuse to miss the weekly office meeting. I am glad to see this election cycle overwith, all local races this time. The most contentious being that for Sheriff. Our incumbent sheriff was a Sergent up until this time last year when the former sheriff and most of his department were arrested by the FBI on a number of charges.
http://www.wsls.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSLS/MGArticle/SLS_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149191497988I pulled up into the Rangeley Ruitan Club parking lot and was amazed at how many people were there. It was a proverbial sea of white hair. I parked and ran to dodge the volunteers standing out in the cold in the belief they could influence my vote for sheriff, or school board, or supervisor. The line was out the door.
The reason for the back up was a combination of the median age of the voters ( about 100 ) and the new fangled electronic voting machines that they looked upon like something from another planet. There were two set up, extention (drop) cords running everywhere. State of the art equipment in a room heated by a wood stove, the mini blinds in the window behind it warped beyond use.
I got in ling behind the sister of my aent and three women who had rode with her. Said hi to a guy I graduated High School with who I only see on election day and then I ground democracy to a halt. I showed them my license, which has my correct, changed name on it. I had not bothered to change my voter registration in the 10 years since I had changed my name and when I told them I didn;t have the same name anymore, the nice lady who used to be my neighbor smiled and said: "Did you get married?"
Resisting the temptation to tell her that no, last year on election day that possibility was closed to me, I asked what do we do now. My old classmate came to the rescue, I had to fill out another registration form. Got back in line and exercised my right to choose who I wanted to receive my hard earned tax dollars in their paycheck. I have no big investment in the outcome, and look forward even less to the divisiveness that will come next year when we replace the current occupant of the White House.