Civic Duty x 3 . . . and Counting

Today is officially the third of the four elections we are scheduled to hold this year although, thanks to early voting, I got my opinion in last Saturday.

The first was the primary to choose the candidates to replace our brand-new coke-head family-values congressman who had to resign after being busted only months after taking office.

The second was the special election between the winners of the aforementioned primary. To fill the office between special election and the next general election. This November.

Today, two months later, is the primary election to choose the candidates who will run in the general election this November except for the races where the winning candidate today would be otherwise unopposed in which case this is the regular election for all intents and purposes. The primary races where there will be opposition in November are closed, meaning only registered party members may vote to choose the party candidate. Races where there will be no other opposition are open and any registered voter may vote in those. Some races, even though they will be contested in November, are officially non-partisan and, again, anyone can vote in those. In addition, some elections are for offices in special districts which do not match the boundaries of the congressional or state legislative districts (i.e., fire districts, county commission, board of education, etc.) either encompassing only part of a larger district or overlapping with another district. Only some voters are eligible to vote in those depending on residence.

And people wonder why no one can tabulate a Florida election accurately.

Actually, I was impressed with the technology when I went in to vote. I presented my driver's license as ID which the woman at the first station scanned and, since it lists my address, the computer knew exactly which races I was eligible to vote in. It then printed out a neat one-page ballot tailored specifically for me (and anyone else living in my same neighborhood). I didn't have to worry about missing a vote or, worse, marring (and maybe voiding) the ballot by voting in a contest I should not have. In previous elections, I recall ballots where all the contests were presented and different races had different warnings attached as to who could and could not vote in them. In two languages. That's a lot of wasted trees.

Unfortunately, despite the fact that early voting uses consolidated polling stations and any registered voter can use any polling place, I was the only voter in mine for the entire (admittedly short) time it took me to cast my ballot. The turnout for off-year, primary elections, despite the fact that most of the government people actually deal with, and gripe about, on a day-to-day basis is local, is pathetic.

And thus, we get the government we deserve.