rachel writes on
  • rachel blogs
  • rachel writes advertising
  • rachel has adventures
  • rachel ryans

incompetence. or: why i almost didn't get to vote.

11/6/2012

1 Comment

 
before you go to your polling place, be informed. i almost didn't get to vote today. but i'd come MORE than prepared. it's a sixth sense really, i know when some fucktard is going to give me beef.

plus, a bird shit on my coat while i stood in line. so i had luck on my side.

here's the story: i arrived at the line snaking around the corner of my polling venue , the gay and lesbian center at 208 w 13th st, at about 5 after 9am. i didn't have a meeting until 11:15, so i figured i was safe. i'd bail if it got to be 11 and i hadn't voted yet — or just call-in to the meeting from the line so i wouldn't have to make a second trip to the polling center.

we were a jovial bunch, making friends and talking anything but politics. (although, one guy DID tell me who he was voting for. i told him that votes are like birthday wishes and you shouldn't share them lest they don't come true. sadly, he was betting on my horse. so i was glad when the bird poop landed on him too.) because, really, this thing is almost over. to quote facebook: "today is the day we can stop listening to THEM and they have to listen to US." it's time to stop talking about it, stop fighting over it, stop alienating each other. it's time to shut the fuck up and vote already.

so, we got up near the doors and they started separating us by "e.d." numbers. i giggled until i realized they meant "election district" and not "erectile dysfunction." once your e.d. number is called, you walk to a rickety table and are separated by the first letter of your last name — A-D here, L-N there and so on. it's such a confusing room.
Picture
i handed the guy my ... this thing:

not really sure what you call this thing, but on the other side it says, "this package contains voter information and your new voter card. please read it carefully and call your local board of elections if you find an error or have any questions."



Picture
and it all seemed in order.

obviously, my address and political affiliation aren't blurred out on the original. i did that because that shit's my business and not yours.

but, i've voted in north carolina. i've voted in texas. i've never voted in the state of new york.

so i figured i'd look to see if i needed any sort of id other than my whatever-that-thing-is.

according to many websites, like this one and this one, it couldn't hurt to bring a photo id and current utility bill.

just so you don't have to go to the sites, here's what one said: "acceptable forms of identification include: a driver's license or department of motor vehicles non-driver photo ID card or other current and valid photo identification; a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck, or other government document that shows the name and address of the voter."

so, i tendered my current north carolina state driver's license when i got to the A-D guy at the e.d. 083 table. he'd asked me for identification. and he told me i couldn't vote. not even with my whatever-that-thing-is.

so i showed him my current utility bill listing my name at my address. still no vote. i showed him my lease. still no vote. i showed him my passport. still no vote. i showed him my paystub. still no vote.

i was about to get snippy. i explained to him that i'd looked online and these were all acceptable forms of identification.

just then a fight broke out behind me as what seemed to be a head volunteer lost her cool with another volunteer who just seemed to be helping someone. she spat out, "that's what cuomo gets for such dumbassed decisions."

i think she was upset about his decision to allow sandy-displaced new yorkers to vote at any polling venue. perhaps the gay and lesbian center wouldn't be so mobbed without that move. nor the building for the blind on 23rd st that boasted over an hour long wait. i don't really know. but i think it's better than jersey's decision to take email and fax votes.

but the people in line behind me got upset with my holdup and got impatient. they spouted loudly about my right to vote and all i needed was my whatever-that-thing-is to vote in the state of new york. i think they just wanted to get away from the uncomfortable scene that was taking place in the middle of the room over cuomo's decision.

(luckily) they were loud enough to alert another volunteer who came over and informed him that all i needed to vote was that whatever-that-thing-is and my signature. so he looked up my name, took my signature and handed me my ballot. and i voted.

but can you imagine if i'd come unprepared? and how many people had he turned away before i'd gotten there? when i first arrived, he was manning the e.d. 083 table alone. it was only when the line got too unmanageable that they split it up alphabetically. so he was flying solo without anyone to hear who he was turning away. and i wonder if he was selective. my political leanings are clearly printed on that whatever-that-thing-is.

plus, i'm kinda disturbed that all i needed was my whatever-that-thing-is and my signature. the signature is to check against the one they have on file for me. but i signed in a box right next to it, so anyone could have done a reasonable approximation of my scribble. i could have been anyone, really. and i almost didn't get to vote despite my myriad forms of identification.
Picture
also? THIS is the "i voted" sticker i got:

the guy in front of me (who remained bird poopless) turned around and said, "what am i supposed to do with this?"

i agree. my vote is not a joke. so why is my voting experience capitalized on by comedy central?

don't get me wrong, i like to laugh as much as the next guy/gal. and i enjoy the irony and wit that the channel bring to their "news" coverage. even their election coverage. but Rock The Vote they are not. and i don't' even get the "insane" reference. i feel jipped.

Picture
i feel jipped because this is the "i voted" sticker i'm used to. the one i'm proud to wear on my sweater or stick on my notebook. the one i want to post a photo of to facebook like all the rest of you.

it says "i exercised my right to vote. the one people died for and die for and will continue to die for for a long time. i had my say in my government and my future. and i did the most patriotic thing i could do today. i fucking voted."

that little sticker takes this seriously and keeps it classy. like i have in every single election since i was 18 in the clinton/dole showdown of 1996.

i've voted in primaries. i've voted in "off years." i've voted when there's no one to vote for but every thing to vote for ('embarrassment one', anyone?) i've stood in line as sick as a dog, vomiting into a trashcan to vote. and i stood in that line (in the rain) for hours. i know what a 'dangling chad' is, and waited on baited breath for that controversy to be resolved. i've gladly done my jury duty as payback for my vote. i even dressed up with my ex-boyfriend one halloween as the possible vice presidents. (see? i can be lighthearted about it.)
Picture
joe biden and sarah palin
what i'm saying is, this means something to me.

and i feel jipped. jipped by a sticker. and miffed. miffed at that one guy who impeded my right to vote for the briefest of moments today.

so, do me a favor? if you haven't yet, get out there and vote. please.

you can't complain about the victor if you don't. :{| mustachioed man is very stern on this point.

Picture
1 Comment
rachel
11/6/2012 08:11:52 am

what DID i ever do with those palin glasses?...

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Rachel

    i'm an advertising copywriter who had this idea one day to blog. one-off blog, one day this and one day that. because i'm an expert at pretty much nothing, i figured i'd write about everything.

    email rachel
    get rachelwriteson in your inbox

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    August 2016
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012

    One-Off Topics

    All
    2012
    21 Jump Street
    2girlsonedate
    9/11
    Acne
    Adult
    Advertising
    Agency
    Alexa
    Alice Bag
    Amuche Bouche
    Andrea
    Angry Typing
    Anonymity
    Apartment
    Apocalypse
    Autumn Sling
    Bacon
    Bad Boy
    Bathroom
    Batshit
    Battitude
    Bette Midler
    Bills
    Blog
    Boiled Eggs
    Boobs
    Boogers
    Book Review
    Bored
    Box
    Bramble 75
    Brown Butter
    Calendar
    Catfish
    Cats
    Cat Scratch Fever
    Caviar
    Cece
    Celebrity Blog
    Celine Dion
    Cellphone
    Channing Scale
    Channing Tatum
    Chicken Stock
    Cilantro
    Cilantro-lime Chicken
    Cinnamon
    Cockroach
    Cold
    Collard Greens
    Collards
    Contract
    Cookbook
    Cooking
    Craigslist
    Crazy
    Crazy Stupid Love
    Creamy Lemon Chive Zucchini
    Dad
    Daria
    Date
    Dave On Wheels
    Dawson's Creek
    Day One
    Decoy Bride
    Devil
    Deviled Eggs
    Dmv
    Drinking
    Dumbassery
    Emails
    Emma Stone
    Emoticon
    End Of The World
    Facebook
    Facebook Stalk
    Fail
    Fashion
    Fatback
    Faux Pho
    Fmlh
    Forcefield
    Four Horses
    Fuckyousandy
    Funny
    Geographically Single
    Get You Killed
    Gin
    God
    Googled
    Google Stalk
    Gosling
    Green Ring
    Greens
    Growing Up
    Gutter
    Halloween
    Hangover
    Hashtag
    Hector Elizondo
    Hey Girl
    Honey Boo Boo
    Hovels
    How To
    Hunter Dunn
    I
    I
    I
    I Did It
    Iphone
    Iron Man
    Island
    I Voted
    Jalapeno
    Jalapeño Deviled Eggs
    Jfk
    John
    Joke
    Jorts
    Judge Me
    Juli
    Julibox
    Justin Timberlake
    Ladies
    Ladies Room
    Lays Sour Cream And Onion Mashed Potatoes
    Lays Sour Cream And Onion Potato Chips
    Leggings
    Lemon
    Lemon Chicken Soup
    Lemon Parsley Brisket
    Lemon-pork Rice-noodle Soup
    Lie
    Life
    Life Hack
    Lime
    Linkedin Stalk
    Liquor Luge
    Loss
    Love
    Manalytics
    Mashed Potatoes
    Mattism
    Mayan
    Mayans
    Measure
    Meme
    Michael Jackson
    Mid-soup Salad
    Mimic
    Mira Sorvino
    Missing
    Mixipe
    Mom
    Monday
    Moonwalk
    Mouse
    Movember
    Move To New York
    Movie Quote
    Movie Review
    Mullen
    Mustache
    Mustachioed
    Myspace
    Nessie
    Never Forget
    New Year
    New Years
    New York City
    New Yourk City
    Not Welcome
    No Worries
    Nutty
    Nyc
    Old
    One Off Blog
    One-off Blog
    Oral
    Paleo Diet
    Palmetto Bug
    Pawpaw
    Penis
    Petey
    Pg
    Pink Cheeks
    Pinkdustar
    Pinterest
    Poaching Chicken
    Pollyanna
    Ponder
    Poop
    Potato Cakes
    Potato Chips
    Power
    Power Rangers
    President
    Procrastinate
    Prophet
    Punk Feminist
    Quick Chop And Onion
    Quote
    Rachel
    Rachelazd
    Rachelexicon
    Rain
    Recipe
    Roasted Garlic
    Roommates
    Ryan
    Ryan Gosling
    Salad
    Saratoga
    Sasquatch
    Savory Stuffed Chops
    Sayings
    Scam
    Scary
    Secret
    Secret Service
    Sex
    Sexiest Man Alive
    Shit I'm Making TONIGHT
    Single Brothers
    Skypacommuting
    Small Spaces
    Social
    Social Media
    Someplace Fairly Uncomfortable
    Something To Hold Onto
    Sommelier
    South Carolina
    Southern
    Southern Collard Greens
    Space Planning
    Spaghetti Sauce
    Squashed Pot Bake
    'stache
    Stalk
    Statussing
    Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
    Texas
    The John
    Top 10 Lists
    Top 12 Of 12
    Twitter
    Two Men Need Wedding Dates
    Two Women Need Two Men Needing Wedding Dates
    Unadult
    Vajayjay
    Vice President
    Vote
    Voting
    W4m
    Wedding
    Win
    Wine
    Women
    Woodsy
    Words
    Worries
    Writing
    Yet
    Young
    Youtube
    Yum
    Zelda Rubinstein