Did
anyone have any weird experiences at the Polls yesterday?
I
did!!!
So
I walked into our little grade school to do my civic duty. It was
8:00am-ish and not crowded. There were more election volunteers than there
were voters.
I
found it interesting that they didn’t ask for I.D. when I approached the table, which I didn’t have anyway
(I had coffee). I don't remember if they’ve asked for it in the past.
As
always, it takes some time for them to find my name. I spelled it three times
slooooowly until I see it myself and say, "That's it right there!". It’s not a hard name to spell (basic phonetics). The older gentleman asked me to sign but didn’t think my signature matched.
I sign my name the very same every time. Sometimes it’s just a little messier
(A LOT). “Would you like me to do it again using my neat handwriting?”
“Yes. If you’d like to vote.” Excuse me!
Then the whole thing got odd.
As
I moved down the table an old guy in a red jacket started talking, not
under his breath but louder than that. This is what he had to say while handing me my ballot…
“If
you vote the status quo, we are all going to go to hell in a handbasket.”,
which was then followed by an ethnic slur (not racial) that I will not repeat.
“Excuse
me?” I said.
As
I walked away, ballot in hand, I heard him say, “You know those young moms,
they always…..”
First
of all I’m not a young mom; you are an election worker who just attempted to
sway my vote then used an ethnic slur.
I
voted and fumed.
Handing
my ballot to the official “putter of ballots in the machine”, I mentioned what the man in the red jacket said to me.
Her
eyes bugged out of her head and she directed me to the head honcho of
our polling place to whom I repeated my story.
No
sooner did I finish, he stormed over to "red jacket guy". I knew he was going
to get in trouble, which he should, but I wan't going to stick around for the
fireworks. I’m kind of a chickenshit that way.
On
my way out, I ran into a friend heading in and asked her to text me if
she saw an old man in a red jacket working behind the table.
Fifteen
minutes later, I had my answer….
Gone!
Every
single thing about this encounter was WRONG!
It’s
everyone’s right to vote as they wish.
I
did and red jacket man’s comments did not sway or deter me one way or
another. My mind was already made up going in.
Do
I care for whom anyone voted really?
Yes
and No.
But
it’s your right. You own it. You live with it.
Just
as I live with my decisions.
I,
for one, am glad this particular election is over.
It
is time for us to move on. Accept the results. Live our lives.
I’m
still unable to go onto Facebook. Too many people continue to sling mud at each
other, or to no one.
Do you think anyone's reading your Facebook status anyway? I’m not. I probably won’t until
next week.
**********************
One week down with NaBloPoMo linked up over at
22 comments:
the disrespect i've seen the past couple of months is disheartening.
I would agree and I've seen it go both ways. I'm glad it's over. We all need to move on.
Wow, I'm glad you spoke up, but wish you had stayed around to see the show.
Me, too. I don't like to cause conflict but had to say something. Staying around to see the action??? That makes me nervous. I got a report though!
That is so shocking! He's probably crying in his coffee all day today ;)
Right?
Most likely and down the street at the bank where it's free!
I'm so glad you said something! I probably wouldn't have known what to do.
Yay for one week down!
Good for you! We had so many poll watchers taking notes, I don't think that the old guy would have lasted very long here. I am glad it's over and. . .I "de-facebooked" myself several weeks ago. Just could not take the vitriolic comments on both sides. So no more Facebook for me.
I'm so sorry that happened to you! I wrote a post today with a heavy heart about the mean-ness and negativity I see going on in my Facebook news feed. It just hurts me.
I'm glad too because it was wrong. I avoid confrontation like the plague but this struck me to the core. Live and let live, Dude! We all have our right to choose.
That is INSANE! How utterly inappropriate! Thank goodness they took it seriously and removed him.
Well he lasted exactly 2.15 hours because our polling opened at 6:00am and I left at 8:15am. I'm not interacting with Facebook for a while!
Thanks but better me than someone erratic or crazier ;-)!
The whole Facebook thing is really bothering me. I'm not on a ton but now I don't want to look at all. I hate negativity and mean spiritedness. Actually, mean spirited people are one of my biggest peeves of all. BE NICE. IT'S EASY!
You know what, Azara? I've voted in MANY elections. This was THE most inappropriate things I've experienced. They couldn't av reacted more perfectly. As small of a village as I live in, the State's Attorney for DuPage County lives three streets away. I'm sure they didn't want any issues.
I think this stuff is just more common as the country becomes polarized about politics.
There was some stuff going on at our poling station too yesterday. When we went in and they asked mom for her voters card she remarked she had received 2 in the mail.
The ladies who were helping were irritated because they said a lot of people didn't get their voters cards as if my 84 year old mother had anything to do with it.
When I mentioned it to a friend he said those same ladies had flyers inside the polling station and were earlier in the day pushing voters to vote for one candidate over the other. (not allowed)
A citizen reported them and the flyers were removed but they weren't replaced.
I think all the social media sites are a bit scary right now. Well, except for Tumblr. That seems to be very pro Obama so it's a bit of a party over there.
I'm staying off of everything right now. Just don't want to hear it. I want to move on. thanks for the comment, Kellie!
Oh, except Twitter. I'm not having issue with twitter.
Come on ladies! It's not rocket science. It's not the end of the world. It's voting. Match a signature and MOVE ON! No, flyers are not allowed. We've had the flyer people before too, but actually passing them out.
The lady that checked my name told me she was running around outside without a shirt on. I thought that was weird, but you win! At least she didn't tell me how to vote!
Huh? I think you win!
DISGRACEFUL. I'm so glad you reported him. And does he really honestly think he's going to sway people by being so, you know... shady? I'd say he's actually doing his party a disservice.
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