My Voting Dilemma

I DID vote today. But I must admit it was very problematic. I went to my usual voting place only to find that they no longer vote at that location. I kindly asked the teacher “where can I find the new polling station”, she replied
“I’dontkno”.

So I sit out in my car with my friend and try to use my smart phone to find the new polling place. After playing around on the board of election website I finally find the new place. I only have twenty minutes left to vote, so I run inside the place and give them my identification. I see the man with a strange look on his face. He asks me for my address I quickly recite it. He says I don’t see your name in our book. My friend gives his address; he says we don’t see your name either. They send us over to the inactive voter table and another lady check the inactive voter book and don’t find either of our names.


I start to get slightly agitated. I said “ look I have been voting since I was 18, I recently voted in the 2008 elections and I am a register voter so please find out what the problem is so I can leave and go to work.” So one lady hears the commotion and comes over and says I remember them from last time… let them vote. The lady at the inactive desk thought it was best to call the board of election. At this point I am 15 minutes behind the time I should have left for work.


She gets off the phone and tells me that “the system” is down and no one can verify if I am registered to vote and my friend voting poll is across town. Now he is upset, he says how did my polling place move? The lady says , “they say you live on the north side of town.” He replied, “I’ve never lived on the north side!”

Finally they tell me that I can do a provisional vote and my friend has to go across town to vote. I start breathing all heavy and ask, “Is my vote going to count?” The lady assured me that my vote will be counted once the system is up and they verify I am a registered voter. I begrudgingly filled out the “provisional” voter card. It was just a mess!


But don’t let me experience stop you. GET OUT AND VOTE