Tag Archive for vote

Ballot Errors

Be absolutely positive that your ballot is counted. Each year, some ballots are discarded because of simple mistakes people make. Especially be sure to avoid these four common errors so your voice is heard.

  1. Use only blue or black ink to mark your choice. No red ink.
  2. Use a ball point pen, not a crayon, pencil, or felt-tip marker that can bleed through to the other side of the ballot.
  3. Use the envelope your ballot came with, not another one, because that’s part of the validation process.
  4. Sign the ballot envelope, and use the exact name that you signed with on your voter registration card so they can match up the two signatures. No initials (J.J. Smith) or nicknames not on your registration card (Sammy instead of Samantha).

Remember that you don’t have to mark a choice on every single item and office. If you don’t understand a proposition, don’t vote on it. You won’t be penalized for not voting on everything, and your ballot won’t be tossed out because of that.

If you’re voting from home, you can mail in your ballot, but allow a couple of weeks this year because the post office may be slowed down due to political pressures. Better still, drop it by a local election office, a library, community center, or city hall. Look for the list of drop-off places that comes with your ballot.

In short, be sure to vote. Each and every vote counts. Think of the simple math: 1 vote + 1 vote + 1 vote… can equal a landslide.

How I Am Voting

I’ve looked at all the issues and weighed the pros and cons. I’ve waded through the Presidential debate and conflicting views of candidates running for other offices. I’ve used my brain, my heart, my gut, and my common sense. Now I know how I’ll vote.

I’m going to vote to preserve America’s soul, conscience, and well-being.

An Approach to Voting

I’m not going to tell you WHO or WHAT to vote for, but I am giving you some advice to ensure that your vote will truly make a difference.

I’ve noticed the all-or-nothing attitude of people around me and people in general. That is, vote totally one party or another because they’re conservative/liberal/not socialist/progressive/whatever. Or vote for one candidate because they’re anti-abortion or pro gun control or some other single issue.

One problem is that no party is fully conservative/liberal/whatever. In the olden days they were more unified in a political direction. Today, though, both major parties have several wings.

Which brings me to the other problem. Voting straight party ticket does not guarantee that your main view will be pushed. Sometimes, for example, a representative will be against your view on civil rights and someone from the other party would have been more in line with your view. Or the candidate who is stanchly for that one view may go against your other important issues.

The best way to vote, then, is to figure out what you think would make this overall a safer, happier, more just country, then evaluate each candidate’s previous actions and stated goals, and vote accordingly, no matter what party they belong to. And examine your own moral stance not just over one issue but all that affect the common good.

In short, vote to strengthen the basic American values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Why We Vote on That Day of the Week

I’ve often wondered why the day for federal elections is set on Tuesday. In the midst of a busy week, with school, work, family responsibilities, and the like.  Why not, say, on Saturday?  Now I know.

It seems that Tuesday was chosen for the convenience of voters, which, in those days (1845), were the more prosperous white men. Those guys were mostly rural Christian farmers. That meant that they couldn’t vote on Sunday, the Lord’s day, and Wednesday was Market day.  Besides, they had to travel by horse one or two days to get to the polling place. Tuesday worked around all that for most of them

But why November? Because by early November the crops have been harvested, yet harsh winter weather hadn’t set in yet.  It was a handy time for them to travel to vote.

Who votes has changed, and we’re less of an agrarian economy than in those days.  But the Tuesday after the first Monday in November remains the same.

Who says politics is behind the times?

Do it…TODAY!

If you haven’t yet registered to vote, this day was created for you in 2012. The idea is to get as many people as possible registered to vote, because everyone should have a voice in how our democracy will be run in the coming years. If you think your one vote doesn’t matter, think about the math. Your one vote, added to another single vote, added to another…that’s how elections are won and lost and how propositions win or lose. And who gets elected and what propositions we’ll have to live with really DO affect each one of us.

Here’s a safe, bipartisan site you can go to to register on line (there are many others, of course): https://nationalvoterregistrationday.org/ Or at the federal government’s site at https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote. Or fill out and mail in a paper voter registration form. However you do it, just DO IT!

Make a difference. Decide your own future. Register now, and be sure to vote.

Do NOT Miss this Important Date

An important date is coming up soon. For many of us during this pandemic, the only safe way to vote is by mail. And voting is not just a right or privilege; it’s a necessity if our democracy is to work.

It’s not too early to request a vote-by-mail ballot. Here’s a chart of deadlines for the states so you can submit your request for an absentee/mail-in ballot in plenty of time. Put it on your calendar. Better yet, send in your request today.

A Pardon I Can Live With

I haven’t agreed with all the pardons President Trump has either granted or contemplated, but I do with this one…Susan B. Anthony, leader of the Women’s Suffrage Movement. That woman dared to vote in 1872, when it was illegal for women to vote. And she got caught.

I’m a bit surprised that Pres. Trump pardoned her, with his fierce stand and warnings against voter fraud (which this was), but who am I, a simple American citizen, to question his decisions?

Details at Trump to pardon women’s suffrage leader Susan B. Anthony.

Recommendation: Crip Camp

I don’t often recommend movies or documentaries, but I think this one is worth watching. Full disclosure: I grew up with a disability (post polio), and this documentary is about kids with disabilities.

I identify with some of the kids at the camp (10 years earlier I attended Easter Seal Camp) and at the protests (I participated in anti-Nam protests). But some of what the film presents was new to me — like us “Polios” being considered at the top of the disability ladder and “Cerebral Palsies” being at the bottom.

Whether or not you have a disabled child among your friends or family, this is a worthwhile film to watch. The kids aren’t “brave” or “admirable” or “inspiring” or any of the other terms people use that grate on our nerves. They’re just what we all are — people standing up for their rights.

(Warning: sex, smoking, and pot are involved.)

If you, like me, grew up with a disability, you should watch this, too. And, by the way, fellow “crips,” remember that our group is among the lowest in voter turn-out, and nobody else will push for our rights, so VOTE!

And watch “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” on NetFlix,

Join This Army

This cartoon seemed so appropriate, I had to pass it on to you. Our greatest weapon against factors that would attack our country and our people–and even the world, with our influence–is to vote for people and laws that protect all of us.

A Good Time To Tell Them What You Think

Seems like those Presidential candidates don’t have a clue! Like all they want is to get elected. They don’t seem to care about injustices caused by our broken penal and immigration systems.  It’s okay to try kids as adults, then throw them into adult prisons to harden and learn new criminal skills.  Homeless, elderly, disabled people–all that matters is money and power, not lives and human dignity. If an issue strikes a moral chord with us, we should exert our influence.  Now is the time to contact those candidates, letting them know what’s important to us and what they need to address if they want our vote. Remember, too, that they read newspapers, so write a letter to the editor. And social media, so post there.  If you get a positive response, encourage others to express their opinions.  If a candidate won’t listen, give your vote to someone who will.