GoldbergBlog

One Day More

Credit to Stephanie for sending this my way:

I’ve Been Thinking – Election 2008, Part II

Georgia On My Mind

While an encouraging number of friends have already voted early, I won’t be voting until November 4th.  My plan is to vote first thing in the morning and then go home and just soak up the political coverage.  I didn’t have any problems voting at my local polling place in the 2006 midterm election and the 2008 primaries so I don’t anticipate any problems on the 4th.  I’m even hoping that all the early voters do what they’re supposed to and actually make the lines shorter on Election Day.  Either way, it should be a lot of fun….assuming no one challenges me.

Yes, with the disturbing notion that Georgia could go blue in this election,  Republican Secretary of State Karen Handel that she was sending letters to 4,770 registered voters that they may have to cast “challenge” ballots that won’t be counted on Election Day (it’s okay, I’m sure the nation will wait) but, and this is awesome, regular citizens can challenge the citizenship of other voters at that polls.  You can literally spend your day at a polling place, go up to strangers, and ask to see their papers.  You have to laugh at that otherwise you will have an anyeruism due to outrage.

Now, personally, I’m not too worried about being challenged since I was lucky enough to born white and my doughy physique is an accurate reflection of my non-threatening nature.  But Georgia’s growing Latino population is gonna get harassed by some dumbfuck who thinks that he has a license to safe guard the election from those gosh-darn illeguls.  I think (and hope) that this won’t work for two reasons a) when someone with no authority whatsoever tries to challenge you, you laugh them off and tell them to do something (which they can’t); and b) there have been reports of people in Georgia standing in line for five to eight hours.  After the first hour of standing in a line, you’re committed and no one, especially not some ego-inflated schmuck can kick you out.

So if someone tries to give you a challenge ballot and you know that a) you’re registered to vote, b) you’re at the correct polling place, and c) you have valid photo ID, you get to a cast your vote on November 4th on a real ballot that will be counted that day and determine the next President of the United States of America.