The Voting Line

Every time I vote it reminds me of my grandma. She used to go and work at the polls every election. I always miss my grandma on election day.

Today I had to stand in line for about an hour in order to cast my vote. Where I had to stand in line, I bet some people would pay for that view. We were right along a bayou with beautiful birds coming to drink. I saw heron, storks, and lord knows what else. I even saw a fish jump. Didn't see any alligator today, but I know he is out there - somewhere.

As I stood in line the election officials were calling out, N-Z anyone with the last name starting with N-Z - they all got to move to the front of the line. At one point a different elderly gentleman with an election official sticker on his shirt came outside and called M-Z. Many of the folks with a last name beginning with M had been turned away from the N-Z line previously. They were hesitant to move forward and try again, they asked the gentleman calling M-Z - M as in Monkey or N as in Night? He assured them M as in monkey. About 25 people moved to the front of the N-Z line, all of them having a last name that begins with M.

When they arrived at the front of the N-Z line they were again turned away - they were told no, this is the N-Z line. Poor M's. I had been standing in line for about 40 minutes at this point. All these M folks had been there less than 10 minutes. Still they became irate and unruly. Especially one guy with slicked back hair and a Jersey accent. Damn Yankees (I say this tongue in cheek as I am a Yankee myself - can one be a former Yankee? Or is being southern like royalty something you are born with? Is being from Seattle/Sacramento Yankeeish?).

On a side note, last night at a Relay for Life committee meeting one nice lady was talking about a city that raised a lot of money. She said she couldn't remember the name of the city. Somewhere in the North. We all shook our heads, we understand, the North - like it is another country. Then she remember the name of the city, it was Jackson, Tennessee. I thought that was funny. Tennessee is about 500 miles north of here. It is all perspective.

Back to the guy who might have stepped off the set of Sapranos, he was a fish out of water standing in line to vote in Mississippi. He threw a fit you would not believe. He got up in a little old man's face and started yelling. You need to walk over there and talk to the lady at the door. She says N-Z and you told me M-Z. I even asked you N or M and you said M as in Monkey. The poor little old man then got in his car and attempted to leave. He was so upset that his car kept stalling. I am thinking it had a clutch. With the car pointed directly toward many of the M's from the line and others he was alternatively gunning the engine and stalling the engine trying to turn the car around and get out of the parking lot. He finally made it out. Poor guy.

Five minutes later, the lady at the door changed her mind and started letting M's in the previously N-Z line. When she called for the M's no one moved. Finally she was able to convince the M folks to come up and vote. Even Mr. Ass Wipe came up to the front of the line, voted and left. I continued to wait in line with my fellow A-L people for another 10 or 15 minutes. It took me an hour tops. I didn't get to go in the short line. I wonder if when Jeff voted tonight after work if they will have a more efficient system in place? One of the election officials said, he hadn't seen this many people stand in line since the day after Thanksgiving at Wal-Mart. Another said, or waiting in line for water after Katrina.

Any of you have fun in line today?