Early Voting!

And it felt great! 

Folks handing out info--though as a confirmed Yellow Dog Democrat, I didn't need convincing.

 

What's in a Name?

     I finished and put in the mail the second batch of a hundred postcards, urging registered moms to vote. These are aimed at women who, though registered, often don't vote. My first batch of cards went mainly to Arizona and the names were, predictably, often Latina.   

The second hundred went to New Jersey and the names were AMAZING! I kinda couldn't wait to turn over the next card on the stack and see who it was I was writing to. It has come to feel quite personal, and I really think about the woman I'm writing to, trying to imagine her life. 

Big love to all of them: Marias, Marys, Maries, and Elizabeths. Susans and Lisas and Jinel, Anubharatha, Jahaira, Yugene, Atusca, Hahnsiany, Judeeanne, Antanisha, Hanania, Saima, Yuderka, Vipreet, Tangela, Hiensook, Hemali, and Nelly--among many others!

Such a beautiful mixed bouquet of Americans! In diversity is our strength.

I just received an email from Moms Rising. There are more than 71,043 postcard volunteers facilitating about 5 million postcards to infrequent voters.

Hoping this helps bring a positive outcome in November!                                                                    

 

VOTE--While You Still Can

                                                                         

Yeah, just the primaries--but at a time when much of the electorate seems willing to turn our democracy into something akin to a dictatorship, I feel a need to show up and vote on the candidates.

North Carolina's early voting makes it easy. Our county has three locations, and it was a matter of a few minutes to cast my vote. (The lagniappe was that two of the poll workers were acquaintances and fans of my books. They asked if I was writing another and I told them alas, no--that the promotion required was simply not something I wanted to do anymore.)

For me, there's always a warm Norman Rockwell feel to voting in my rural county. One of the poll workers was the mother of Josie's much-loved kindergarten teacher; a nice fella outside showed me a sample ballot and invited me to a precinct meeting. 

It was also really pleasant to be out, cold-free at last, on a day that was pretending to be Spring.

                                                

VOTE!!!

 

Every race is important--from school board to Congress. And our future will be shaped, for better or worse, by the outcome.

It's Never Been More Important

From Congress, NC Supreme Court, State Representative, County Board of Commissioners, Board of Education-- there are no 'little' races. 

The Right has its collective eye on all of them. 

So much is at stake--stuff like Medicare and Social Security (the Right would like to get rid of both), abortion access, aid for Ukraine, tax fairness rather than tax cuts for the wealthy, (this is what's undone Liz Truss, Britain's short-lived Conservative Prime Minister)--even democracy itself, as many candidates of the Right continue to push the Big Lie that the 2020 election was compromised.

I was surprised to see that the candidates for judgeships were identified as R or D. In the past they weren't labeled, presumably for the appearance of non-partisanship. Of course, the current Supreme Court has put an end to that pleasant fiction.

Even school boards have become politicized as the right seeks to intimidate and silence teachers while pushing an agenda of 'patriotic' propaganda.

I felt good voting early.  As one friend put it, I'd rather vote for the party that wants to give fourth-graders free lunches rather than the one that would force a pregnant fourth grader to give birth.

 

Voting 2020

I've always loved the Norman Rockwell aspect of voting--gathering with my neighbors to cast our ballots. Even in recent years when I've taken advantage of early voting, it still had a nice feel to it--chatting with the poll workers and a few other voters. putting on the little I VOTED sticker, and basking in the glow of civic virtue.

But in this year of the pandemic, with doubts about postal delivery and the fate of our democracy on the ballot, I opted for hand-delivered absentee voting. Yesterday I drove to the local Board of Elections, put on my mask, and handed over John's and my sealed ballots to a nice lady wearing a mask. I had to fill out two identical forms, stating that it was I delivering the ballots. 

I was the only voter there but they are well prepared for a crowd with social distancing marks along the entrance and hand sanitizer on the desk where you fill out the forms. There are pens-- and you keep yours. A little prize, like when the dentist gives you a toothbrush.

I'm glad this option is in place. And I hope that someday we can return to the Norman Rockwell kind of voting--with proper precautions against voting machine hacking and big mask-less smiles for our neighbors.

Until then, I'll enjoy my new pen.

Note: I already had this post scheduled when I learned of the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. May her memory be a blessing... and an inspiration.

 

There is So Much I Would Like to Say . . .

. . . about the state of the world, the state of the country, and the machinations of the current regime to hold on to power no matter what . . .

. . .but I'll limit myself to one simple suggestion: get an absentee ballot and be prepared to hand deliver it--during early voting, if possible. No one knows what the state of the pandemic or the Postal Service will be like come November.

Br prepared for the most consequential vote of a lifetime.

I Voted

I love being able to vote early.  When I got there, there was one person voting and four folks in attendance. I was happy to see a printed ballot instead of the voting machines. And I'd done my due diligence and had a little list of the folks I'd decided to vote for in those weird races like Commissioner of Agriculture.

If only I'd been passionate in favor of one of the presidential contenders. Or if I'd had a real conviction that one was most likely to defeat the Current Impeached Occupant*.  But I don't, so I voted for Warren, whose wonkiness and spirit I've long admired.

I like some better than others; none are perfect.  I don't like Bloomberg at all--partly his past history but mainly because he seems an awful lot like the guy we've got in the White House now. And I hate to think that we are going to end up with a system where only billionaires need apply. (In the past week we've gotten three mailers from Bloomberg.) 

Thomas Friedman's op-ed in the New York Times made a proposal I really liked: What if, it said, whoever is the front runner promised to choose a running mate  from their rivals and appoint all the other candidates to Cabinet and other important posts? A team of rivals and a national unity ticket with something for everyone.

It sounds like a feel-good movie from earlier times. Swelling music, rippling flags, hands of all hues clasped in unity. I've been fantasizing about this for some while -- the candidates meeting privately and deciding to put egos aside and do what's best for the country. 

Wouldn't it be loverly? 

A Feel Good Moment -- Voting Early

Yesterday was the opening day of early voting in North Carolina and I was there. It was a chance to do something in the face of the helplessness I've felt as our country teeters ever closer to a complete surrender to fear and greed and racism.

Children in concentration camps (run for profit by Republican allies,) environmental regulations falling right and left, civil liberties endangered, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security in the crosshairs as the government looks for ways to offset the huge loss of income due to the tax cut (which mainly benefitted the wealthy,) gerrymandering and questionable purging of voting rolls to favor the party in power, and a president* whose go-to offense is name-calling and lying and who appears to have a thing for strong man dictators -- these are a few of my unfavorite things.

I often express my frustration on Facebook, posting op-ed articles or memes that echo my feelings. Most of my commenters are of like mind but I get the occasional troll type and I have a few remaining FB 'friends' who are of the other persuasion.  

Yesterday I posted a meme that drew comments and rebuttals from both sides and, after posting a rebuttal myself (in the form of a link to a fact-check article,) I commented that I needed to stop engaging with these folks and just say "Bless your heart," that all-purpose comeback with as many meanings as one cares to assign.

And then a little war of Bless your hearts broke out between the two factions. 'No, bless your heart. And I mean it sincerely.' Kinda charming, in a way.

But thoughts and prayers and blessings aren't going to help a thing if folks don't go vote. I usually vote early because of the convenience, but this year, with horror stories abounding of people being purged from the rolls or turned away for lack of the 'correct' ID, I think voting early to make sure you can is a wise idea.

And it just feels good.

To Do List ~ VOTE!!!

Don't forget to vote tomorrow!

Though how anyone could forget is beyond me. This has been the most exciting, nail-biting presidential campaign I can remember and I shall be oh so glad when it's over.

Generally, I am not particularly political -- I always vote (always for the same party too, having long ago decided which is most in line with most of my beliefs and not much trusting individual politicians) but this is The First Time in my life that I have a.) sent money to a candidate and b.) put that candidate's bumper sticker on my car. For me, this is wildly supportive behavior.

I won't be manning phone banks -- I hate unsolicited calls, no matter how good the cause, nor will I be buttonholing neighbors and asking them to support my candidate. I'd probably annoy far more people than I swayed. But I will be hoping with all my heart that enough people make the right choice and that our country will come together behind the next president.

It could happen.


VOTE!