Can’t vote
I am often shocked when I meet someone who doesn’t vote. I’ve helped on voter registration drives, I volunteered at the polls one year, I stand outside with signs on Election Day, and I am continually dismayed by the low voter turnout in our local elections. Yet, here it is October 16, an important election is taking place for the 5th district congressional seat, and I am not going to be able to vote.
The problem is that I am in Maine, helping out with a family crisis. I got the call yesterday morning, spent a couple of hours winding up some projects, throwing stuff in my car, and basically preparing for a trip away from home of unknown duration. Before I set out on the three-hour drive, I made a detour to City Hall to cast my vote. I showed up in the Elections Office at 12:30 pm, but I was too late. Absentee ballots had to be in by noon. So, I was turned away and it got me thinking: Why does it have to be this hard? Why can’t I vote at 12:30 pm on the day before the election? Why can’t we vote by email? (Well, there are probably some big problems with this one). Why can’t we vote on weekends, or over a period of days, instead of one day? We complain about low voter turnout, but until we remove some of the barriers to voting, including the one I faced today, then it doesn’t make sense to complain.