Monday, June 05, 2006

 

GO VOTE - California Primary

Even some of my most politically minded friends forgot to register or send in their absentee ballot. It never ceases to amaze me. Your vote does matter. Even if your vote wasn't going to change. Even if you think you live in a 'safe' district or a 'safe' state, getting out the vote matters. All the communications and political science research shows that very few people change their minds; elections are decided by turnout. It's not about how many heads you can turn, it's about how many of your supporters show up to vote for you.

Of course I think you should vote for Steve Westly for Governor and Francine Busby and Susan Davis for Congress (in the CA-50 and CA-53 respectively) and Yes on Prop 81 and 82. But really you should go vote no matter what your preferences or political leanings are. I truly mean that. No matter who you want to vote for, I think you should get out there and punch that ballot card... and remind all of your friends too. I'm appalled ever year at how many of my friends don't go out to vote because they don't care enough to or because they don't think their vote matters or because they forgot.

Rule #76: No Excuses; Play like a champion.

Don't forget. Go VOTE.

Comments:
They sent me information in Spanish and then neglected to tell me my polling location (nevermind that they were supposed to send an absentee ballot). I am very sad. If it weren't the end of the quarter, they'd be hearing from a very irate me.
 
I received my absentee ballot on Sunday. How did I receive it on Sunday you might ask? Well, in Israel mail is delivered on Sunday. Yes... my absentee ballot got to Israel 2 days before it was due in California. Do you know how long it takes something to get to the States from Israel, at LEAST 3 days. If you send it super express, they say the soonest you can expect it is 3 days. This was a problem.

But then, I opened by absentee ballot, and I was informed that I could FAX my voted ballot to my Registrar of Voters, and someone in the office would be REALLY nice and copy my votes onto a real ballot and drop it in a box for me. Lovely, don't you think? (You have to sign a form saying that its okay for them to recopy it for you and that you know it will no longer be secret. I figured it wasn't a secret i was voting for Francine anyway, so I didn't mind.)

So that is the story of how I voted, from Israel, having received my absentee ballot 2 days before the election. Very few people have acceptable excuses for not voting, I've decided.
 
Post a Comment

<< Home

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?