I Just Didn't Feel Comfortable

Please read this whole thing before
you make a judgment call. You need
all the facts before you say how you feel.

There is voting by mail in the state of
Washington. And Idaho would like to
follow suit.

I have not been great on the idea and recently
I have had my fears grow even more.

When you go to vote, you sign your name
that you are about to vote. They have your
name on the list. Then they give you the ballot.
You make your decision and then fold as told.
And slide it into the big box. I feel comfortable
with that. I know, they know it is really me, who is voting.
Not some one who is in my household or picks up
my mail. I feel comfortable because I take the
ballot, and I put it in the box with all the rest. And
there is no way after, that they can tell which
ballot is mine.

Yesterday, I did not feel comfortable about a
ballot. My husband had his knee operated on.
So getting out is not easy. He put in for a
absentee vote. Because we sent it in too close
to the time, I had to run over to the school district
office and get the ballot. I brought it home, my
husband sat at the table and made his vote and
put it in the ballot envelope. Then he had to sign
a validation declaration, put it and the ballot
into another envelope. And that was the end of
the comfort zone.

Understand I am very guarded with voting.
I think it is horrible when those who can, don't.
Being from the East Coast, New England, where
ballot stuffing was a norm...not legal..but norm, in
the 1900 to who knows how long. Before electric
voting I guess. There was a word for it, but can't
think of it. Anyway, I am very guarded about it.

I have never asked anyone how they voted on
something. I rarely will answer if someone ask me.
It is between God and I. I feel the same way about
my husband. I will sit there and tell him who is
running, or what they are trying to pass. He makes
the judgment himself. I never tell him how I feel
about it, as I don't want to sway him one way or
the other. He is to decide what he wants.
Then I took his absentee ballot over to the
school district office to have it turn in. I was told
if we mailed it...it would be too late to be counted.
Mail can't get there on Tuesday if mailed on Sat.
Oh, yea, we are talking about the US POSTAL
service.

Anyway, I went there, Monday afternoon,
there was a young lady who is the receptionist.
Who put her hand out for the envelope, when
I told her I was turning in his absentee ballot.
She said ok. And put her hand out again to
take it. I asked her, isn't there a box to put it
in. No. She would give it to the person
who is sworn to take care of the ballots. I was
not comfortable about that. I told her so. Again,
she goes thru the deal of it goes into this folder
above her head, for the woman who takes care
of the ballots. That is it. Another gentleman
came in, and he gives her his absentee ballot.
So I give it to her, but not happy about it.

To me, how did I know who was going to get
the envelope? When they got the envelope, did
they open it right there, after all they have to have
the valuation slip. And then do they put the ballot
in a box? How do I know she didn't open the ballot
envelope right then. Then she would know who my
husband is... and what his vote is. Making this worse
is that my husband works for the school district.

I don't know how my husband voted on the levy.
And maybe I am paranoid to think that this woman
could open this envelope, see his name, open the
ballot and see how he voted... and if my husband
were to vote NO... how would that effect his job?
There has been threats over the years. Subtle hints,
of how one's job is a day to day job, no contracts,
so you can be fired. Remarks made about ..you better
vote, we will know if you did or not. Of course this
was about 6 years ago. But it doesn't help, when
you go to put in a absentee ballot. And there is
no box.

Now this is where I had asked you to read the
whole post...because when I went to vote, I ask
the woman there and told her how I didn't feel
comfortable about it. And this is what she said.
"The absentee votes that went to the school
district office, will be transferred to here, at the
Kootenai school tonight at 8, to join the walk-in
votes. At 8, we will open the first envelope and
verify that the voter is registered. Then after
we have verified all of them... we will take the
ballot envelopes and open them with the walk-in
ballots." "No one opens any of the envelopes
before they get here."

Well, it made me feel 50% better, but why
don't they have a locked box at the school
district office? And now my question for you..
Would you feel comfortable about it, if you
were a school employee? Or even just the
average Joe, doing an absentee ballot?

I am not looking forward to mail in voting.