Today was "primary day" in my state. Three weeks or so ago, my husband and I both received postcards (invitations) as to where to come and vote.
We are BOTH registered 'unaffiliated.'
He went to vote.
The lady said - "You can't vote - you're not affiliated with the party".
He said - "I don't care what color [as in 'red' or 'blue'] someone is - whether donkey or elephant. I judge by their performance. I just want to
vote."
"Well," she said, "you can't - unless you want to sign up here [hands him a postcard for changing to a party]. THEN you can vote."
He said, "Well, never mind then."
He came home and told me this story.
I suggest that one can flip-flop on every election, because we are free to change our 'voter registration affiliation' at ANY time.
Then we got to talking.
WHY did they send us an invitation when they KNEW we were 'unaffliliated' in the first place?
So that they could "force us" to sign up with their party (or A Party) before we were allowed?
How does that serve the independent/third party supporters????
If we ALL went to the polling place - and got turned away because we have to subscribe to one side or the other - how is that "fair elections"?
Do they have "I Tried to Vote" stickers to hand out??? No. No, they don't. But they DO have you sign in - before they tell you you can't vote...unless
you "do this" first.....and then he would have access not to just a 'paper' ballot, but to a touch-screen ballot!
This was our chance to vote OUT the incumbents. But no - you don't have a say because you don't claim one of the TWO parties!!
...................
I suggested he and I go back there together; I could pitch a fit about the above - and we could both change real quick to whatever party they are
marketing....
and then go into the booths; he could holler at me: "Honey! Who did you say I was supposed to choose?"
And I could holler back from my booth: "I can't remember!"
And he could then hit select/cancel, select/cancel - like 100s of times - to overload and crash their server.
WHAT THE HELL is with "unaffiliated" people not being allowed to vote in primaries?
How many 'shoppers' are actually going to "send in the receipt for the $50 rebate" on a major purchase? How many are going to bother to change their
"affiliation" for every single election? (They can - no rule or law against it - but just - how many WOULD?)
But no - they don't have an "I tried to vote" sticker.
What a sham.
That is all. This is an anecdotal story about voting. Mods, if you want to switch it to grey area or whatever, go right ahead. This is reality on
the ground in a heavily Republican state. That is falling apart.
edit on 8/5/2014 by BuzzyWigs because: (no reason given)