Making Provisions At the Ballot Box

Since I was a kid, my mother taught me that it's integral to a democratic republic that people vote.

So once I was old enough I started casting my ballot.

(Since you already know by my profile that I'm a Republican, I don't mind sharing that I was extremely disappointed by the 2008 presidential election. I am part of a group called the Maryland Young Republicans, largely because of that election).

Today, however, I was tempted to not even vote.

I had so much to do – including covering the election for Patch – and I wasn't sure if I should be seen voting at my polling place while working.

But the activist in me resisted the laziness in me and I made it out to the Hyattsville branch of the Prince George's County Memorial Library System to click a few buttons on the voting machine. Being a Republican, I knew there wouldn't be much for me to vote on.

It was a great experience and I suggest that you do it if you can.

On the way inside, I ran into some campaign workers, including Chris Currie from the Hyattsville Life & Times. Once inside, I got stopped by one of the county council (I won't tell you which one) candidates who gave me their standard greeting and flew out of the building to meet with more voters.

I gave my ID to the nice woman at a table who then told me that since I'd moved (only about a mile away from my last abode) and had not yet updated my new information with the Maryland State Board of Elections, I'd have to cast a provisional ballot.

I didn't know what that was.

In previous years, and in Upstate New York, where I'm from, I've gone into the voting booths with the curtains and metal levers. Last election, I voted by pressing "buttons" on electronic screens.

It turns out, this time all I had to do was fill out an application with my new address and then mark my votes in pencil on a paper ballot. It was kind of cool because once I was done another woman brought over a red velvety bag with a drawstring pulled taut. There was just enough space for me to push my ballot into the bag so that no one could remove it.

I met a lot of nice people who also take pride in being able to vote for their representatives. No one seemed to have any problems with the voting machines and those who were waiting around seemed engaged in conversations about the primary ballot.

We'll see later how many people actually came out and "pulled the lever."