Gods, I LOVE Rhode Island
Nov. 2nd, 2004 09:52 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ambitious_wenchIt's a short walk to my polling place, Graniteville Elementary School. Less than a 1/4 mile, I'd say. This day I didn't try to impose my right to have cars stop for pedestrians, but actually used the signalled cross-walk (zebra stripes for my UK friends).
As I approached the school, I noted that there were several stumpers outside with various signs.
One was handsomely dressed in a dark suit and tie. However another young man approached me first. He was young, I'd say in his early twenties. He wore a windbreaker against the chill of the overcast day. "Good day, how are you?" he asked.
"Fine thanks"
He held out a flier on good cardstock. "Please consider voting for Annette Beraducci for General Assembly"
"Is she Democrat or Republican--oh, independant"
I walked away, wondering if I should vote for her.
"Hello, I'm Robert Russo, running for Town Council, would you like one of these?"
It was a chocolate flag.
"Why, Mr. Russo, are you trying to bribe me?"
"Absolutely!"
"Gods, I love Rhode Island!"
"I see you brought a book, were you expecting a long line?"
"Actually, yes, I was"
There was no line.
After a bit of questioning, he directed me to the door I should enter. Different districts, different doors.
I was asked for my name, and the lady looked me up on a sheet. I had the chocolate flag, the book, and the flyer in my hands. A man came up to me and in a stern voice pointed to my flyer and said to put it away. I tucked it into my book.
I was given an affidavit to sign, declaring that I was a qualified elector. I wasn't asked for my ID. I signed it, gave it back. A second man loudly called my name--I wondered why, until I noted that there were two people at a table behind me, who looked my name up on a list, while the other one asked me for the spelling of my last name, and wrote it down.
I was given my heavy-paper ballot in a blue "ballot privacy folder". I waited until one of the 5 booths was empty.
The man who told me to put the flyer away called out to another voter who entered, by name. The voter seemed to be well known by all the poll workers.
I asked if I could take a picture of the poll workers, and they asked what it would be used for. "I want to put it on my blog, and say that I voted today, and that these are the good people who helped me. Someone said "I don't think we can. I'll say no to be safe".
"I can respect that."
"Have your picture taken outside instead!"
"That's a good idea."
"I've already been bribed with chocolate", I said
The man who told me to put away the flyer asked "Did it work?"
"No, not really" said I.
"Chocolate always works for me" was his reply
I held up the chocolate flag, the name of the candidate outwards.
"I don't want to think of the symbolic implications of eating a chocolate flag", I said.
"You have to put that away" he said.
I tucked it into my pocket.
A booth opened up.
It's not really a booth, just a stand-up desk, with three blue plastic privacy walls. The writing space was just big enough to hold my ballot and my book. It had a special pen, felt tip, no lid, and it was velcro'd to the top of the desk.
I voted.
I voted for Mr. Russo.
I voted for Ms. Berarducci.
And I voted for John Kerry and John Edwards.
I took my ballot to the machine, and fed it face up. A digital display read "165". The man who told me to put away my chocolate flag gave me two "I Voted" stickers. I put them on the cuffs of my ratty old shearling jacket.
As I left the polls, there were two kids in the halls. I sighed, said "I feel so empowered. When you get old enough, kids, be sure to vote. It's awesome".
Mr. Russo greeted me as I left. "Would you like another flag?"
I contemplated. "Sure. I can never refuse chocolate". The man who had been greeted by name was talking to him, and he chimed in with "It sure is my downfall."
I took the second chocolate flag from Mr. Russo. It was broken.
"I'm sorry," he said, "they are getting cold out here, and they break"
"I voted for you", I said.
I held it up and said "There are so many analogies I can think of. Ever hear the expression 'as usesless as a chocolate pot'?"
They both laughed.
For milk chocolate, it's not all that bad.
As I approached the school, I noted that there were several stumpers outside with various signs.
One was handsomely dressed in a dark suit and tie. However another young man approached me first. He was young, I'd say in his early twenties. He wore a windbreaker against the chill of the overcast day. "Good day, how are you?" he asked.
"Fine thanks"
He held out a flier on good cardstock. "Please consider voting for Annette Beraducci for General Assembly"
"Is she Democrat or Republican--oh, independant"
I walked away, wondering if I should vote for her.
"Hello, I'm Robert Russo, running for Town Council, would you like one of these?"
It was a chocolate flag.
"Why, Mr. Russo, are you trying to bribe me?"
"Absolutely!"
"Gods, I love Rhode Island!"
"I see you brought a book, were you expecting a long line?"
"Actually, yes, I was"
There was no line.
After a bit of questioning, he directed me to the door I should enter. Different districts, different doors.
I was asked for my name, and the lady looked me up on a sheet. I had the chocolate flag, the book, and the flyer in my hands. A man came up to me and in a stern voice pointed to my flyer and said to put it away. I tucked it into my book.
I was given an affidavit to sign, declaring that I was a qualified elector. I wasn't asked for my ID. I signed it, gave it back. A second man loudly called my name--I wondered why, until I noted that there were two people at a table behind me, who looked my name up on a list, while the other one asked me for the spelling of my last name, and wrote it down.
I was given my heavy-paper ballot in a blue "ballot privacy folder". I waited until one of the 5 booths was empty.
The man who told me to put the flyer away called out to another voter who entered, by name. The voter seemed to be well known by all the poll workers.
I asked if I could take a picture of the poll workers, and they asked what it would be used for. "I want to put it on my blog, and say that I voted today, and that these are the good people who helped me. Someone said "I don't think we can. I'll say no to be safe".
"I can respect that."
"Have your picture taken outside instead!"
"That's a good idea."
"I've already been bribed with chocolate", I said
The man who told me to put away the flyer asked "Did it work?"
"No, not really" said I.
"Chocolate always works for me" was his reply
I held up the chocolate flag, the name of the candidate outwards.
"I don't want to think of the symbolic implications of eating a chocolate flag", I said.
"You have to put that away" he said.
I tucked it into my pocket.
A booth opened up.
It's not really a booth, just a stand-up desk, with three blue plastic privacy walls. The writing space was just big enough to hold my ballot and my book. It had a special pen, felt tip, no lid, and it was velcro'd to the top of the desk.
I voted.
I voted for Mr. Russo.
I voted for Ms. Berarducci.
And I voted for John Kerry and John Edwards.
I took my ballot to the machine, and fed it face up. A digital display read "165". The man who told me to put away my chocolate flag gave me two "I Voted" stickers. I put them on the cuffs of my ratty old shearling jacket.
As I left the polls, there were two kids in the halls. I sighed, said "I feel so empowered. When you get old enough, kids, be sure to vote. It's awesome".
Mr. Russo greeted me as I left. "Would you like another flag?"
I contemplated. "Sure. I can never refuse chocolate". The man who had been greeted by name was talking to him, and he chimed in with "It sure is my downfall."
I took the second chocolate flag from Mr. Russo. It was broken.
"I'm sorry," he said, "they are getting cold out here, and they break"
"I voted for you", I said.
I held it up and said "There are so many analogies I can think of. Ever hear the expression 'as usesless as a chocolate pot'?"
They both laughed.
For milk chocolate, it's not all that bad.
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no subject
Date: 2004-11-02 07:30 am (UTC)No one gave me chocolate. :(
no subject
Date: 2004-11-02 08:26 am (UTC)I'd offer you one of my chocolate flags, but I ate them already.
Mmmmm, chocolate high.
no subject
Date: 2004-11-02 08:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-02 08:27 am (UTC)I used to be disgusted, now I'm just amused.