35/365: Election Day

[valadilenne]

Yeah, I know, it's over. And I'm glad. But I still like election day.

I'm not one for obsessing nonstop about elections. I don't really get into them until things are almost over. I mean, I knew early on who I'd be voting for. But I don't get into things the way some people do because I'm always afraid of being disappointed. It's difficult to put blind faith in something and then not have it turn out the way you think.

But I like the process of voting. In my state we use the scantron system. We mark the ballots in felt pen and slide them into the machine. It's very efficient; too bad we aren't a swing state so our system would be more important somehow. But we're a midwestern red state and have been since... 1964, I think. Maybe earlier.

I like watching the returns, but the one thing I forget every election is that the results come in waves. It isn't all at once like I'd like--it's sort of an agonizing process until about 9:30 or so, and up until then there's no real reason to watch besides the excitement.

And after it's all over it it's exciting to watch people be so happy that their candidate won. It's sad to watch the concession speeches, and disconnecting to see people who were once opponents inevitably calling for party unity and to respect the other person that they slammed so faithfully for so long.

I still like it.

Comments

[daskrehbiel.livejournal.com]

'64 was the last time a Democratic candidate carried our state. To be fair, the candidate in question, LBJ, was a Texan and JFK's VP. But yeah. Gotta love being in a fire engine red state.