04 November 2014

voting as a curmudgeon; or, a little respect for the process, please

Have you seen this photobomb on Facebook? It shows Mitch McConnell in a voting carrel, and, behind him, some guy making a face and giving a thumbs-down. Everyone seems to think it's hilarious.

I don't. Not that I'm a fan of Mitch McConnell - I am not. I am, however, a fan of the process. I think this photo is mean-spirited, it violates McConnell's privacy --- and would be denounced as electioneering, if the "side" that's posting the photo liked McConnell. 

Also -

I just voted. Since NY decided to get rid of the old lever machines, I have been annoyed by the new process: you use a Flair pen to color in circles, then walk across the room to feed your ballot into a machine. Each little carrel is supposed to have a "privacy sleeve" in which to insert the ballot. Each year, I have to request it from an annoyed poll worker. And each time I try to feed in the ballot, I have problems. 

"More trouble than it's worth," said the poll worker today.  "So privacy is now optional?" I said. She shrugged, which was, actually, the right response. She didn't create the system.

Note: NY does not have early voting, mail-in voting, or online voting.

Yes, I am grumpy. Bleah.






3 comments:

penny said...

beyond early voting in ny, i want a sticker! i've never received an "i voted!" sticker. i've seen some today for voters in nyc but that didn't happen when i lived there.

i really miss the satisfying "thwunk" of the old voting machines. i feel like i'm shredding my ballot now.

what i don't understand about the privacy sleeve -- when i was ready, a worker helped me take it out of the sleeve and feed it into the machine. Anyone standing near the machine (which was 10 feet away at most from the rickety wobbly private voting area) could see how i voted even without amazing vision. so what's the point?

teabird said...

The sleeve is a stupid sop to privacy at best -- there really is no point, but still ... Yes. I want a sticker, too!

Judy S. said...

Makes me happy to be voting by mail; no sticker though.