2008 Church and State
posted by on November 4 at 11:50 AM
The SECB voted in person this morning, as we always do because it gives us a warm and fuzzy feeling. Today, however, we felt much more like we’d just taken a questionable hallucinogen (perhaps handed to us by a dime-pupilled music freelancer) and were in that difficult period in which it’s uncertain a.) whether we’re going to vomit, and b.) whether it’s going to be really, really fun or whether we’re going to completely freak out, not understand what is happening in a suddenly nightmarish world, and want to kill ourselves.
Anyhow, the grass and the moss outside the church fence seemed especially verdant. (We vote at St. Joseph’s, which used to seem weird and now we embrace: church and state! God bless America!) The woman checking identification said that the SECB was the 50th person to vote in our precinct: “That’s amazing. We’ve never had such a turnout.” Nearby, another pollworker joked with a voter, “Would you like a Chinese ballot?” We bet that one never gets old. (Tangent: A friend of the SECB is volunteering as a “Comfort Captain” at the polls today, which sounds vaguely sexual but apparently involves cookies.)
We voted. A nice lady offered us an “I voted” sticker; we hesitated; she said, “Sure! This is an important one!” and stuck it upon us. Looking at it now, we note that it says “farewell to polls,” and we’ve been informed that this is the last time we will vote in person. The SECB has thus become teary (not for the first and certainly not for the last time today).
I'm gonna miss the polls.
Me too.
Everyone at St. Joseph's is always so nice, even when I just go to drop an absentee.
Okay, either drop the lame pluralization, or admit that the SECB is just one person and THEN drop the lame pluralization. Not everybody did this thing. Pretending otherwise is useless and gives me a headache.
why does the Stranger suddenly turn to the royal/editorial we during elections? Doesn't everyone posting already have his or her own account?
Also, get off my lawn.
Moved to the Rose City in July. Registered to vote in August (being the good citizen that I am). Received a heavy envelope from the Board of Elections in October. Had no idea what it was and put it aside. Opened it up a few weeks later and realized it was MY BALLOT!! Holy Frijoles.
Yes, I loved my old polling place at Our Lady of Guad in West Seattle. I looked forward to seeing what must have been one of the poll worker's beater car with an 'I love the Kingdome' bumper sticker on it.
But darn it, I REALLY ENJOYED being able to sit down at my own kitchen table with my ballot, taking my time and making my selections.
Washington, I think you will too.
(much love!)
@Greg: I like the "we," just as I like it in Last Days, even though we know it's David Schmader. It makes it less about the person writing and more about their words viewed through the lens of a collective experience.
PS- This one sounds like Sean Nelson to me.
Or Paul Constant, actually. It's the "verdant" and the sticker hesitation that suggest them, however the "anyhow" and the period-parentheses combo on the list have me thrown.