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Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Just Another Voting Post To Add To All The Rest

I have a confession to make.

I just voted for the very first time.

Ack! It makes me cringe to admit it out loud. I did register to vote when I turned 18, but I soon moved out of the state for college without having had the chance to go to the polls, and haven't re-registered since.

My main reason was the fear of jury duty. It's not a pretty picture in California. You get $15 for each day. Not so bad if you don't get on a jury and just have to whittle away two days sitting on a bench reading. Not so good if you do, at least for the working class. That's some serious loss of wages.

My company does cover employee pay for two days, but I didn't want to risk loss of pay if I was chosen to be on a jury for longer. So I just never registered in California and hoped the jury people didn't know where to find me.

And my consolation was that I was a blue girl living in a blue state.

All that changed when Gilberto became a citizen of our country and was so proud to be able to vote. He signed up the moment he walked out of the courthouse doors, with only five days to spare before the registration deadline. His excitement inspired me.

Actually, Gilberto almost didn't get to vote. The person who took his registration didn't submit it.

When we walked out of the courthouse doors, there were two giant tents set up, one for each of the main parties, and lots of people walking around with clipboards and voter registrations. In the chaos we took a clipboard from a woman before we saw that she was wearing a McCain/Palin sticker. Gilberto marked himself as a Democrat. She didn't seem too pleased.

It's a good thing I was a bit suspicious with the way things went down. On the last day to register I called our local Voter Registrars office to see if they'd received Gilberto's form, and they had no record of him in the system. They even looked through the pile from the courthouse that day, twice, and couldn't find it. Apparently our volunteer's Republican passion got the best of her. I hope her conscious gets the best of her, too.

Luckily, Gilberto was home from work and was able to get a new registration form submitted in time.

So all's well that ends well. We both got to vote. We both put our say out there (and earned the right to complain!). It's so awesome to really be a part of it all this time! I'm truly ashamed that I haven't been in the past.

And now if I get selected for jury duty, should I act like a loon from the get-go, or wait until they start asking me questions? Oh, I kid. I kid! Though acting like a loon really isn't that much of a stretch.

34 comments:

  1. Don't be ashamed! Be proud that you finally did it, and will most likely vote in every future election. Congratulations!

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  2. At least you did it. Good for you! :) I wish i was american so that i could have voted in this election. So think of it this way - you voted on my behalf too! Thank you! :)

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  3. Laural, over here we are obligate to vote and it sucks, but if there is an election that I would lile to participate is the one over there! It's historical and it may decide the economy in wh9ole world! I'm just dying to know who is going to be the next US president and of course, I'm hoping for Obama! :)

    hugs!

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  4. Yes, at least you registered and voted this time! Good for you. ;)

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  5. It was a brave confession, Laural, and I'm proud of you! :) There was a time I didn't vote, either, but something about having a husband who is not a citizen made me realize I am voting for two. And now, three! :)

    Now I get a weird thrill out of voting. It makes my day. And an even geekier confession? Being called for jury duty gives me a thrill. Last night I made it all the way into the box before the defense threw me out (I'm just that much of a threat :)) and I cried on my way back to the trolley. Cried! What could be more pathetic? :)

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  6. Amend my previous comment so that's it's "time" instead of "night." I was not on jury duty last night! It was three years ago last! ;)

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  7. Hi!!!

    As Bia said, we do have to vote, and if we don´t we will be fined. But the fine just let was wonder if it is worth all the trouble to vote. The fine will be around R$ 6,00 or US$ 2,90.

    Gilberto will tell you the mess that are the elections aroud here.

    Fabiola

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  8. Good for you...and Gilberto.

    You and I have kind of the opposite problem...I always want to be on a jury and they never pick me. My job will give me the time off with pay and I don't have any little children to worry about anymore SO I'd like to have a crack at getting some of the bad guys and gals off the street. But the NEVER pick me!! I'm always nicely dressed and very polite and cooperative and I smile a lot. If you get called, just try dressing nicely, be polite and cooperative and smile a lot. They'll send you right home!

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  9. Congratulations on your first ever vote! It was my first time too!! :) Feels amazing, no?

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  10. Cool - great job on rocking the vote today!!! Congrats on losing your voting virginity :-)

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  11. Congratulations & good for you!

    I'm sure we've all heard that they expect an historical turnout for this election.

    Glad you voted!

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  12. HI Laural, I am glad you guys did vote. I wish I could already, but I am still a Resident, so I can't vote yet. In Brazil we are obligated to vote, and if we don't, or if we miss it, we have to fill out a form justifying why we didn't and also pay a fee for voting, maybe because of that reason some people don't like voting. But here we have the freedom to, we feel like our vote can do something, and people do it with pleasure, at least the people I know. Damn, I wish I could vote. Bryan did it, he says it's from both of us. :)

    So, about eating healthy, well, this time it's not a diet, (thanks for the compliment though), it's more because of the "age coming", haha, with time our metabolism doesn't work as well as it used to years ago, so we decided to start changing our eating habits, doesn't mean we will quit eating sweets, but we won't have them as often, and we will change only things that we like to eat... like instead of white rice, brown, instead of regular past, brown... instead of eating stuff with condensed milk for dessert we can have some bananas with cinnamon (this is good)... I won't be eating what I don't like, I couldn't. Specially Salad. That's why it's harder for me, because I will have to deal with only what I like to eat... if I liked salad all my problems would be solved, hahahaa

    We will probably pick a day on the week (on the weekend) to eat some junk, haha... this way it won't be that hard, I hope.

    :)

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  13. oops, I meant "pay a fee for NOT voting"

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  14. I just notice on the left side the name of the book you are reading, P.S. I Love You. I haven't read the book but I watched the movie, and I loved it. It made me value my husband (married life) much more. I don't know if they did the movie exactly like the book or almost... let us know what you think when you are done.

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  15. congrats on your first vote!! i am glad you did it, hopefully you won't be getting any jury duty!!

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  16. Oh gosh here comes the hokey in me... PURE SAP all the way!

    As a former member of the U.S. Navy and having earned medals for my service in the Gulf (part one, that is NOT to say I'm in favor of part two!!) I feel proud that those who served for your privelage to vote have now been honored by your actions and your hubby's too. A lot of things about this country suck, but having a voice... no matter how small... is the thing that makes it great.

    On behalf of all vets and current service members, thanks for your vote... (flags wave in the background as fireworks streak across the sky.. lol)

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  17. what a nasty little republican volunteer (nothing against all republicans, just THAT one) how dare she do something like that! I hope she does feel guilty!!

    Good for you! It was my first time voting today too!! It's been exciting!

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  18. ok, do what you need to do and let me know, we can always save that cheetah costume!!!
    :D
    p.s. we are using that salad dressing now, YUM!!!

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  19. As you know, I have ALWAYS wanted to be picked for jury duty! All of these years, registered in the same town forever, and not a single offer to provide justice for the victim and the community. Now I will never be asked since my current job will portrait me as too bias for either side to choose me!!! I'm envious of your continued eligibility.
    Congrats on finally voting and to Gilberto's new status as a US citizen!! It feels good doesn't it? Now you're hooked for life. I can imagine Gilberto's excitement and it's endearing....reminds me how patriotic I am.

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  20. As you know, I have ALWAYS wanted to be picked for jury duty! All of these years, registered in the same town forever, and not a single offer to provide justice for the victim and the community. Now I will never be asked since my current job will portrait me as too bias for either side to choose me!!! I'm envious of your continued eligibility.
    Congrats on finally voting and to Gilberto's new status as a US citizen!! It feels good doesn't it? Now you're hooked for life. I can imagine Gilberto's excitement and it's endearing....reminds me how patriotic I am.

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  21. I am proud of you!!

    I voted and now, I just saw history made.

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  22. As you probably know, it is compulsory to vote in Australia - you get fined if you don't.

    I have been waiting for jury duty... BUT, never been called on. NEVER! And I want to be. Work colleagues and friends have wrangled their way out of it. But me... I'm willing. I want to. But no call. Very sad.

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  23. Congrats on expressing your voice! As for JD, chances are you won't get called. If you cannot serve due to it being financially straining, I believe they'll give you a pass.

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  24. Good for you & Gilberto!

    I've been registered since I was 18 and have only been called for Jury Duty once. At the time, I was 19 and in school, and my job had no provisions for the time away. So I wrote a letter explaining hardship, and I was excused. It was all pretty easy - I was really surprised!

    So there's always that, if Duty calls. :)

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  25. yay for voting!!

    and yay for the first time :)

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  26. Voting is about as patriotic as it gets! Well, dying for your country, I think that takes the prize, actually.

    I love voting - it makes me feel so good inside; knowing I've done something was fought long and hard for. Pretty awesome.

    Congratulations to you and Gilberto!

    -Andrea

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  27. Congrats on no longer being muted! I have a lot of other immigrant friends who recently naturalized (hubby has just started his own naturalization process) and couldn't wait to go and register to vote! It's an amazing thing, something I think a lot of people take for granted.

    This election was an exciting, nail-biting, whirlwind. Now comes the hard work.

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  28. Hi Laural...I am a red girl living in a now blue state (Virginia) and I ashamed that someone did that to your husband. That really is low. I have been registered to vote and have voted in every election (presidential and all those in-between) since I was 18...I am now in my 40's...I have NEVER been called up for jury duty....so don't worry about it. My husband has and all he has said is that he had work conflicts he couldn't get out of. There are ways to get out of it legitimately. But congrats to both you and your hubby! It is neat to see someone like him really appreciate the things we sometimes take for granted as Americans born here. Kind of humbling ya know.

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  29. congrats
    Something for you on my blog. Come and get it.

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  30. I say that you just sit there and say 'gulity', no way will you be sitting on that jury.

    Loon isn't too far fo me either :)

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  31. Congratulations on voting! That's really exciting that you were able to put in your three cents in this amazing election!

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  32. So glad you voted...and Gilberto!

    What an awesome priviledge.

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  33. Better late than never- and what a year to join in.

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