Voting

Today is Tuesday and time to vote.  Oregon and Washington do things a little different.  You vote only by mail.  Two weeks ago we received two big pamphlets.  One contained pictures and text about each candidate.  The other contained a printed statement about each measure to be voted on as well as short 500 word statements either in favor or opposition to the measure.  It only costs $500 to place your statement in the pamphlets and the pamphlets are fully paid for by this so it costs the state nothing to send out these voter materials.  You then just mark up your selects by coloring in the circles (like a scantron test sheet) and either drop it in the mail or at a drop box.

It took me about 2 hours to go through everything last night.  I have to say I find this very rewarding.  In Wisco and Illinios you stand in line for hours jsut to get to a voter booth and then have no idea who some of the candidates are or what certain measures are unless you have watched a bunch of commercials or tried to do homework on the issues before hand.  And good luck finding non-biased material on what you were voting on.

Check out how one person spelled out the word DUH in their Argument in Favor...

I can remember a few times where I just plain walked away because it was 7pm at night after I had gotten home from work and had dinner and now I had to go stand in sub freezing tempuratures for 3 hours in a line to vote.  Let alone find a damn parking spot.  Lame.

Also, there's no 'party line' voting here.  In WI/IL you can just check off the 'Republican' or 'Democrat' or 'Libertarian' box right at the top and skip voting for each candidate.  Not here.  You have to make your choices.  Another cool thing is that citizens can get measures put on the ballet by getting some number of signatures completely bypassing the legislature.  Truelly government by the people and I think other states should take note.

Later