Throwing it All Away

It's primary day here in the Sunshine State, and I went out bright and early to exercise my civil liberties while I still have them. There was nobody and I mean nobody in the polling place except election workers and they almost cried tears of joy when they saw me and the RLA stroll in.
I'm swanning around the office in my "I Voted Today" sticker, feeling all holier than thou.

But it's a sham and a lie. I did vote, I cast an electronic ballot with no confirmation of any sort other than the ATM ballot screen showing an electronic "Thank You for Voting" message. I can only go on faith that my vote was recorded and recorded correctly.

There isn't a big turnout today because the Democratic candidate has been anointed by the voters in the states that hold their primaries earlier than Florida. There was only one item on the county ballot today besides the pointless exercise of Presidential nominee, and that was the question of whether the county mayoral election should be held on primary day or later. Not an especially pressing question, so the voters aren't turning out.

There I stood, in the half-box of the voting station, not really a booth, anymore. Not like the big ole lever-driven, cloth-curtained booths of my childhood. No. A spindly, waist-high table with an electronic tablet and three "privacy" flaps on the sides, coming to shoulder height. Depressing, really. Kind of like the choice I was faced with.

As usual, I was of three minds about it all. On the one hand, the candidate I wanted to vote for was still on the ballot, just no longer in the race. I could cast a vote for him. On the other hand, that would be a futile gesture, a symbolic vote. On the third hand, I could vote for The One, the one that the voters in other states had named our candidate. Doing so would push the numbers in this most watched of states, and give the pollsters and pundits something to say, an avenue of speculation for what will happen in November. Satisfying as that is, in and of itself, I wanted to be able to vote for the candidate of MY choice, without feeling like it was a waste of everybody's time. Unfortunately, that was not an option.

So I did something I have never knowingly, or willingly done before. I threw my vote away. I voted with my heart and my conscience, and voted for General Clark.

Besides, considering the turnout, I should be able to tell, when the precinct results are in, if my vote was cast and counted. It'll be the one and only vote for the General.