Hey, Young Voters!

[mlleelizabeth]

Usually my posts are intended for not only everyone on my friends list, but also anyone else who happens by. But today I'm posting something specifically for one group: those of you the press likes to refer to as young voters. I know a lot of people are already encouraging you to vote on Tuesday and I'm just one more voice in the crowd. I hope

Comments

Part 1 (damn LJ comment limits!)

[miss_sophia]

I think I count as a "young voter." :) Anyway, I voted in-person absentee on Saturday, so early. I already wrote about it here, but let me see if I can dredge up some more details.

Let's see...well, the "in-person absentee" thing was interesting, because it's technically not early voting. You're supposed to do it only if you have a reason that you can't make it on Tuesday. Valid reasons included having to work 11 or more hours that day, working outside of your county/district, being the primary caregiver for someone who is ill or disabled, and being in prison. But the election officials who were running the show there all but told us that as long as you check off one of the boxes for the given excuses, they're not going to question you or make you verify your reason that you can't show up Tuesday (unless your reason is that you're a student who normally lives outside the area, in which case they wanted to verify your student ID or something). It seemed to me that they just really wanted people to get their vote on ASAP, perhaps

Part 2

[miss_sophia]

There was also a McCain guy there, and I know I'm biased, but he was kind of retarded and annoying. First of all, his table had the dumbest bumper stickers on it (stuff like "I'm voting for Palin and That Guy she's running with" -- I mean, WTF, it blows my mind that there are people who are voting that ticket primarily because of Palin...although sadly, I think one of my best friends is one of those folks), whereas the Obama table had plain old "Obama/Biden" stickers and such, nothing stupid looking. And the guy himself pissed me off. I didn't mind him talking to me and offering me a Republican cheat sheet. (I said no, of course.) I minded it a little bit when he then asked me twice if I was sure I didn't want a cheat sheet. And I got quite irritated when he discovered that we are both part Hungarian and proceeded to use that bit of knowledge to attempt to change my mind and vote for McCain. The exchange went something like this

Re: Part 2

[mlleelizabeth]

Thanks for sharing your story! It sounds like a mostly good experience. I am a little surprised they let people campaign inside the polling place where you are (at least that's what it sounds like is going on???). In Texas the campaigns can have greeters, but they have to remain a certain distance from the polling place if they are actually campaigning. I think the parties are also allowed to have a few people inside documenting problems, but they are not allowed to actively campaign.

I'm also surprised about the dog, but I kind of think that's great! I really like dogs, though. ;)

That's very cool that you got interviewed for TV!

Re: Part 2

[miss_sophia]

The campaign people weren't technically inside the voting place. They were stationed on the sidewalk out front, but the line snaked past them. It wasn't that far from the sidewalk to the doors of the police station, but still, technically the campaign people were outside the actual building.

[ohinternets]

The Republicans are hoping you will not vote.

Er... I'm a Libertarian, i.e., I vote Republican as often as I do Democrat, and all the Republicans I know just want what everyone else wants - a president elected fairly that will best represent the interests and will of the American people.

And a lot of the Republicans I know? Are young.

[mlleelizabeth]

The Republicans around me are very open about their desire that young people not vote, so maybe it just depends on where you are.

For the record, I have voted Republican as much as I've voted Democrat in the past as well, and used to consider myself Libertarian until recently. This election has changed my mind.

[ohinternets]

Then it's equally accurate to say that the Democrats are hoping and praying senior citizens stay home in droves. Which, come to think of it, is also probably true, given the egregious amount of shockingly ageist crap thrown about regarding McCain's age = dementia and bordering on imminent death. My grandma, a registered Democrat 10 years older than McCain whose mind is sharper than yours and mine put together, really felt alienated by this.

This election has changed mine, too, but in the opposite direction. The Republican party is experiencing a split between fiscal conservatives (i.e., most Libertarians) and social conservatives (i.e., those wacky Constitution Party folks) and rarely the twain shall meet. Meanwhile, the actual current Libertarian party is in absolute shambles. I'm thinking of just joining the Republican Liberty Caucus and calling it a day.

[mlleelizabeth]

I won't disagree with you that a great deal of awful ageist crap has been thrown McCain's way and that it was wrong for anyone to have done so. And I agree that most Democrats are probably hoping for the ages of voters to skew younger rather than older. They probably also hope that Republican voters in general vote in smaller numbers on Tuesday.

I am surrounded by the wacky Constitution Party types. Most of the fiscal conservatives I know (and generally agree with) are either not talking at all anymore even to friendly people, or have left the Republicans. I wasn't aware the Libertarians were actually in a shambles, though they've never had a very strong presence here in north Texas. I voted for 3 or 4 of them this year. Is the Bob Barr nomination the problem? I think I have heard in passing that some people weren't happy with it.

I hope the RLC makes a strong statement in the meetings the Republicans will be having in the upcoming days. They look like a group that could help get the party back on the right track.