I’m a Georgia Voter
Yep, I received one of those nifty peach stickers this morning as i walked out the door after using Dekalb County’s advance voting. My daughter and I proceeded to celebrate getting it over with (I won’t bore you with my dissatisfaction with political choices) by downing a coffee and a muffin at Joe’s in East Atlanta. While paying for said muffin and coffee, two people asked me how I had managed to vote this morning. Three more asked about it when I went to pick up my son at Mommies Morning Out.
Why is it that so many people don’t know about the state’s advance voting option? I feel it is my civic duty to mention it here on Atlanta Metblogs. I would have posted earlier in the week if I had known how few people have heard about it; advance voting started on Monday and continues through tonight at 7:00 pm. There is no advance voting the day before the election. (That’s Monday for those of you who are a little dense.) Follow that nifty link above to see advance voting locations by county.
I am sure you all plan to hit the polls on Tuesday, but if you aren’t going to be able to make it, now you have next to no excuse. Get your butt to the polls this evening by 7:00. There was almost no wait – I had only three people in front of me, and was in and out in about 30 minutes.
Added plus? Everyone working the polling location was considerate, polite, and friendly. Much more so than I usually expect of government employees (Yes, I know there are exceptions!), and probably more than you can expect out of stressed employees on election day.
If this country was really serious about voting they would make it a national holiday but this advance voting is a step in the right direction. Glad you had a good experience.
Really, with absentee ballots and advance voting, in addition to the actual election day, if an individual can’t manage to cast his vote, then maybe he isn’t very serious about voting in the first place. I managed to do it with a toddler in tow – If I can do that, anyone can.
I don’t know, Fulton County doesn’t make it all that convenient for those of us who actually live and work in North Fulton. The closest is Sandy Springs. After a long day at work? It’s great that it’s an option, don’t get me wrong, but between doing it two blocks from my house on Tuesday or shlepping down to Sandy Sprngs, I’ll wait to cast my vote.
Mark, it seems N. fulton has always been the red-headed stepchild, hasn’t it? Agreed that Sandy Springs is not that close for many people in N. Fulton, but if you can’t or don’t want to vote on election day, in future elections, you could do an absentee ballot. You just request it ahead of time, and the state of GA does not require a reason for absentee voting.
Minor point: My mother works as a volunteer at her local polling station, which makes me wonder if the people with whom you interacted were employees or volunteers. Hats off to our retired citizenry who contribute their time and dedication to our election process.
Thanks Annie! I totally forgot about advance voting. I read this at 5pm on Friday and I ran out the door with my hubby and we were done and back home at 5:30.
Drew – Good point. It ocurred to me after writing this that they might have been volunteers. I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt, though.
Melocoton – glad to be of service!
Speaking of DeKalb County, the School Board is doong a great job at spending over $800 million of our tax money each year (plus SPLOST)!!!
And they can’t keep the schools clean…
http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=87177 http://www.11alive.com/video/player.aspx?aid=61179&bw=
Parents: Mold Making Kids Sick
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/10258263/detail.html Students Say School Making Them Sick — Literally
As the product of three Dekalb County Schools – elementary, middle, and high school in buildings all over thirty years old- my biggest complaint wasn’t about the lack of tidiness but rather the fact that getting needed improvments takes forever due to a lack of funding and the needs of literally hundreds of schools. $800 million – a minimal amount for adequtly funding public schools. Mold and Mildew have been problmatic in the South – a wonderful climate for growing and sustaining them – since the settlement of the region in the sixteenth century by the Spanish.
Toxic mold is awful, but remember that acts of actual violence occur at schools. Are you going to complain about funding when it occurs?