Turtle's Big Day of Democracy

Me and 2000+ others waited 3.5 hours in the rain to vote today. Don't tell us that democracy isn't important!

I thought I would try and vote in the morning and get it done with early. Well the lines were already too long---previously I have never waited more than five minutes to vote at my precinct. I had tried getting in line at 10:00 AM and I was told that the line was 2.5 hours long. Since I was scheduled to make calls for John Kerry at 1:00 PM I would have to put off voting until the end of the day.

I arrived at the union headquarters where the Kerry volunteers were working this day. The parking lot was packed, I ended up parking on the grass there were so many volunteers present. I walk into this room filled with at least a hundred people talking on cell phones. I go to the sign-in desk and I am told that all the phones are being used currently and they will get me a phone as soon as one becomes available.

I finally am given a cell phone, a list of phone numbers, and a short script. I start dialing numbers. Most of my talking was to voice mail, reminding people they need to come in and vote. The live people that I talk to seem to be a large number of old ladies who can't hear and people who tell me that no one by that particular name lives at that home. Finally I start talking to some people who have already been out to vote.

I am not a great phone talker---I seem to have a lot of trouble hearing people on a phone. Put me in a room filled with 100 other people talking on phones, I am having even more trouble hearing anything. All I can do is keep plugging through the lists of voters.

Between phone calls I start looking around at who else is participating in this phone calling activity. Talk about diversity. Women and men. People in the room range in age from about 15 to upper 70's. There are blacks, Hispanics, whites. There are lots of working class looking people and lots of more well to do types. It really is a good feeling to know that there is such a wide range of people who share your political views. It gives you hope.

I learn lots of interesting things in the room. I hear about other voters spending 4 hours in line to vote. I hear about other voters being challenged from voting. I hear about tactics being used by Republicans to keep people from voting. And I start to hear some internal exit polling numbers and I hear lots of things that sound good.

After I hear more and more about people waiting for a long time in line. I start to feel like I need to go and vote and make my voice heard.

I get in line to vote at 5:15 PM; the line wraps around the block. Rain is lightly falling and most everyone is making predictions about how long we will be waiting in line. As soon as the sun sets, the temperatures fall quickly. About this same time the rain begins to fall harder and the wind starts to blow. I realize quickly that my waterproof jacket, isn't really that waterproof.

Even though the line is very long, everyone in the line is in a very good mood. People like to feel like they are doing their part. Standing in line for 3.5 hours really isn't that much of a sacrifice compared to what others have sacrificed. Plus they start handing out coffee, water, donuts, sandwiches. Hell one guy is even handing out beers to the line.

At 8:30 PM I finally am able to sign my name to vote, and at 8:40 I am led into the voting booth. I make my selections and now I sit in front of the television and wait for what the results will happen.