jgoforth.com | we(b log)

at least they know I am still living

Seeing as how yesterday was Pick-the-candidate-you-dislike-the-least Day, I headed on down to my local voting place, and got in the line for those individuals who are lucky enough to have a last name starting with the letters F-H. We were in that line because presumably at the front of the line, lay a book which contained our name, address, and other similar identifying stuff. I say “presumably” because in reality, mine was not. The list went straight from Mr. Goff to Ms. Gofrey, and did not stop at Goforth (nor did it collect $200). The nice little lady then proceeded to check for me in the large red “inactive” book. Seeing as I have only been here a year, that didn’t turn out well for me either. She then got on the phone and spent some 15 minutes attempting to find out why I didn’t seem to exist.

Eventually the story came out that somehow, our well oiled machine of a government has gotten it into its head that after moving to Florida last August and registering to vote, I then moved back to Greenwood and re-registered there in September. Besides the fact that I wasn’t in South Carolina last September, I wasn’t aware that it was possible to accidently register, and I certainly think I should know about it having happened. In the end, they let me vote, but then I had to put it in a bright orange envelope and keep it away from the votes of the masses lest I infect them with my South Carolina-ness. Basically this means that, while it could potentially be counted, I had nothing to do with the Florida vote yesterday.

While I am somewhat confused about my situation, I think I faired much better than the poor lady that came for help while I was waiting on this search of my statehood. This poor lady, who looked to be around 60 or so years old, was also sadly lacking an entry in the great Book of Those Who Can Vote. They began an enquiry for her which did not tell her that she had been accidentally moving from state to state. Instead, to her complete befuddlement and in complete indifference to her beating heart they very nice and polite voting staff informed her that she was, in fact, dead.