What! I don’t get a choice?

So I went to the polls today. I figured for the last 2 years I didn’t get the right to vote for one reason or another…. I moved… I didn’t have a valid driver’s license…I was out of country whatever…

I went to the local baptist church and and walked in the side door. A nice lady asked if I wanted coffee, I replied with some comment about votes coming to the polls these days half-a-sleep and she fell out of her chair laughing… good stuff. The guy stepping up in front of me had the same sample ballot as I – the independent – I figured if I got this one, I’d have the option to choose anyone… Well he was having an argument with the 82 yr grandma about his right to vote…so I eaves dropped.

Apparently there’s a new restriction at the polls that if you choose Democrat, you can only vote for democratic candidates at the polls… If you choose Republican, only republican and Independent all the others (Green, Independent, Freedom etc.) No cross voting….. He and I both agreed this was bullshit. What if I wanted to vote for a Republican Supreme court judge, a Green party president and a Democrat for Senator? Nope she said… you don’t get a choice… you go with your party and that’s it!

Is this some scheme to get more votes for Bush by tying you to a claimed party. Once you’re in you can’t get out type of fraternal ruling? Basically you have to go with the party you wanted to vote for, in the presidential primary and everything else fell in line…

It might have something to do with the new touch screen voting machines… which if made by Diebold…I have issues with (I didn’t record any signs).

After some gripping I got an electronic key card which I entered into a voting machine. I went through the tedious touch screen voting for the candidates while the lady next to me couldn’t figure out where the pencil was to vote with. After done the machine burned my choices back onto the card key. I then handed this to a gentleman that tossed the key into a basket on the table….thinking wow this is really secure. What’s to stop me from adding 10 keys to this basket with my votes.. or removing some? And who knows if the guy carrying the basket will walk by the church fridge and demagnetize all the votes everyone came out to cast…

NE Way… I’ve done my duty so I guess I know have a right to bitch if something doesn’t go my way… something the majority of you sheep out there can’t say because you feabily think “my vote doesn’t count”….