24 October 2006

Phonebanking.

Two hours at EQNM headquarters today on hired cellphones to call thirteen-thousand prospective voters. I made it through maybe sixty or eighty. They should be doing this eight hours a day.

One old man, 79, clearly in excruciating pain, and home bound told me he "gave up" on voting last election when the absentee ballot he requested never arrived. Tragic. Told him briefly my similar story from last election. I got my vote eventually because I ould run around like a madman for two days. Gave him the corrupt county clerk's number and begged and pleaded with him to please please if it's possible at all call, you've still got time, I've got a pollworker right here who knows the law and deadlines. He seemed a little happier at the end of the phone call. Don't know if he'll vote but I think it came through loud and clear that someone gave a rat's ass that he not be disenfranchised.

The rest were easy.

Then to Martini Grille to watch the second Wilson/Madrid debate (first Congressional District) at an event put on by League of Conservation Voters. It was, to put it mildly, a train wreck with broadly-overacted soap opera theatrics playing out on both trains as they slammed together.
Posted by xeltifon at 9:26 PM

1 comments:

zZigzZag said...

I don't live in your county or even your state, but I have a story to tell similar to the old man's. I guess Xeltifon's blog is as good a place as any to express my concern.

I moved in 2004 and promptly notified the Election Commission of the City & County of Denver (Colorado), following which I received a postcard confirming my new address. When I did not receive a ballot in October, I called and was assured that it had been mailed and was advised to wait a week. After it failed to appear, I called again and requested a replacement which also never arrived. Finally I went to the courthouse in person, waited in a long line, explained to two different employees why I was requesting a *second* replacement ballot and finally obtained one.

This year I did receive a ballot *long* after everyone I know received theirs, but never received the "blue book" explaining all the ballot questions, which is required by law to be sent to all voters, whether they vote in person or by absentee ballot. Fortunately I am a resourceful person with access to a computer and was able to download a copy.

Anyway, all of these events have created a certain level of concern for me that possibly I am not the only person coming dangerously close to being disenfranchised, either through incompetence or due to some "vast consipiracy" to prevent us from voting. Despite my rather cynical feeling that my participation doesn't really make a great deal of difference in the way our various governments go about their often shady business, I have made an effort to exercise my right to vote. I fear, however, that many others would not, whether due to general apathy or, as in the case of the old man, physical disability.

Maybe I'm taking a couple of honest mistakes far too personally, but then again I wonder what is going on every time I hear stories of lost ballots, misplaced ballot boxes, voters incorrectly purged from the rolls, polling places moved at the last minute, etc. Such events, combined with other questionable governmental actions and policies in recent years, do not inspire in me a great deal of confidence in the system.

Thanks for reading my rant.
Vote early! Vote often!

25/10/06 11:05 AM

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