VOTING DAY

FOR THE SAKE  of convenience, we are always sent an absentee ballot. Mr. Bob filled his out days ago and mailed it in. I waited until last Monday evening and because the Manor

was a designated polling place, I took mine down to our lounge and deposited it in the slot, thus earning an "I VOTED" sticker.

One of our residents was a pollworker last Tuesday. She's the one in red.

Another helper assisting voters had a sign taped to the table in front of him that read "Tagalog spoken". There are significant numbers of Filipinos in our area and although their language doesn't appear on the ballot instruction booklet, three others do, along with English, which is unsettling to many of the people here.
Even I, I must admit, have at times wondered about the expense of printing the instructions in Armenian, Korean and Spanish, but as I sat in the Tea Room for a while, watching the voters arrive, I felt some pride that in this melting pot of a country, people cared enough to become citizens and then to come out to vote. What did I read? Something like 28% turnout was all we had? So if I had a hat, I'd take it off to the people that exercised their right to cast a ballot. And if reading the explanation in their primary language helped them make their decisions, then I think it's all right. I have trouble enough figuring it out in English. I can't imagine struggling with it in a newly learned language. But that's just my opinion.

Some of my friends no doubt know that one of my pet peeves is that for years now, we've had no curtains on the voting booths. I first realized it when I voted a whole ticket using an entirely wrong method. It worked but I took the long way 'round, as they say. And I realized that I hadn't practiced my stupidity in private, not that there was anything wrong in that, but I have my pride.

On the news I've seen plenty of places that have some sort of curtain on the booths. So far I've resisted taking a sheet and thumb-tacking it up before I step inside to practice my democratic duty (no pun intended). 

They came and they
cast their votes and they went on their way.

 And then more came and it was with a sense of awe mixed with pride that I watched the procession.

Silly old me, to be moved by
the sight of people practicing their inalienable rights. The enjoyment I got out of it equaled some of the entertainment I've seen here at the Manor. To each his own, I guess.