03 November 2004 Wednesday

my Election Day 2004

Today was spent mostly in Pennsylvania, helping America Votes (an organization I’d not previously known of) canvas select neighborhood streets to remind people to vote this day. I went out there with my father and mother. This is our first time (I don’t think my Dad’s done this before) participating as such… We voted at our local polling station near home before driving out to Penn this morning.

Obviously, the AV people had done their homework way ahead of time, and sends its volunteers to neighborhoods that are very politically friendly but have traditionally have a very low voter-turnout rate. Few people were home/came to their doors while we were there, but the few who did were mostly pretty friendly and receptive…(there was one really shady guy though… and he apparently wasn’t even registered so he’s extra blah…)

But I loved the neighborhood we were in. Bush signs were few, Kerry signs were many. I had never ever considered myself to be a partisan…but the fact is that this year, Bush signs make me grumpy, and Kerry signs make me happy. It’s simple truth.

You know who’s really really good at this canvassing thing? my mother. She started the day terribly hyper and on full-steam-power-charge.. and she was even starting to worry me a bit… but fact is that she is very good at approaching people and getting her message across and being charming and active and moving through everything like a cheery choo-choo train.

Here’s just hoping the election goes the way it has to!