Bart Simpson! Fear my army of mice and lawyers!

[thistlechaser]

*giggle!* This is funny. Snatched from villainny:

<td bgcolor="#000000">Name:</td><td bgcolor="#DDDDAA"></td><td bgcolor="#000000">You will conquer:</td><td bgcolor="#DDDDAA">every Springfield in the USA (now where's Evergreen terrace? One of these has to be the right one...).</td><td bgcolor="#000000">Your title will be:</td><td bgcolor="#DDDDAA">Baron</td><td bgcolor="#000000">You will succeed by:</td><td bgcolor="#DDDDAA">Building a better mousetrap, and using it to coerce all mouse-kind to do your bidding.</td><td bgcolor="#000000">Your Enforcers will be:</td><td bgcolor="#DDDDAA">An army of Assault Lawyers (preferably in Powered Armor).</td><td bgcolor="#000000">Your first act as ruler:</td><td bgcolor="#DDDDAA">Have your Home Town wiped from the face of the Earth.</td>

The World Is MINE! by Demonac
Created with quill18's MemeGen!

I went out and voted this morning before work. I think it was my first time using these punchcard ballots. I'll never joke about stupid people in Florida again. I figured it out, but I can see where it'd be daunting for little old people. For anyone who hasn't experienced it yet:

You check in, and they give you a card. The only thing on the card is a grid with the numbers 1-150 (in tiny, tiny font) and a little hole under each number. Then, using the book (which I hadn't brought in, so had to go back and borrow one), you have to look up who you want for what race, and punch out that number. Big issues:

1) The tiny font. My eyes are fine, and even I had to squint.
2) The tiny punch tool. My grandmother would never have been able to hold/control it. And even if they do have some other option for people with arthritis, should someone have to *ask* for help?
3) Even though I double-checked against the book after I punched, there's no confirmation that you did it right or that you picked the answers you wanted to. There should be some system like teachers use when marking those fill-in-the-bubble tests: A "master form" you could hold your punched card up against, and based on which ones you have punched out, it'd show you what the answers you picked were. (There was some sort of plastic flipping/book-like thing bolted to the booth's table, but it had no writing or markings on it, other than the 1-150 numbers. If that was supposed to be some sort of confirmation system, it should have been marked or something.)
4) I can see where hanging chads would be an issue. If you punch the hole just once, it only rips off one corner. I punched a couple times, then turned it over and pulled off the little dangling square. Should that have to be done? No.

And, scarily, after voting the ballots went into a cardboard box. Luckily it doesn't rain in CA, or our votes would get all soggy!

Unfortunately, I think that it was a waste for me to have voted at all. The radio says that the exit polls indicate that the recall would probably pass (I voted 'no' on it), and that Mr. Movie Star will win by a long shot.

SIGH.

I try to make myself feel better about our next governor by remembering that no matter how bad he is, and no matter how little experience he has (NONE! NONE! NONE! You idiots! Why are you voting for him! HE HAS NO EXPERIENCE! Gah!), he'll still be better than President Bush.

Is it any wonder the country has gone to hell in a handbasket?

Comments

[sileas.livejournal.com]

1) The tiny font. My eyes are fine, and even I had to squint.
2) The tiny punch tool. My grandmother would never have been able to hold/control it. And even if they do have some other option for people with arthritis, should someone have to *ask* for help?


*wince* That sounds frustrating.

Why do they use these punch cards? When we have to vote (always on a Sunday since everyone has to vote), we color dots on a paper or do it by computer. Then the votes get sealed up and carried away to the counting-bureau. It's manned by people that got drafted into the service. Manning the voting-bureau is preferable to counting-duty because the former get off around noon while the latter have to count until they finish up.
Do "volunteers" count the punch-cards? That seems difficult to do with the small font and everything.

Sorry to be so curious. *g*

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Well, they're not supposed to use the punch cards anymore, they're supposed to be replaced by computers/touch screens... but this is a "special election" and so the state of California was permitted to use the old stuff this one last time.

Wow, your way of doing it seems a lot better! Other than being drafted into service. It's all volunteer-based here.

On a completely different issue

[tiranog.livejournal.com]

Hey, there, Thistle Chaser! Your post appeared in my email, but not in my journal. Didn't want you to think I was ignoring you. Hope this finds you happy and healthy! Cheers.

Re: On a completely different issue

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Wow, LJ is so odd! Well, thanks for letting me know!

[metron-ariston.livejournal.com]

My SO says that you were supposed to vote yes/no on the recall and then vote for who you'd elect if the yes went through. Is that true, or did you just have the 'no' option and no say in who eventually gets elected?

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Your SO is correct. If you wanted to, you could vote "no" on the recall and still vote for one of the people (which I did).