Our Election Day Adventures

At 7a.m. On the dot this morning, Kaleb and I left home heading for my polling location roughly a half-mile from the house. When we arrived at 7:03, we almost couldn't find a parking spot! Having voted at this same location numerous times before and having never seen more than 3 or 4 voters there at any one time, I was totally unprepared for the crowd. We pulled into a spot after waiting for another voter to vacate, and climbed out to join the line outside the polling place (St. Andrew's United Methodist Church on Michigan Ave.). Kaleb pulled the hood of his jacket onto his head and over his ears, and stood excitedly beside me in line as we waited for our turn, 15 minutes in the line outside and then another 10 minutes in line on the inside of the building.

During the entire wait, Kaleb was on his better-than-best behavior. I'd been coaching him for days on what to expect when we went to vote and what behaviors were and were not acceptable at the polling place. We had added new words to his vocabulary: polls, ballot, election, vote. I had told him over and over how important it is for grown-ups to vote, and how important it is for kids to learn about voting so that they know what to do when they get to be grown-ups. Kaleb had learned the names of some of the bigger candidates, and has been watching the news with me over the last few weeks. He has been asking intelligent questions (relative to his age) about the candidates and how voting works. As someone who takes a real interest in politics, it makes me proud to see Kaleb so interested. I honestly think he knows more about the voting process, at this point, than many of my middle school students!

We finally made it to the front of the line and the check-in table. I presented my voter card and my driver's license to the lady at the table, and Kaleb handed her his photo ID as well (it's actually his emergency info card). Everyone giggled a bit, and Kaleb beamed from ear to ear, feeling very grown up. The lady made a show of finding “us” in the book and having me sign the register. She handed me our slip to take to the next table and have our ballot issued. This time, there was no line, and we were able to hand the ballot issue slip right over to the lady at that table. She handed me my ballot, and went over the basics, as I suppose they are required to do with everyone. She then handed Kaleb a sample ballot (the kind that shows you how to shade in your selections), and we stepped away toward the voting area.

After a brief wait, Kaleb and I moved to an available voting station. Kaleb held my sample ballot, which I had brought along with my choices marked in case, in my early-morning haziness, I forgot which amendments I wanted to support and which I didn't. He stood patiently as I marked in selections for each race, and then he “helped” me check over the 3-page ballot to make sure I hadn't skipped or mismarked anything.

When I was satisfied that everything was correct, we went to stand in the line of people waiting to insert their ballots into the tabulator machine. I had noticed on our way in that the machine was being finicky about accepting the perforated edges of the ballots if they were bend or torn, so while we waited for our turn, I made sure that my ballot had smoothed edges and would be readily accepted by the machine. As we waited, Kaleb had a million questions to ask.

What kind of place was this building? It was a church.

Why was there a big X on the wall? It was a cross, and I told him we'd discuss it more later.

Had Grammy and Poppy and Grandpa already been here to vote? No, they voted at other places.

What was I going to do with my ballot? I was going to put it into the machine to be counted.

And then, the loudest question of them all:
“Wait, Mommy! You 'membered to vote for Rock-A-Bama?!”

As I assured him that I had remembered to vote for “Rock-A-Bama,” many of the other voters in the line giggled, and turned to smile at Kaleb and his overwhelming cuteness. Two people glared at me as if I were Satan himself, so I'm guessing their either don't like inquisitive children early in the morning or they were serious Romney supporters. Either way, I smiled politely at them and they turned back around.

But one woman wasn't so subtle about her feelings.  This woman, two places behind me in the line, said to me, "Do you really think this is an appropriate place to bring a child?"  I admit, I was a bit stunned and didn't know quite what to say to the woman.  Luckily for me, the gentleman standing in front of me in the line came quickly to my rescue.  According to his hat he was a WWII Navy Veteran, and he looked every bit old enough to really be a WWII vet. He turned and looked at me and then beyond me to the woman who had questioned my judgment in bringing Kaleb with me to vote.  He said to her, "Why shouldn't he be here?  This isn't a strip club.  We're standing in a church building, voting.  What place could possibly be more appropriate for the kid at this minute?"

The woman stared for a moment, then glared, then huffed and looked away and went back to standing silently in line.

I wish I had had the quickness of thought to say it myself, but it never occurred to me that anyone would think that a polling place was an inappropriate place for a child.  Kaleb was well-behaved and polite, not at all out of hand or ill-tempered.  And I think it's extremely important for him to go with me and learn about the process even before he's able to be an official part of it all on his own.  I remember going with my parents to vote when I was a kid, and I want Kaleb to grow up understanding that voting is a important part of being an American citizen.

Kaleb was 10 minutes late to school today, but it was for a worthy cause.  I was still 10 minutes early to school, and I participated with a couple of my classes today as all 1,000-ish of our students participated in a mock election at the school today.

Now, we're glued to CNN watching as the results are coming in.  I've done my part to do what I believe is best for the country and me.  Now I just have to hope that enough people agreed with me!