Done!

I left home a few minutes before 0600. It took me about 15 minutes to walk to the neighborhood elementary school where we vote. Saw one guy out getting his newspaper and hardly any lights on in any houses as I passed.

I started to feel a little silly about leaving so early, figuring I'd be sitting up there all alone, but there was already a line when I arrived. About 20 people were ahead of me.

Had a nice little chat with some neighbors and a co-worker about the school, the neighborhood and how great it was to grow up/raise children here.

Oh, and I don't think I was too obvious wearing my jeans and hiking boots, carrying my "Tree Hugger, Planet Lover" tote bag, my World Wild Life Federation umbrella and my novel about the reign of King Henry VII. At least the crowd didn't stone me.

I was done, finished, walking out the door at about 0745. No problems that I saw with checking in - the young man ahead of me had moved but not gotten a new registration card and they pulled him out of line to solve the problem without holding up the rest of us.

There were only three voting machines though. I was a bit surprised. I'm pretty sure there was at least four, possibly six the last presidential election. But I may be confusing that with voting at the primary, where there were more because several districts were voting in one place at that time.

I had no problems with the machine itself. The lady I was chatting with in line had told me she'd never used this type before. When I caught up with her on the walk home, she said the poll worker had explained it to her and she didn't have any problems either.

Please thank your poll workers for the work they do!

And just to act like a socialist since that's what some have been calling me lately, I offered my folding chair free to the crowd and told them to just leave it for whoever needs it.

Jason was behind me in line, I was leaving the house just when he got up. Perhaps 50/60 people ahead of him after I'd finished up. There was a good mix of people. Young, old, in-between, black, white.

Edit: Jason called at 0845 to let me know he was finished and off to work.

I'm not very good at estimating numbers, but there was probably 100 total in line. Walking home, I was asked by four people how the lines were. A good, uneventful experience, but then, luckily, I've never experienced a problem.

I don't consider having to wait in line a problem.

Loki sez: Yippee!