Now that the 2018 mid-term elections have arrived, registered voters have a choice to make: To vote or not to vote.

Yes, adult Americans have the freedom to not vote. Not voting is one way for Americans to express their displeasure about the current state of American politics.

Americans who exercise this particular freedom are often griped at by those who vote and who are unhappy with the results of elections.

If political candidates and political parties fail to give people a reason to vote, then the problem is with the political candidates and political parties, not with the people who choose not to vote.

It would be foolish to try to make voting in America a legal requirement. Trying to take away a freedom is a non-starter in the USA.

Anyway, after thinking it over, I decided to vote. This year, going to vote was rather easy, because the polling station for my precinct is only 1/2 mile from me, located in my church’s building, and I was able to use the handicapped parking place closest to the front door. I arrived shortly after 7 AM, and the lines were already getting long.

This year, I did something that I previously thought I would never do.

I voted for a straight-party ticket for Democrats.



If you think that I have always been a closet Democrat or a closet Liberal, then you are mistaken.

I am not a Democrat. I have never been a Democrat, and I see no reason to ever be a Democrat.

Frankly, the Democratic Party has way too many flaws for me to consider joining.

So, I held my nose while I voted.

Why did I vote that way?

Answer: Because my state’s Republican Party disgusts me, and there was no presidential election.

[In 2016, I didn’t vote for either Clinton or Trump.]

Also, I have no desire to support a party that has been taken over by members of the Alt-Right who believe that it is still acceptable to display symbols of white supremacy. Such people may be registered to vote as Republicans, but they embrace ideas that were anathema to the Republican Party’s founders.

As I see it, authentic Republicans are now few, far in between and no longer in charge of the party that they belong to.

I formally left the Republican Party in 2012 because Republican theocrats keep wanting to violate the U.S. Constitution by requiring political candidates to pass a religious litmus test and by turning their religious beliefs into civil law.

Violating the U.S. Constitution in such a way is anti-Conservative, because Conservatives are opposed to turning the USA into a theocracy.

By the way, the fact that a political candidate is a registered Democrat does not in itself mean that there is something wrong with that person or that the person should not be elected.

Believe it or not, there are still some decent Democrats who run for public office as well as some decent Democrats in general.



Granted, once the results of the elections are known, the following will be happening in bars all over the USA:



* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This post's first image is from the National Museum of American History of the Smithsonian Institution. It is an image of a ballot box used during the 1800s.

Yeah, I know what you are thinking. How did something made by Acme not blow up or malfunction some other way?

The answer is simple: Wile E. Coyote didn’t come into existence until 1949. So, he couldn’t get his hands on the thing.

Isn't that right, Mr. Acme Chairman?


"That is absolutely correct!"

Much respect. I am registered democrat myself, because of the two platforms, democrat is the one MOST aligned with my own values and dreams for the country and my countrymen and women.

But I vote for the person who seems best suited, regardless of how they have registered. It so happens, with blind party loyalty type politics, those who run on a democrat or republican ticket, tend to espouse those platform ideals, so often I do vote democrats. However, sometimes people can be a registered democrat but have some ideals closer lined with the republican platform or vice versa. I vote for the person, not their party. And I have read your posts for years and respect your ability to attempt to be open minded and logical.



and yes, I DID VOTE.

We voted a week ago, mail-in.

There should be a good turnout because they have an
initiative to preclude the state from collecting taxes
on groceries.

Don't complain, don't explain, just VOTE people!

I voted!

George Carlin - Voting is meaningless

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeMGqTwWA6U&t=15s

Yep.

Almost 6:00pm here. Can't believe I'm pleased to see regular commercials instead of the constant barrage of political ads.

Yes, I voted about a half an hour ago.

I did this morning.

Our machines show how many did since they opened. Normal for my district, at 9am is about 30-40. (I'm rural, only about 750 or so are in mine) This morning, I was 152.

Yes... 4 times

We don't get stickers here. I guess it's only for the big cities.

I voted and got a sticker.

yup 2 weeks ago.
MAGA2020

I had to re- register. I moved last year 10 miles away. Still in the same county and town. They still have to check my driver's license. It's funny here, being a small town. When I was leaving, I asked a worker there, "why don't we get stickers?" She was saying, don't know, we should!

I voted and refused my sticker. I have too many pieces of paper things to sort through. I think I offended the man at the ballot box, but........

David, I appreciate that your vote was guided by principle rather than party.

Yes, I voted.

I Early Voted this year at our County Bldg.

I actually wasn't able to vote.

I couldn't register at my new address because the landlord has yet to provide a copy of the lease and a mailbox key. Hence no proof of residence. To vote in my former town would have taken a minimum of 3 hours for the commute, and I needed to be back in time for work. That just wasn't workable given the bus schedules.