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| Me, third in line to vote this morning! |
That day is finally here!
I felt like a nine year old kid trying to go to sleep on Christmas Eve. However, I did manage to go to sleep. Thankfully I didn't have any nightmares like too often I was having the past several weeks.
I woke up this morning at 5:05 AM, ready to vote. I checked my iPhone for any over night news. All clear.
I got up, hit the bathroom, then told Bill to get ready. We're leaving so I can be the first in line to vote.
I have about a four mile drive to Cape Henlopen High School where I vote.
This morning was a beautiful, bright, clear, brisk autumn day. A perfect day for voting!
I arrived at the parking lot of the high school at approximately 6:25 AM. I saw one person in line already. The polls open at 7:00 AM.
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| One person was in line already as I arrived this morning at Cape Henlopen High School to vote. |
I approached the line and I saw another voter arriving at the same time. I motioned for him to go ahead of me. I didn't mind being third in line.
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| Me with the two other guys ahead of me in line this morning |
I said "Good morning!" to him. We began a non-political conversation. God forbid if he was a Trump supporter and I would have to stand in line with him with THAT tension. Neither one of us gave an indication of how we would vote.
I found out that a he, like me, is also am Army veteran. He was in the Army from 1957 to 1960. I was in the Army from 1960 to 1963. As is usual with old Army vets, we exchanged war stories.
Before long we looked behind us and lo and behold, check out THAT line.
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| Long line to vote early this morning |
Seven AM arrived and the doors to the Cape Henlopen High school were opened.
The poll workers were all in place. Some of them were a bit disorganized but I could see that they had staffed for a busy day. Being a former poll worker myself (when I lived in Pennsylvania) I knew they were in for a long day.
I approached the table where I could sign in. I showed my voter registration card and signed in. I thanked the lady who had be sign the book for volunteering her time.
I walked to my private voting booth. I had read in the newspaper the night before that the voter commission STRONGLY recommends against taking selfies in the voting booth. Why, I don't know other than some local bureaucrat exercising their power. You can take your kids in the voting booth with you, service pets but take a selfie? Strongly discouraged. I took a selfie anyway, a bit blurred because I was afraid of being caught.
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| My, quick blurry picture of me in my voting "booth" |
Just as I was about to take my selfie one of the poll workers pulled the curtain aside (I thought I was caught!) and asked me if the light was on my voting machine. It wasn't. She turned in on. I took a gander at my choices. I tried not to look at the name Trump and Pence because I wince whenever I see or hear those names.
I was going to split my ticket because I like the local Republican representative to the state legislature but decided not to take a chance and accidentally vote for Trump/Pence and voted straight Democrat. Can't go wrong there can I?
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| Straight Democratic folks! Dump the Trump! |
Then I exited the flimsy curtains of my voting booth or stand or whatever they call it. I was looking for my "I VOTED!" sticker. The poll workers around me still weren't organized but they were trying. I'm sure now they have their routine down pat but they didn't this morning. I finally got my "I VOTED!" sticker, which was plastered on my jacket. It stays there all this week, even throughout my trip to Philly tomorrow to celebrate the election of Hillary Clinton, the first woman president in the history of the United States!
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| Me happily standing in line waiting to exercise my right to vote - proud to be an American! |
At eleven this morning I have to take Bill down to his eye doctor to finalize the paperwork for his cataract surgery in December.
Then the rest of this day I'm going to be sitting at this computer, with my TV on in the background, listening to the election results. I'll probably be up late tonight but that's okay.
Tomorrow at 9 AM my neighbor stops by and takes me to Philly. He's also a Hillary supporter. We'll have a lot to talk about for the 2 1/2 hour ride to Philly.
Yes folks, today I am proud to be an American. I voted.