Thursday, November 6, 2008

Rule #8: Sometimes it's better just to lie.

I know many of you may think that statement contradicts my usual philosophy on life, but I have found that there are times when it is just better to lie.

As everyone knows it was Election Day on Tuesday. I wanted to participate, take part in the privilege and opportunity I have to vote, a privilege that I am so grateful to have. I had worked the night before and was unsure when I should vote. I knew that I wouldn't be in the mood to wait for hours, let alone 20 minutes if I hadn't slept...but I wasn't sure how the lines would be later in the day either. I had heard the nightmare stories from those who had gone to vote early. So I decided to stop by the elementary where I was supposed to vote, and if the lines weren't too long, I'd stay and then go straight to bed.

Location: Meadowbrook Elementary

I walk in, see no signs directing me where to vote. I am unsure that this even is Meadowbrook, see a display case with the words Meadowbrook, continue to wander aimlessly. Find the GYM, see the voting tables and walk to the one marked A-K. I see the Bishop's wife from my old ward, say hi and state my name. She asked for my address, I look down, see my old address listed...I just moved a few weeks ago remember. So I say, foolishly "Well, for you guys it's 340 North..." and then I am cut off. I don't know what I was thinking. I didn't want to lie, because I knew that she knew I had moved. I thought she'd correct me if I lied, or that I might get "in trouble" for giving false information. I should have lied.

I am sent to another table to register with my new address. They ask me for my drivers license...ask if it has the current address, and I say no. They ask for proof of residency, which I don't have. They look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them I don't have proof of residency with me, and ask if I live far. They tell me all I need is a utility bill with my name and address and to come back to that table. So I go home.

Location: My home

I'm not terribly tired yet, so I go home, tell my husband and son about my silly decision to be honest and debate whether I want to go back or not before I've slept. I decide to just get it over with because there were no other voters! It was stranded and I figured this was the best time to do it. Luckily we had a utility bill in the house with my name on it so I go back to the school.

Location: Meadowbrook Elementary

I go directly to the registration table, greet the same two ladies as 15 minutes before and show them my utility bill. They ask me to find my address on a map. I do and they state that I'm not even in this district and I need to go elsewhere to vote. I look at them blankly, starting to feel the effects of staying up all night, wondering if they are really serious. Then they tell me that I should have told them my address before I left so that they could have checked what district I am in. *sigh* Yes, I suppose I should have. So they give me the address of the next school I need to go to.

Location: my car

Another debate in my mind as to whether I should continue to vote before I sleep. I'm a little frustrated, and preparing to be really angry if there is a long line. I'm also silently cursing the rain and my now thoroughly soaked scrubs, luckily scrubs are meant to dry quickly.

Location: Washington Elementary

I walk in and I am pleased to immediately see signs telling me where to go. I walk into the lunch room where there are crowds and crowds of children eating and am directed to the registration table. I lay my bill and drivers license on the desk and tell her that I recently moved and need to register.

"Do you have your drivers license?" I hand her my license AND my bill.
"Is this your current address?"
"Oh, is that why you have your bill?"

I guess my voice was showing my frustration and fatigue because she then tried to explain why it is better for me to register now so that they will know where I live, so they can send me my registration card. (Who cares if the government knows where I live).
"I noticed you are unaffiliated. Would you like to become a member of the Republican party?" *Smile*

"No, thanks"

A frown comes to her face, "Would you like to say that you are a Democrat?"

"No"

A confused look, more frowning..."So, then....you're neither?"

"That's correct" (Isn't that what unaffiliated means!!!!?)

So finally she hands me my ballot that I fill out like a scan tron in high school, then tells me to wait two weeks, call such-and-such number to find out if my vote counted!! That's right. I might have gone through all of this hassle, and it might not have even counted!!! I might have forgotten some box of information, or who knows what. *sigh*

And I thought honesty was the best policy. Clearly I was wrong.

4 comments:

Lawson Family said...

Ahh Megs, that totally sucks! Hopefully, all of that maddness counted!

AmyPoll said...

You are TOOOOO good...I would have given my old address without even thinking twice...oh wait...I just got my drivers licence for Utah yesterday (about 10 months after I should have) and I told them our soon to be address so that I wouldn't have to go in again. Sorry for all the hassle...it seems so stupid to me to make such a big deal over that...you are afterall still in Bountiful...it is not like you moved across state lines!!!

Jill & Jared said...

That's dumb about the making you go somewhere else. They should have just said sneakily, "just vote here with your old address." Well in the very least you got to vote. I am now a permanent citizen of Arizona and nope you can't vote unless you registered 29 days before the election. I live here! Why can't I VOTE? 29 days means something? So they say I can vote absentee in Utah. Why would I? There I would only care about the pres race, here I want to vote for many things! Sigh...Politics...

Steve said...

You're just lucky they didn't make you trade for Evan. P.S. I need updates. UPDATES!! *shaking fist*