I voted today. I’m not really sure why. While Ohio has a senator and a congress person retiring and in need of replacement I’m in the wrong district, and don’t get to vote.
I would hate to stand in the polling place and flip a coin, particularly now that there is no booth to speak of, just a small partition separating tiny machines placed precisely on a round table. I live in fear of dropping my quarter and having it roll across the carpeted, cavernous, meeting room in the local church. I would have to crawl around and through several rows of seething, fuming members of the body politic. Not to mention the poll workers who are always so welcoming and kind. I think that might be more than they could take.
I just picked them based on a gut feeling from the reading their names.
There were several judges running for office. In Ohio we choose judges through elections. Like I have any ability to choose a judge. Judges are nonpartisan, so you can’t just vote along party lines, and I’m not really sure how to find out how a judge has ruled in past cases. Even if I could I’m not sure I have the wisdom to understand what makes a fair impartial ruling. Cases, I would assume, are nuanced and unravel over the course of a trial, which could take weeks. I don’t really feel qualified.
We elect the coroner, not today, but it will be on the ballot sooner or later. I don’t even know who would want that job, let alone who should have it. Maybe people nominate candidates based on an individual loathing.
“I caught Bob using my ID to send personal faxes, I nominate him for coroner.”
I voted. It seemed kind of a waste.
In off year elections we should get to vote on other things, like half time entertainment at the Super Bowl.[1] Or, who‘s going to host Jeopardy.[2] What if you got to choose who is going to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, or who’s going to be the next coach of the (insert your favorite team here)? How about we let the people choose the programming for evening television? Maybe a new Campbell’s soup flavor. What if we had this kind of important stuff during non-presidential years?
Democracy isn’t dead, it’s just a little boring. With a little planning and some tender modifications and additions we can bring it to the pinnacle it was meant to inhabit.
[1] Full disclosure, I don’t watch the super bowl or the halftime show, but if I got to choose…
[2] I don’t watch Jeopardy, either, but it was a big deal to people I know.
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This post is republished on Medium.
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