Happy Voting!

In honor of Election Day, I thought I’d share this story from quite a few years ago. Ever since I can remember, my family talked a lot about politics. We’d disagree, talk loudly over one another, and debate throughout a meal. Then we’d all get up from the table, full, and without one grudge between us. (I learned later in life that most people don’t operate this way and view political differences as worthy of ending friendships.) Anyway, my dad was always coming up with new ways to do things, and one year he decided that he’d streamline the voting process. So that we wouldn’t have to read through all of the confusing amendments at the voting booth, he numbered a sheet of paper with the number of all the amendments. Then we sat around and discussed the list. If we all agreed on voting yes or no, he marked the number with yes or no. If we didn’t all agree, he left the number blank, to be decided by each of us at the polls.

The next day Dad went to make photocopies of the sheet of paper to hand out to all of us family members. As he put the copies down on the counter to pay, a complete stranger asked him what the numbered list with yeses and nos meant. Dad explained. “Can I have one of those?” the man asked. “Sure,” Dad said, “but these are our voting choices; you might not agree with them.” To my father’s amazement, the man took the list. But that wasn’t all. As my father walked to his car the man called out to my father with one more question, “What do I vote for the ones that are blank?”

Scary.