'Tis the 'season' to punch ballots
Jay Evensen
Did your heart skip a beat when you heard the enthusiasm of the man in Florida who told reporters he voted early because he couldn't wait to vote against the current administration, or the chest-thumping bravado of the man there who said he arrived early so as to be among the first people anywhere to cast a vote in support of the president?
Champing at the bit to poke holes in your own ballot, are you? Well, too bad.
In Utah, the quaint notion of Election Day still holds sway. The idea of an Election season (the 12 days of voting?) hasn't caught on here, yet. Neither, by the way, has the notion that punch-ballot voting is a communist plot. Utah and Ohio are the only two places left where Chad is more than just a male name for most voters.
People used to joke about voting "early and often." Now, half of that joke is no longer funny. Let's just hope it doesn't make the second half a joke on us.
And let's hope the people who are so eager to cast a ballot in the presidential race also remember they will be voting in several local and statewide races, as well. It's one thing to be cock-sure about Bush or Kerry way in advance, but quite another to decide who is best for the school board. The polling booth is no time for a "whoops" moment — discovering you forgot to research all the candidates and issues. When it comes to the most precious right anyone has in a free society, patience and deliberation still are virtues.
All of this has added a new twist to the season. Suddenly, campaigns don't seem as sure any more about how to organize that last-minute blitz. As for the voters, well, what if something big happens during those last 10 days? What if a candidate is caught in a compromising position next week or, heaven forbid, is assassinated? What if Osama bin Laden is captured and al-Qaida is forced to lay down its arms and support freedom?
Here's a far-fetched example: What if a candidate drops out of a county mayor's race and a new one replaces her on the ballot? Too bad. Your vote is in and you can't change it.
After the 2000 debacle, Americans seem intent on not just thinking out of the electoral box, but of throwing the box away and scattering its contents everywhere. A lot of states seem to be using the "ready! fire! aim!" approach. No one really knows much about the long-term consequences to all of this.
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