This morning Tim and I walked up the street and voted at a local church. The line wasn't that long when we got there, but it was still slow moving; luckily it was a lovely morning. We watched the kids from the nearby high school walk past as we waited. Most of them ignored us, but one group decided to spew us with the most vile epithets they could think of: "Vote Bush!" It was said the same way you'd say "Fuck you!" and it amused Tim and I greatly.

I'd managed to score an absentee ballot, but Tim's change of voter address apparently never went through; his absentee ballot request was returned to him yesterday, unopened, with "Insufficent Address" stamped outside (pointing to his return address). So we waited in line so he could wrestle a Provisional ballot out of the nice people manning the church lobby.

In my polling place, it was really easy to vote absentee. You just walked up and dropped it off. My boss told me that she was forced to wait in line with everyone else and show ID before she was allowed to drop off her ballot. And then they wouldn't even give her an "I Voted" sticker. They practically forced one on me (though I did want it because it's like a magic shield against last-minute campaigning, particularly rampant right outside 16th St BART).

I chatted with the Inspector while I waited with Tim. They were up really late last night setting up and had to be there at 5AM this morning. I remember some of this from my very first election ever, when I was the inspector for the polling place I volunteered for (I think I got this job because I was young and no one else wanted it). I had more energy back then, but it was still draining. (I was also registered a Republican back then, not by choice, but because our government teacher filled out our voter registration forms for us and registered the entire class for his party of choice. Bastard.) Anyway, the Inspector was very tired.

Tim came out and reported that they were already running out of paper ballots. I'm guessing this is why they instructed the pollworkers not to tell people that they had a choice between the eat-my-vote-machines and the paper ballots -- they weren't planning on having enough. However, in California you have a choice, so if you find machines at your polling place, be sure to request a paper ballot instead. Hopefully they'll still have them.

Of course, in some places in California they're making paper voting incredibly uncertain. If you run into something really fishy and/ or just plain wrong, call 1-866-OUR-VOTE and talk to a lawyer, or make an online report at http://voteproblem.org. Spread the word!

Anyway, there's a buzz in the air today. I am so hopeful that after today I'll know that the Shrub will not be in charge of things come January. They're predicting a 75% voter turnout in California. A lot of young folks are energized, voting, caring. Gods, I hope it makes a difference.

UPDATE: If you're lazy but liberal and want someone to tell you what to vote on instead of educating yourself on your local issues, check out League of Pissed Off Voters: Voter Guides. They have many states/ cities listed with the way they think you should vote on your local issues and why. If you're in the Bay Area the SF Bay Guardian has a complete, consice voting guide complete with links to the reasoning behind their choices.

Also, check out the The Monster Slash -- a silly, yet cute take on Bush's enviornmental policy set to "The Monster Mash". If you send the email they ask you to, you get to see the ent at the end.

I think that's that for now.