Absentee Ballot

The other day the Democrats sent me a form in the mail with a mailing card addressed to the local county auditor and commissioner of elections Tom Slockett. The form was filled in with my address and name thereby making it nicely easy to request an absentee ballot.

I remember the first presidential election I could vote in—it was Clinton v. Bush in 1992. I was abroad at the time and requested an absentee ballot through the embassy as I recall.

The more I think about it, the more I think I’ll send the form in and get an absentee ballot. I don’t have any particular nostalgia about the methodology of voting. Hell, I’d vote online if we could. But an absentee ballot ensures that my vote will be counted (I don’t live in Florida, natch), and I don’t have to bother with what will undoubtedly be heavy traffic at my polling place. In some states you’re actually supposed to be out of town in order to use an absentee ballot, but that isn’t the case here. Thanks John Kerry and the Iowa Democrats for thinking of me and sending me a little love in the mail.

Speaking of love, Microsoft is sending me a package via DHL Express. I have no idea what it is, but they usually send me pretty interesting stuff—it’s probably some software. We’ll see; the DHL guy is supposed to show up before noon tomorrow. Something to ponder: why are delivery men always men? I’m not talking about piano movers here, I mean these guys who carry little 2 lb. envelopes for FedEx and UPS and the rest of them. What precludes women from these jobs?