le vote

When I was 18, I admit, I was too lazy to register. As the 2000 elections drew nearer, I mailed my voter registration twice and never got a registration card so figured rather than wait hours in line with a slim chance the vote would count (on so many levels), I would continue with my ordinary day.

As I watched election results that fall, I saw an anomaly that lessened my faith in America's elections. A President who lost the popular election but won because of electoral votes (which later turned out to because votes weren't properly accounted for in certain SE states).

In 2004, after switching my residency from VA to DC, I registered and vowed not to let this election slip me by. On a beautiful crisp autumn day I strolled five blocks to my polling station, a charming red brick church and stood in-line. When I got the ballot, I checked off Kerry. That night I went to Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse to watch the election results. What started as an exuberant hopeful celebration, turned into people finishing, ordering, and crying into their beers. Supposedly this last election had a higher voter turn out, and this time the guy got a mandate.

I live in a 'pseudo-state' that voted 91% blue in the last elections, has no voting representatives in Congress (the 'Taxation Without Representation' plates I have on my car were not a choice at the DMV--they are standard), prior to that I lived in Virginia which was traditionally red and has fairly strong and senior members in Congress.

Now tell me about disenchantment.