I (finally) voted…
I’m not normally one of those last-minute voters - I like to give the phone bankers one less household to leave messages for, thank you very much.
But this year, I let it wait until the last minute. As in ‘drive it over and drop it off at 4 pm’ last minute.
Sadly, I’m not so sure my vote will count. I realized when I got back home that I’d forgotten to put my ballot in that secrecy envelope. The irony here is thick, of course - a few of us at work had laughed snarkily at a co-worker last week who’d forgotten his envelope as well. (I did remember to sign my name on the back, though.)
But that secrecy envelope seems rather wasteful in this day and age anyway, doesn’t it? One hopes at least they’re recycling all that paper somehow.
Hiya Betsy!
Sorry to say, I doubt your vote was counted since you didn’t use the secrecy envelope.
It’s sounding like Measure 49 passed and 50 failed. In fact, 50 seems to have gotten crushed everywhere but in the core of Portland, which is yet another reminder that Oregon really is two very different places defined by whether or not you’re in the Willamette valley.
I never mail my ballot. I feel that paying for postage = paying to vote.
Yup - I just read that 50 failed. Unbelievable. No it wasn’t the best solution, but at least it was something. Sad.
Hmm. I know the envelope says you have to sign the outer envelope for the ballot to count, but I’ve never seen anything mandating the use of the secrecy envelope. What makes you think forgetting it invalidates your vote?
Regardless, in a bit, you should be able to contact the elections office and ask them if your vote got counted or not.
Your vote will count. Secrecy envelope is not required. It may be “wasteful” but it ensures your vote isn’t unfairly influenced. Perhaps when America can figure out how to properly do voting via Internet/Diebold we can save on envelopes, until then, enjoy the free paper.
http://www.co.multnomah.or.us/dbcs/elections/election_information/voting_in_oregon.shtml
Diebold!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Surely you’re kidding. Why not just have the supreme court appoint all of our elected officials then?
“postage = paying to vote.”
That is only if you are to lazy to get up and drop it off at the polling place. Dont make bad excuses to be a lazy voter.
Divebarwife… I am a non smoker, but voted against issue 50 because i don’t get the connection between smokers and children… I want health care for kids, but i should have to pay my share to achieve this, not just smokers. Give me an issue that fairly taxes everyone (or just parents), then I am all in.)
Betsy - I had the same problem, forgot to put the ballot in the secrecy envelope. So, last week after I got my new monitor, I went down to the elections office and they said I didn’t need it. So good news is your vote counted!
About a year ago Mr. Kaos forgot to enclose his secrecy envelope, he was really concerned so he called the voter office and they told him that as long as his outer envelope was signed it was okay and his vote would be counted.
relax rob.. the diebold comment was a joke.
Actually, Diebold runs their ATM networks just fine, other than the ever increasing “out of network bank fees”. I think Diebold recently distanced itself from the “voting machine” division which was not part of their core business and an ever increasing embarrassment.
I’m a last minute voter as well (fortunately, the library’s just a few blocks down the street).
Rest easy all. I vote. I just don’t MAIL my vote.