The Importance of Poll Voting

Voting is important, regardless of how you do it, but in my opinion going to a poll to vote is much more effective than mail-in ballots.

I spent the first 22 years of my life growing up in Oregon, where we used to go to the polls to vote. I remember when my dad was involved in politics, he let me punch the holes in the ballot on election day. But by the time I turned 18, Oregon had done away with voting at the polls and every election was turned into mail-in ballots. Voting hasn't been as exciting since.

Photo credit: http://partyhardpolitics.com/archives/1939

Having lived in California now for roughly a year and a half and also during a presidential election, I have realized how much mail-in ballots suck. I am happy Oregon has mail-in voting for one reason and one reason only: I can still vote and because I went home just before the election I was able to fill out my ballot. I wasn't on top of things here to register to vote in California in time.

Here are five reasons mail-in ballots suck:

1.) Families can persuade people to vote a specific way. If your whole household is conservative and you are liberal, there is a strong chance they could talk you into voting for the republican. This isn't exactly politically correct, or fair.

2.) It's easier for your ballot to be tampered with. Even though it is a felony to open mail that is not addressed to you, your ballot could be opened by someone else in your home and filled out without you knowing. For instance, if my family was crazy, my dad could have just opened up my ballot and voted for me without me knowing, if he so chose. Thankfully, he's responsible and let me do it myself. Props Dad.

3.) It's not private. Of course, you can go lock yourself in a closet and vote so no one knows what you're doing, but even when I vote in Oregon, I stand around the kitchen table talking about each person and measure. At a poll, you talk to no one and you stand behind a curtain. You have much more privacy. No one knows your vote but you.

4.) Voter turnout might be better, but it's not necessarily the best quality. People can talk you into voting one way or another, or people who decide they don't care could sit around with their friends and write each other in. Give the people who spent time, energy, and money campaigning the decency of your vote, (having lived through a campaign in my own family) they deserve it.

5.) With a mail-in ballot, you don't get the satisfaction of going out and being with the people. You also don't get to vote on election day. Instead, you have two weeks to fill it out and mail it back in and if you don't do that by a certain time, you have to go in and physically drop it off. You don't get the immediate happiness of going to the polls and voting and punching the hole. You lose that special feeling of voting, and feeling like you exercised your right with the rest of America. You also don't get that cool little sticker that says, "I Voted!"

So there you have it, the five reasons why the entire nation should still have voting in polls on election day. If you're really that lazy, or traveling, or what have you, then fill out an absentee ballot.

Regardless, EVERYONE should vote. As a citizen, it is your right and privilege and your vote counts as much as the next person. Be a proud American. 

Photo credit: http://lessig.org/blog/2009/05/wikipedians_please_vote_by_may.html

Lesson learned: I didn't think about it ahead of time enough, but I should have registered to vote in California this year, because then I too could have experience poll voting once again.

Fun fact: Today is my birthday, and the greatest birthday present would be to elect Obama into a second term. Vote!