stacy can't you see you're just not the girl for me

It's a big day around these parts. I woke a few times during the night last night, fitfully thinking that it was all over and I had to check the results immediately.

I voted a week ago in North Carolina's nifty early voting, but I wish I hadn't. That is to say, I wish I'd waited and gotten more information on local races before casting a ballot. The local board of elections put out a pamphlet in which candidates were able to give one-paragraph personal statements, but I read all those statements, and you know what? It turns out that candidates for Insurance Commissioner all want to work to lower insurance prices, judicial candidates all believe in fairness and responsibility, potential school superintendents believe the children are the future and we should teach them well and let them lead the way, etc. Which is to say, that pamphlet wasn't the slightest bit helpful.

And then when I got into the voting booth, I saw a section on the ballot for a U.S. Senate primary. Five or six names, and I knew none of them. But it's just the U.S. Senate, not a big deal at all. Long story short (too late), I felt like I wasted most of my ballot, voting for a presidential nominee and a county commissioner, but leaving the rest of it blank.

And the very next day, the local weekly did a huge spread on local races. Local politics coverage is where papers like that are really worth their salt.

Early voting is a wonderful thing; it really makes the whole democratic process that much more democratic. And it felt good to get out there and get it done early, and I'm glad not to have to wait in line today, but I'll be sure to investigate a little more next time, and I'll wait for more information if I need to.


Completely unrelated song for today: Sigur Ros - Leit Af Lifi (recycled by Sigur Ros)