Dawn is Breaking on a Stormy Election Day

 

by Pa Rock

Persistent Voter

It began raining in southern Missouri late Sunday night and has been coming down almost nonstop ever since.  The unrelenting rain and thunder with occasional lightning is still with us as the sky slowly brighten into day - Election Day.  I voted early, a week ago yesterday, and I am glad that I did because I would not want to have to get out in all of this wet mess, drive to the polls while dodging occasional flooding along the way, and then have to weave my way through the MAGA trolls in the parking lot in order to cast my ballot.  Instead I am home, and dry, and thinking about breakfast.

Missouri does not normally allow for early voting, but this year the state legislature enabled something they call "No Excuse Absentee Voting"  which allowed voters to vote an absentee ballot in their county clerk's office a couple of weeks before the actual election.  The process is much more convenient than waiting on the single Election Day and then wading out in the rain to cast a ballot, but sadly, not everyone knew about it.

The Missouri Legislature is not big on early voting, or any other subversive plot that might weaken the white, male, Republican hold on our state government.  They (the legislative GOP majority) are even trying to pass an amendment to our state constitution this year that would make ranked-choice voting unconstitutional - and to make sure it passes they hooked it to language that also bars illegal immigrants from voting, something that illegal immigrants could not do to begin with.

But I digress.

It is bleak and stormy outside this morning and that WILL impact people's ability to get to the polls - and in this area many of those people who cannot get to the polls, or who choose to remain home and stay dry, will be Republicans.

Election Day should be a federal holiday so that more people would have the day off and be able to vote when it is convenient - or dry.  Or, the election should be spread over several days and end on Election Day.

Why shouldn't everyone have a safe and dry opportunity to vote?  It's called democracy.  What a concept!

Pa Rock has voted.  You should, too!