Monday, November 3, 2008

Early voting for Massachusetts?

Just got a call at home from a guy who said his mom suggested he call me. He's a truck driver who was just told by his boss that he's going to have to make an unexpected trip to New York tomorrow, leaving at 4 a.m. and not returning until after the polls close.

"'How am I supposed to vote?'" he tells me he asked his boss. "He told me I could take the day off without pay if I wanted, but I've got four kids-- can't afford to do that."

He went down to the Election Commission about 2 pm. to see if he could get an absentee ballot only to be told that they stopped giving out applications at noon. It's the law, he was told.

I had to reassure him, while not wanting at all to make it seem that his vote was unimportant, that our state was definitely going to go for Obama. Of course there's important questions, state rep races, etc.

"I know, I know," he said. "I just wanted to be a part of history."

When things settle down a bit I'll research the possibilities of early voting in Massachusetts.

Meanwhile, I'm a nervous wreck about the Presidential election, and headed off to an Arise board meeting, which I hope will distract me.

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