Voting Stories

It is voting time again. The mid-term elections are upon us. I do encourage people to get out and vote - what a great responsibility to prayerfully prepare and vote.

When I was a kid the local politicians, like the local Sheriff who was up for reelection and had been Sheriff for years, would send his Deputies out to pick up people to come vote. And yes, they used their patrol cars to give them "free" rides. Seems a little fishy to me but it was the way it was done. The Sheriff seemed to always win by a landslide.

Texas politics has always been pretty colorful. Some people running for office were known to have had people vote for them who had been dead and buried for years. Someone apparently went to the cemetery and got the names off the gravestones and cast their vote for them!

For years many states had a "poll tax" - you literally had to pay to vote. So politicians would send their supporters out with money to pass out to all those who might be a little short on cash come election day. Who says you cannot buy votes.

I heard a country and western singer talking about getting in trouble with the law and ending up going to jail. He was convicted of a felony and so he was no longer allowed to vote or carry a gun. He said he did miss being able to vote but being a country and western singer and not having a gun was downright dangerous in the crowd he hung out with. He said he did get one good hit song out of going to jail, which eased the pain a good bit, especially whenever the royalty checks would come in every year.

One couple I knew were opposites when it came to politics but they would always vote just to negate the others vote. There are all kinds of motivations for voting - sometimes all it takes is knowing that your spouse will vote for the other person!

Early voting is great! Getting it done early usually means a shorter line. Some of the most enthusiastic voters are early voters - they are so excited you would think it's the Grand Opening of a new Wal-Mart! My parents would always vote on the first morning of early voting - they could not wait!

We are blessed - in some countries people who vote for the wrong candidate loose a hand or finger or worse!

Enjoy the blessing - see you at the polls!

Just thinking, Steve