Granados Column: Yawn . . . another election

Last Tuesday, I, like many other Virginians, went to the polls and cast my vote.

Despite the fact that I have had the same polling place — Haydon Elementary School — for about three years running, I still couldn’t find it. I drove up and down Stonewall before breaking down and
calling a coworker for more detailed directions.

Amanda Stewart: “It’s off Park Avenue.”

Me: Park Street? I see Park Street.”

Amanda Stewart: “No. The school is off Park Avenue, but you have to take Park Street to get there.”

No problem right? But somehow I still managed to make a couple of wrong turns before I finally made it to the school. And, of course, when I did find my destination, I drove to the wrong part of the school
first.

Finally, parking my car as close to the voting entrance as possible, I had arrived.

From my car I could see about four people standing around the walkway that led toward the gymnasium where I needed to vote. They had sheets in their hands.

“Care for a sample ballot?” the first two asked.

“No,” I said.

“Care for a — Oh.” one of the other pair began before registering my answer to the first pair.

Already I was feeling a tinge of irritation. Couldn’t I just go in and vote without being solicited?

Solicitation, whether it be for a product or a party, is irritating. I don’t care what you are selling, what you are saying or what good you think you are doing, if I don’t approach you, I’m don’t want to hear it.

I think it would be better to have these “volunteers” with their sample ballots seated off to the side where I can make the choice whether or not I want to talk to them. In fact, I think it would be better if they
were prohibited from speaking unless first spoken to — you know, like I had to in elementary school. Perhaps they could raise their hands, but if they’re not called on, they’re out of luck.

After I got through the gauntlet of concerned ballot providers, I made it into the gym easy enough. There I provided the lady seated at the table with my driver’s license. Then she did a funny thing: She
asked me for my address.

“It’s right there on my license,” I wanted to say, but instead I just told her where I lived. I wouldn’t have been surprised if she asked me my name next, to which I definitely would have replied, “It’s right
there on the license.”

But lest you think me a mean-spirited curmudgeon, I do appreciate the efforts of our poll volunteers and I do realize they are doing their jobs. I just like to complain.

Finally, when I got to my booth, the voting itself was pretty simple, though I did change my mind after voting and had to figure out how to go back and change my choice.

I did notice that I was the youngest voter I saw while I was at the school. One of the sample ballot providers was younger, but that was it. I do know that younger people are less likely to vote, but it’s a
shame to see that fact reflected in reality.

“I voted” sticker in hand, I exited the gymnasium and crossed the grass rather than walk by the well-meaning ballot people at the head of the crosswalk. I got in my car and away I went.

Back at the office, I harangued everyone I saw about voting, just for the fun of it. And then I settled back in the office for a day of work.

That night, after eating some free food reserved for the reporters actually covering the election, I left and went to shoot pool. I paid almost no more attention to the election until the following morning.

The only surprise I got upon waking was in the 51st District race. At first, I looked at an alert left in my e-mail inbox by Insidenova.com. It said Democrat Paul Nichols had won. At work, however, I
discovered the truth. Republican Rich Anderson had pulled through a narrow victory later in the evening.

I suppose I could spout something about counting your chickens before they hatch or some such nonsense, but instead I will say that Tuesday was pretty much what I expected . . . boring. But hey, we
are talking about politics after all.

Editorial Page Editor Alex Granados can be reached by e-mail him at agranados@insidenova.com or by phone at 703-878-8069.