or . . . *did* I vote ???

 Back on October 8, I posted that I'd voted.  

Silly me, thinking that getting an email from my polling place saying "your ballot has been received" means that, like, they'd, um . . . gotten my ballot.  That I'd voted.  I sent them an email with my ballot, and also with the form that came with my absentee ballot that says I relinquished my right to confidential voting if I mailed my ballot electronically, and I got back an email saying they'd gotten it all, and I thought I was done.

So imagine my surprise that this past Thursday -- 9 days later -- I got another email, this one with three sentences:

This must be printed and sent to us via mail. Your ballot must be in a secrecy envelope. It must arrive by 11/12/24 at 5pm.

Arrghh.  

Fortunately, I'd saved my ballot and paperwork.  So I picked it all up and took it over to "Mailboxes ETC", which turned into an exercise in bureaucracy.  It took the (admittedly, very friendly) clerk there about forty minutes to get my little ballot---yes, in its secrecy envelope---and my absentee ballot information page into a UPS mailer.  Forty minutes, about 7 printed pieces of paper, and a couple of paperclips.  In figuring out the postage and directions for sending this all out, he used his computer, and also a printed book of prices and locations, and also a hand-held calculator.  Sheesh.

And then, the price to mail this one envelope to Pennsylvania was . . . $63.18. No kidding.  I'm thinking of this as my campaign contribution for the day, buying my favorite candidates one vote (mine).  

So, cross fingers, I filled everything out correctly and my ballot will count.  

If you're one of the fortunate who get to vote in person, you have further reasons now to be grateful for the opportunity.