Tag Archives: voting

Do You Vote the Same as Your Spouse?

Do you vote the same way as your spouse? Does it matter if you don’t? Or is it one of those fundamental differences where you would not even consider marrying someone who had a different political stance? One of the things that interested me in the article recently in Time magazine was it claims that 40 years ago a woman would have most likely voted the same way as her husband. Over the years Mick and I have been married, and it’s over 40, sometimes we have we have voted the same way. Other times we haven’t. What we have … Continue reading →

Bringing the Importance of the Presidential Election Home

Just before bed one day last week, my seven-year-old son was asking me about the presidential election. Bouncing my two-year-old on my hip and supervising the “almost-four-year-old” while she brushed her teeth, I started launching into the two-party system, Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, the names of the current candidates, taking him with me when I went to vote, weighing the issues, etc. My son looked at me quizzically, and then gave a slight nod. “But the important thing is that history is going to be made.” That is when I had to bow to the wisdom of a seven-year-old. He … Continue reading →

How Would He Have Voted During the Suffrage Movement?

The weekend before last Wayne and I headed to our local polling place to capitalize on the early voting system the city’s got set up. It’s nice. We enjoyed short lines, which spared us from the muss and fuss that’s sure to plague the polls next Tuesday. I got to thinking how remarkable that was. Not so much about the convenience of early voting (which is pretty nice), but about voting period. It’s hard for me to fathom that it hasn’t even been 100 years that women have had the right to vote. Grandma Wasn’t a Suffragette Whenever I think … Continue reading →

Will You Be Taking Your Kids to the Polls on Election Day?

The stodgy suit wearing, watch checking, business exec who plans to vote on his lunch break might prefer you leave your squirmy little ones at home on November 4th, but countless voter advocacy groups are hoping parents across the nation will bring their children with them to the polls on Election Day. Several groups are going out of their way to make it easy for parents with children to get out and vote by providing free transportation to polling places and kid-friendly distractions inside. Because of the massive attention given to this year’s election, parents are being warned that parking … Continue reading →

Does Single Parent Status Influence Your Voting?

Recently, I was interviewed for a newspaper article on the progression of the election “season”—the reporter was curious if my role as a single parent was the primary influence as to how I vote for individuals, ballot measures, and laws. It really got me to thinking about whether I AM influenced more by my single parent status, or by other demographic realities, as well as my personal value and belief systems? I have to be honest and admit that my single parent status and role does influence what is important to me in the political sphere, but it is not … Continue reading →

Do You Vote the Same as Your Spouse?

As I alluded to in Politics and Marriage, Wayne and I don’t always agree on candidates. However, once in a while we do. The last presidential election was probably the most united we’ve ever been on any vote. Not so much because we were both gung ho for the same candidate as because we were both passionately against the other. In our years together we’ve learned that we both enjoy politics. Not so much volunteering to help with campaigns, but at least analyzing the issues and candidates. Sometimes we have great debates about our respective ideologies. Other times we’re relatively … Continue reading →

Politics and Marriage

Let the official presidential election year begin! Tonight’s the Iowa caucuses. After that the focus moves on to New Hampshire where in five days there’ll be another vote on the candidates. From then on we’re in for one heck of a ride. Because no matter what happens along the way or who wins the final election, this voting year is already going down in the record books. How can it not with the first black man running for President as well as a woman? Do You Know Your Spouse’s Political Temperament? Is this your first voting year together as a … Continue reading →

Voting as a Family Affair

Yesterday was Election Day. In our little city and our state, that meant five ballot measures all having to do with raising taxes or funding in one way or another. It wasn’t terribly exciting and didn’t get voters all revved up and aggravated like some elections do. Still, as someone who has voted consistently since I first registered to vote after turning 18, I made my usual fuss about things and discussed the topics and ballot measures with my kids. We’ve even been known to read the voter pamphlets together as a family. They’ve grown used to it and they … Continue reading →

Kids Need a Sense of History

As far as my kids are concerned, the 1980’s are the dark ages—anything that happened before their memories kicked in might as well be a fairy tale. But, as my kids approach voting age, the age of consent, and dip their toes into the land of adulthood, I realize how imperative it is that they get a grasp on what has gone before. I understand that passion for the “now” is one of the blessings of the young—but I also think that a sense of history is an important part of developing a perspective. I happened to walk in on … Continue reading →

Who Would Your Dog Vote For?

An Australian shepherd mix was registered to vote in Washington State for more than a year in protest of a voting law change. Owner Jane Balogh registered Duncan M. McDonald in April 2006 — in order to meet identification requirements, she put her phone bill in the dog’s name. That was apparently enough for election officials, who sent the dog his first ballot in November 2006. Balogh returned the ballot unmarked — she wrote VOID on it and stamped a paw print on the signature line. Someone called her house after that and she confessed to registering her dog to … Continue reading →