First let me get this out in the open, I don’t like change. Now for my story.

When I arrived in Oak Harbor many years ago I used to vote in the basement of a church in my neighborhood. I am not too religious but I thought it nice of them to let us use the church. We could walk there. Anyway we were greeted by neighbors who volunteered to sit at the polls. They would recognize us and immediately start leafing through the big book for our name. Once they found it we would sign in and they would announce our number to the next person to verify we got the right ballot. We were then handed a thick card with a lot of numbers which were unintelligible to anyone looking at the card. We then went to a polling “booth” on legs that had side panels to allow one to vote in private. We turned to the first page of the official looking document and began punching the card. On completion the number was torn off the bottom and the ballot was placed in a locked box. The number went to the official indicating we had actually voted. It was a patriotic and truly American experience.

Well last week I drove to vote at my new regular mega voting station. On entering I signed in and was handed an eight’n a half by 11 paper with stuff copied on it, both sides. I said, “What’s this?”

“That’s your ballot,” the lady replied.

“Well that looks real official,” I says.

“Yup” she said, “just like in the 1930s.”

I was told to go to one of the six or eight cafeteria type tables that seat eight and fill it out. There were some rinky dink cardboard screens you could get to put around you, well two of them for about 50 places to sit. I then took my eight’n a half by 11 and filled in the large boxes solid with a ballpoint pen. Lots of scribbling, not an X, just filled in solid. In fact if you put an X that meant it was a mistake and wouldn’t be counted. Once completed I was told to drop it in a cardboard box with a large hole cut in the top, cut by hand, I could see the cut marks. I dropped the paper in the box and said, “Is that it?”

“Yes,” she said, “you’re finished.”

On leaving I felt kind of like I was in fifth grade and had just voted for class representative. It didn’t seem like I was in the most powerful and modern country in the world and had just exercised a right that many, including me, have fought for and even died for. It didn’t seem at all like I had just done something important, that I had exercised a liberty that most people on the planet can only dream of.

Well, maybe I just don’t like change, or maybe I need to pay attention to who is running for county auditor and what their stand is on voting.

Christopher Saxman

Oak Harbor