Just got back from voting. I took my two kids with me and had them helping me with the touch-screen voting.
I did not have any problems with the machine, but I did have a run-in with the head election officer. She came up to me just as we were finishing and she told me that children were not allowed to touch the machine. My first reaction was 'Really?' She said yes and I asked her to show me the rule. She told me that that would take so time and I asked her to get it. She walked away and then comes back. Not with the rule but with the complaint that there were three of us at the machine and even made the snide comment about how many times we were trying to vote. As far as I know it is impossible for me to vote more than once. Isn't that the point of electronic voting, to make sure things like that don't happen. And it's not like my kids, 3 and 5, were going to hack the machine. I took them along just like my parents did with me. Although back then, we used the large machines with the curtain that offered some privacy from troublesome election officials.... I pointed out that if there was a problem with me taking my two kids to the voting booth, that is was something that should have been told to me when I went to the registration table. They of course were happy that I brought my kids to participate in the experience. By this time I was just pressing the 'VOTE' button and in the back of my mind I was wondering if she was trying to goad me into a situation that was going to end up with me being arrested. So in response her her demand for my voter number I simply replied that I was done voting and was leaving. I have no clue what was her problem. I never saw a person have a problem with kids coming to help parents vote. Also I was not interesting in escalating a situation where she was probably volunteering her time to begin with.
Just to be clear, I did not let me kids touch the machine after she told me they could not touch it. After all, there could be a valid rule, in an attempt to prevent kids passing on germs to the touch screen, or more likely getting something off the touch screen. But if any of these are the reasons, she should know the reason why and she had no clue.
This is not the first time that I have done this. I did the same in McLean for the last election and not only did I not have trouble, but the kids also got candy. I think that was why they wanted to come in the first place. Well for that and the sticker. And I bet the election official yelled at the helper for giving us three.
No matter, I voted and look forward to the results tonight.
Update: I voted at North Springfield Elementary School.
I did not have any problems with the machine, but I did have a run-in with the head election officer. She came up to me just as we were finishing and she told me that children were not allowed to touch the machine. My first reaction was 'Really?' She said yes and I asked her to show me the rule. She told me that that would take so time and I asked her to get it. She walked away and then comes back. Not with the rule but with the complaint that there were three of us at the machine and even made the snide comment about how many times we were trying to vote. As far as I know it is impossible for me to vote more than once. Isn't that the point of electronic voting, to make sure things like that don't happen. And it's not like my kids, 3 and 5, were going to hack the machine. I took them along just like my parents did with me. Although back then, we used the large machines with the curtain that offered some privacy from troublesome election officials.... I pointed out that if there was a problem with me taking my two kids to the voting booth, that is was something that should have been told to me when I went to the registration table. They of course were happy that I brought my kids to participate in the experience. By this time I was just pressing the 'VOTE' button and in the back of my mind I was wondering if she was trying to goad me into a situation that was going to end up with me being arrested. So in response her her demand for my voter number I simply replied that I was done voting and was leaving. I have no clue what was her problem. I never saw a person have a problem with kids coming to help parents vote. Also I was not interesting in escalating a situation where she was probably volunteering her time to begin with.
Just to be clear, I did not let me kids touch the machine after she told me they could not touch it. After all, there could be a valid rule, in an attempt to prevent kids passing on germs to the touch screen, or more likely getting something off the touch screen. But if any of these are the reasons, she should know the reason why and she had no clue.
This is not the first time that I have done this. I did the same in McLean for the last election and not only did I not have trouble, but the kids also got candy. I think that was why they wanted to come in the first place. Well for that and the sticker. And I bet the election official yelled at the helper for giving us three.
No matter, I voted and look forward to the results tonight.
Update: I voted at North Springfield Elementary School.
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