Voting in an "Off" Election

Den and I voted today.  We went to our polling place right at 3:00 PM, which was a mistake.  Our polling place is in an elementary school, which evidently lets out right after three o'clock in the afternoon.  At first we thought we would have to stand in line to vote, and I was surprised that so many people had turned out for a primary election.  Then I realized that all these people were here to pick their kids up from school.  This realization was both a relief and a disappointment.  A relief that we wouldn't have to stand in line; a disappointment that a lot of these people didn't care enough to vote.

While we were signing in, a poll worker from across the room asked one of "our" poll workers how many people had voted on that side of the room.  According to the answer, we were numbers 49 and 50.  This after 8½ hours of being open!  Granted, there were no high profile races being contested, but there were enough campaign phone calls and newspaper coverage that most people should have been aware that today was the day to vote.  And there were a few important issues to vote on, though why we need a constitutional amendment to move a gambling casino from one location in Columbus to another is a mystery to me.

Anyway, what I am trying to say, is how disappointed I am that more people don't take the time to vote, even in the primary elections.  I once had a political science professor who adamantly believed that a person could influence how this country was governed more by paying attention to the local issues and voting in local elections than sticking strictly to the "big" elections.  Today, we were choosing the Democrats and Republicans who would line up to fight for our votes in November.  If you didn't vote, how can you criticize who actually goes to Columbus and Washington?  Even if you chose to be a independent, there were still some taxing issues on the ballot that deserved your consideration.