Vote Early and Often

Guess What?

Mama voted four times today!

It was like Tammany Hall, but with better stickers.

Sabrina has been asking a lot about America, because every day at school she sings the Star-Spangled Banner and says the Pledge of Allegiance and now shouts out “I see the America flag!” everywhere we go.

Sometimes that Star-Spangled music starts playing while Mama and I are still at Sabrina’s school. As soon as it starts, all the kids pop up like their pants are on fire and start singing. Mama makes me stand still and I have to listen to her sing. And let me tell you, Mama can not hit those high notes. 

Anyway, yesterday Mama was trying to explain some things about “America” to Sabrina. Big Sister wisely informed her, “Yeah, but we live in Utah.”

Mama said that Utah was just one of the states, but that lots of states get together and they make up our country. 

Sister asked, “do they all get together and have a meeting?”

“Yes!” shouted Mama. “It’s called Congress!” and with that our fate was sealed. We were off to vote.

Now, Oma. Let me tell you about voting. First you stand in line. Then you get out your wallet.

I thought maybe we had to pay to vote, so I got out all the credit cards. Mama said that poll taxes were illegal, and that I could put the credit cards away.

Then I thought maybe we had the wallet out because they were going to pay us for voting. Mama said gone are the days when you got five dollars and a swig of liquor to go vote for the dead people.

After Mama got out her wallet, some nice ladies at the “Check In” table looked at Mama’s driver’s license. It says “COLORADO!”

The nice ladies said Mama had to do better than that. Mama whipped out our electric bill and our gas bill. The nice ladies said to turn down the thermostat and thank you for voting.

There was a nice man there, too. He gave everyone a sticker when they were done voting. The sticker said “I Voted!” The “O” in “Vote” was a fingerprint. Get it?

Me neither.

Anyway, while we were standing in the line with the nice ladies and the wallet and the driver’s license and the power bill, the nice man must have felt bad for us. He gave Sabrina a sticker and me a sticker. I gave mine to Mama so he gave me another one.

Then we were off to stand at a little desk while Mama fiddled around at a computer. Mama said there were too many people to go to a meeting and raise our hands to vote, so instead we wrote down our choices on a piece of paper and then all the pieces of paper were counted.

I didn’t want to say anything to Mama, but there was no paper in sight.

Do you think they hid the paper because Mama is a Democrat?

Anyway, Sabrina made some helpful suggestions while Mama voted the straight Democratic ticket. Sabrina said we should vote “yes!” on everything except the new recreation center, because she said we don’t use taxes for buildings.

Mama ignored her and threw the lever.

After Mama was done at the computer, it made some whirring noises and we were on our way. Another nice lady gave Mama a sticker that said “I Voted!” with a fingerprint where the “O” should be. I still didn’t get it, but I got on the bandwagon and gave my sticker to Mama anyway.

On the way home Mama explained that when her Oma was born, women (that’s a Mama) weren’t allowed to vote. She said that only men got to vote, because men thought that only men could make the decisions. She said that women worked really hard to get to vote, so now it was really important to vote. She said that when Sabrina and Linnea turn 18 it will be really important for us to vote, too.

Sabrina said that she would vote and say, “I am here!”

Daddy said that the 19th Amendment was a mistake and Mama’s Oma couldn’t vote because she lived in Germany.

Mama said, “whatever.”

After we got home last night Sabrina changed her clothes about 47 times but remembered to give Mama her “I Voted!” sticker with the fingerprint where the “O” should be. So by the time we went to bed Mama had four “I Voted!” stickers on her shirt.

At that rate, we’ll have a Democratic senator from Utah in no time!

Love,
Little Linnie L“O”U (with an “O” where the “O” should go).