A Partisan Adventure

Rest assured our family was at the voting poll yesterday. This is our first Presidential election year in Hawaii. As always, I brought my camera to take pictures of the kids because, after all, I want pictures of their first voting moments in the event I have birthed a future President. On my sister's recommendation, I called the Office of Elections for Oahu. I asked for my polling location for the primary election. The lady on the other end asked if I meant the caucus election. I hesitated for a moment. This time she stated it as a fact. "You mean the caucus election." She asked for my social security number, and asked me to verify my street address. Oh, District 38. She relayed the polling location. Then I asked polling hours. My poll opened at 6pm, voting began at 7pm, and the poll would not close any earlier than 7:30pm. That sounded very odd.

Hubby got home, and we planned to vote after dinner. But before we left for the polls, I received my third call from Hillary Clinton, herself, in three days. This time I figured we were old pals. I shouted "HI HILLARY!" at the recording before hanging up.

Remember how I said Son2 goes to bed by his choice, not mine, in the 6pm hour? We dressed him in his shark pajamas, knowing we would get back after bedtime. I spent a little time with Son1, explaining we were going to vote. He repeated it again, saying "we were going to boat." We get on a boat pretty often, so I clarified that we were going to vote, and explained a little about voting. After voting he could have my sticker for show and tell at school. Soon we piled everyone in the car, I grabbed my camera, and we found our way to the polling station at ten minutes to 7. People were out in droves. Even though the poll wasn't open, we still had to park three blocks away, and walk. We finally got to the polling station. People were wrapped around the building, down outside hallways, and around the back. The line was forming to the left of the crowd, but I made my way on the right side, and took my place. I looked back. No Hubby. I called his cell. I was now in line, and probably another 100 people had fallen into place behind me, with more coming. He had my driver's license stashed in his wallet. More people came into the line. Ring! More people. Ring! Finally he emerged in my view and answered his cell, but I could no longer see the end of the line with all of the people. I told him I was at the end of the line. "No, you are not at the end of the line. You now have cut off about 500 people. You are not at the end of the line." Now that was a bit of an exaggeration. Perhaps the number was closer to 150. It had to be less than the people at our wedding, which is generally how I gauge numbers of people. Finally we settled into our place in line, and I pulled out my camera to take pictures of our family. I explained to those around me why I take pictures of my kids at elections. A handful of people thought this was funny, and someone offered to take our picture.The boys started to get a little restless, so I started to play little games with each of them. We jumped off sidewalk curbs, and used the empty water bottle like a drumstick. Hubby started to wonder if our vote was really going to matter. He kept looking at his watch. He leaves for work every morning around 5:30am. We were inching closer to the door, but it was getting later and later. Our polling station served two entire districts. WOW. Most every time I voted the polling station was within blocks of where I lived. This was something new. Also, when I voted in Presidential election years in both California and Virginia, there seemed to be a buzz at the polls. Here, there was definite buzz. But it was not political. The buzz felt more like a family reunion, a local aloha, of sorts. I found out why, later.

The majority of the line snaked around outside. We finally could see the double doors ahead to the entrance. The line split in two for each district. Hubby tapped me on the shoulder. He announced that this was a caucus election...and not for our party. I asked him if he was sure. I had Googled the election information, and I had called the Office of Elections. In California and in Virginia it doesn't matter what political party you are registered with, everyone votes on the same day at the same polling station. But not in Hawaii. The lady behind me confirmed that this was a single caucus election. Apparently, my party doesn't participate in a caucus election. In other words, there is no February election in which I can participate. My first opportunity to vote will be in September in the primary election. This election was to elect a candidate to be the other party's nominee. Uh oh! Hubby urged us out of line. We thought we could be in stealth mode in the dark, and sneak out of line. The nice lady behind me promised that if either of my sons was elected President one day no one would ever know their picture was taken at a polling station where their parents never voted. I thanked her graciously, and we started inching our way out of line. We thought everything was ok until Son1 started belting out, "No MOMMY! I want to go THIS way! I want to go VOTE!" SIGH. We high tailed it back to our car, hauling a super sad Son1 by the hand. We got in the car, and Hubby thought for a moment. "This calls for a milkshake," he grumbled. Everyone's sentiments exactly. So everyone had a really late bed time and a milkshake, just to commemorate the occasion. So many people everywhere was completely exhausting. Later we found out that the caucus vote drew nearly 35,000 people, seven times greater than the last caucus.

Here is a trip down memory lane, for those of you who knew me back in the day when I voted at the Kingstowne Library. There is a 2.5 month old Son1 and me, and yes, I dressed us in red and blue on purpose.