The Absent Uncle: So, what's a vote?

We got our Texas mail-in ballots yesterday. Per the new rules, we need to request a mail-in ballot for persons over 65 years of age on a yearly basis. Having quite not figured out how we could get younger and be ineligible for the mail-in ballot from year to year, we’ll continue to request the mail-in ballots.

For years, my wife and I have done mail-in ballots. We can discuss candidates, propositions, and decide how each of wants to vote at the kitchen table. We don’t always agree, so our ballots are sometimes different. But we value that discussion.

And that is what is what voting is all about. Making decisions.

So now we have people running for positions that espouse that if you don’t agree with them your vote shouldn’t count. Somehow, they think you cheated if you disagree with them or they lose the election.  

Really? Are you saying my kitchen table is a cheating site? That winning is more important than what the votes indicate? Votes count! Our local officials volunteer their time to sit through the election day, count our ballots according to the process dictated locally. Those are our neighbors, doing a thankless job. 

And the result is our way of officially telling candidates what (we) their constituents think and are directing them to do in our behalf. It is a done deal. Winners and losers. But those local officials should not be subjected to the scrutiny and mistrust heading their way.

VOTE!