The Absentee Problem

It's been a whirlwind election day for this LAist writer.Recently, I have been doing some business in New York, and was not going to be able to make it to Los Angeles for the election. So, like I have done a few times in the past, I sent away for an absentee ballot. I've had absentee ballots sent to my home in LA, and college when I was out of state, and the ballot has always come in a timely manner.

Not this time.

I anxiously checked the mail each day in New York, only to see no absentee ballot. I called the County Registrar, and they insisted that it had been sent.

"Oh, there's a lot of mail that's been going out," the woman on the phone said. "It might have been slowed."

I asked for her to send another, and she balked. I insisted, and she finally gave in. Only that ballot didn't arrive either.

So today I fulfilled my civic duty. I wasn't due back in LA until Thursday, but I changed my plans and flew home today, went straight to my polling station and voted. Thank goodness for Jet Blue.

I wish I could say my story is unique, but it might not be. I know of several Californians who didn't receive their absentee ballots this year. Let's hope they don't make up the difference either way in this election.