We went to vote today, and I am in serious pain

Yesterday Ron was not feeling well and went to take a nap all afternoon.  I stepped up to help by making supper.    I made videos of it that I will post later, someday.   I took some grilled chicken Ron had seasoned and cooked on the grill and made a chicken chili out of it with my own mixture of seasoning.    Everyone here loved it.  But the effort was so painful I had to take extra medications and then went to bed with very little in my stomach.   So long story short, we went for our walk this morning, something that all my doctors claim is helping my health / blood work, then got showered and went out to vote.   *** yes we went to vote in the primary in our district in Florida.***    But there was a problem.    After our walk my pain levels soared and my back gave out.   I simply couldn’t stand more than a couple minutes.   In the house I was using my canes.   But I knew that I couldn’t stand for the length of time we had to do in the last time we went to vote, also I knew I couldn’t stand to mark the ballot.  I was in so much pain Ron had to drive.   So I did something I don’t like to do, I took my walker.    Yes I hate to admit it, but I use a walker when the muscles in my back won’t support me or I cannot stand for any length of time.  

Ron drove us to the voting place, which was unusual in that normally I drive, but my pain levels were too high for me to safely do so.  Ron got out and brought my walker to me which really was not necessary I felt, I could walk to the trunk.   Little did I know how soon my back would fail.    

The difference between the lower income minority districts in Florida we used to go to early voting years ago and this new facility in a majority white area I have posted about before.   I have told how I simply couldn’t stand in line and the obstructions to get mail in ballots it took to simply vote that year almost stopped Ron and I from being able to vote.   But the difference between that to the early voting in our area now is stunning.  

First plenty of parking and even if Ron had not found a handicap parking space right near the door, we still would have had lots of space to park. (Unlike the other place that had no parking that Ron had to drop me off and then go to park blocks away) Then as we walked up to the three set of entry doors a worker inside hit a switch that automatically opened the door for us seeing I was using my walker.  After we entered, I thanked that person and without looking asked where I should go to vote.   The signs and staff that were lined up should have given the hint.   However, a staff member came forward and took Ron and I right to the voting room, but there was no line so if they had simply pointed, we would have found it.   But the thing is my need for my walker triggered a lot of extra care.  The worker took us to the door and a second worker took me right to the check in person only 20 feet across the room.  She could have pointed but she walked with me there.   There was no line at that time, and it was about 15 minutes after they opened.   Then at the check-in I gave my information and had to sit on the seat of my walker, my back was so stressed I couldn’t stand even for that.  

After I showed my driver’s license and signed the pad saying it was me, there was something new.   The poll worker still had my driver’s license and asked me to mimic the signature on the license as best as I could on the pad with either my finger or the stylus.  I never have been able to sign the tablet sign things either in the pharmacy or my doctor’s office that use them with my finger.  It comes out squiggly lines.   However the signature on my driver’s license is really good and readable.  So she explained it and flipped the screen to me, I stood up and standing on shaky legs I tried to sign my name.   I was a disaster, and I admit it.  A bunch of hoops and loops with a few letters being readable.   I apologized and said I would try again when this nice older white lady said without even turning the screen back to her that it was OK, the signatures matched.  I thanked her.  

After we left I asked Ron if he had the same thing and he said yes but that the poll worker did turn the screen around and look to verify his.  So this is the perfect way to stop someone from voting that the poll worker from whatever party doesn’t want to vote.  No matter what they do the signature won’t match!   Remember the republican anti-democratic party wants to prevent any non-white republican voters from being able to vote and has put a lot of money into training poll workers how to block “those voters”.

The nice poll worker printed my ballot and gave me the ballot, added a cover for it, and a pen, and said “Thank you for voting”.   I had already thanked her for being a poll worker as we need as many people willing to do the hard unpaid work of democracy as possible.  I stood up and asked if there was a place for me to sit to vote?   Normally there are several long tables for disabled voters to sit to do their ballot.   The lady told me yes, go all the way to the back of the room.   What the Fuck!  But I started that way and as I got close another poll worker came up to me and took me to the TWO spots at a small table set aside for those that need to sit to vote in a retirement area of Florida with a senior population.   A poorer senior population.   The last time I voted there they had three long tables set up for people that needed to sit to fill out the ballot. 

This poll worker directed me to the place and made sure I had what I needed to vote.  She was also responsible for directing people to the four scanning machines for the ballots, telling them how to insert them, checking to make sure they were read, and then directing them to the door to drop off their ballot sleeve and pen.  I think she / that position deserved at least another person to help her.     

Ron had chosen the standing voting place as close to the place I was sitting so he could watch when I was done and move with me.   We both had the voting list I had done up.   Ron told me later he was really concerned because he noticed how shaky I was at the sign in and then going to the table and sitting down.  He was not going to leave his voting spot until I got up.  

I carefully filled out my ballot, struggled to my feet using my walker, and started to the line marked to turn in your ballot.   Ron stepped up behind me.  Again the poll worker that had taken me to the small sit down table stepped up and took me to a reader and explained how to insert it, making the others like Ron wait.  Then as I did mine she told the other people of which there was only Ron and one other person what to do.   

One last example of how different it is in this polling place.  When you exit the room they have it set up that you leave a back door and walk around the side of the building back to the parking lot.   The poll worker lady taking the sheeves and pens had already taken Ron’s and seeing he was helping me told him, move the strap rope barricading the hallway back to the front so he, meaning me, won’t have to try to walk around, which Ron thanked her and did.   We walked out the short distance we came in rather than around the outside of the building.  

So we voted in the Florida primaries.    Ron thanked me for all the effort I made to vet the candidates, and I thanked him for taking me there and helping me through it.  For two old farts who have been together going on 33 years we do OK.   But I worry at the traps for those not old white people in voting in Florida.   This year DeathSantis has made it even harder for minorities to vote while he and his party claim illegal voting is rampant.  Not only has he with the force of government put a strangle hold on minority voting but with his new election police he has chilled any minority voting of those who are not sure they should vote.   That should be checked at the polls as it was done for me.   But now DeathSantis announces that his election police found 30 felons that voted that shouldn’t have and they will prosecute them.   But remember after the 2020 election the state of Florida said there was no illegal voting they could find.   What is the goal here?    To prevent as much minority voting as possible!   Why?  Because minorities tend not to vote for the party that claims only white straight Christian cis males have all the rights.   It is voter suppression taken to the next level.  

OK Now for me and why I have not been online answering comments or posting.   Yes when we got home, I sat at my desk and put both computers back online.   So much news, so many things I felt I should post.    I wanted to get right to it.   But my pain levels had a different idea.   I went to lay down.   I have gotten up at various times during the day and tried to focus on the news and blogging, but the best I could do was to watch videos.  I would watch some, go back and lay down.  Repeat.   Take pain medication.   Repeat.  I got up and watched a few videos, James made a great supper, and I am writing this post after taking even more pain medication.   If I take too much longer to do this Ron may drag me out of my chair to the bedroom to lay down again and go to bed for the night.   He got really upset seeing how shaky it was for me to stand at the voting place.   He wouldn’t even stop at the local publix to get our flu shots but insisted on taking me home.   

Ok going to proofread this and then go to bed as Ron is getting really insistent on it, and hopefully in the morning I can start on the 8 days of comments I have not replied to.   Hugs and love to all.    Scottie