Today was a bittersweet day.  Before work, I went down to the Issaquah Police Station today.  No, I didn’t post bail. 

I voted.  What made it bittersweet to me, is that I voted for what is likely the last time.

No, my commitment to civic responsibility is still intact, so it is not that.  King County, where I live, is moving with most of my state to an all mail in ballot system.

And I hate it.

My opposition to mail in ballots is not absolute, for some people it is a necessary process.  They have situations that demand an absentee process.  But I think for the average person, the ‘burden’ of driving to a local polling station, signing your name and taking you ballot to a semi private voting table to fill in the ovals, or connect the arrows or whatever, is not such a huge burden.

The people at the polling stations are friendly and utterly committed to the democratic process.  In Issaquah, I have yet to see a non smiling face.  The attitude is almost festive and the appreciation you feel for being there and being part of the process is very warming.

But the majority of people polled want to vote by mail and as in all things, the majority rules.  To me the mail in ballots are just not the same.  You fill it out, sign it, lick a stamp and away it goes.

So what if you fill out your ballot a week before the election, and mail it off.  You are committed to the choices you made.  Then the night before the election, the guy you voted for is arrested for DUI.  Can you change you mind?  No.  That louse still gets your vote.  When you hit the polls on election day morning, you have the latest info at your disposal.

Sure, you can mail it the day of the election, but that means the election results are delayed by weeks as they have to wait for the trickle in effect, and the signature verification process is frankly a nightmare.