I still cannot vote. Well, only two years and two weeks until I can. But, although I have no voice whatsoever, I'm still making my election day plans in three different settings, school, home, and my local Democratic Party HQ.
School
It's after first period, and I'm planning on grabbing some fruit before my math class, when I spy the dean of upper school. My school has an annoying habit of not explaining the difference between an excused and unexcused absence. I'm planning on skipping the 2nd to go be a good little Democrat, but I don't want an unexcused absence on the record.
Me: Hi, Dean. Uh, I've got a question.
Dean(sighing): Spit it out, Catherine.
Me: If I were to not be at school on the 2nd because I was working at the election, would that be okay?
Dean: Well, many other girls are working at the polls, so of course.
Me: Uh... Well... It's not actually at the polls.
Dean: Oh...
Me: I've been volunteering for the Democratic Party for this cycle, and I was planning on campaigning for them.
Dean: You can't skip school to campaign.
Me: It would just be working a phone bank and poll watching. It's not like I'd be standing on a street corner with a sign or anything.
Dean: Well...
Me: So would it be an excused absence?
Dean: If your mother writes and signs a note, yes.
So off I go, skipping along my merry way for a snack, because I've got permission to cut school to help win an election.
Home
I'm sitting in the kitchen, working on last minute planning for a Latin convention, when my mom comes in.
Mom: Catherine, do you have the tests yet?
Me. No. But I've got good news.
Mom: Can you get the tests by the end of the day?
Me: Dean said if I got a signed note I could skip school on the 2nd and volunteer.
Mom: That's great.
Me: So would you give me a signed note?
Mom: Yes, if you've done all your homework and stayed on top of your classes.
Me: You should come volunteer too.
Mom: No. I've got work.
Me: But it's one day.
Mom: No.
Me: But you're gonna vote, right?
Mom: Yes
Me: In person?
Mom: Yes, in person.
Me: You should be the first person at your polling place. Get there at, like 7. If you're the first person, they show you the empty box before you drop your ballot. that was one of my jobs at the primary elections.
Mom: I am not going to vote at 7.
Me: But you'll vote, right?
Mom: Yes
Me: Do you want help filling out your practice ballot?
Mom: Don't you have math homework you should be doing?
And don't worry. I've helped both my parents fill out their practice ballots. My dad just sent in his absentee ballot. Good job, Dad.
Campaign HQ
Monday afternoon. I realize that maybe I should give our local Democratic Party HQ a call, to tell them I can volunteer on the day of the elections. I've got the number of one of the guys, Joey, in my cell phone, so I make the call.
Me: Hi. It's Catherine. I volunteered a few weekends ago.
Joey: Oh, the girl who got the cops called on her. Hi.
Me: Hey. So, I think I can volunteer, like, Halloween weekend, if you need me, and I can skip school on Tuesday for the election.
Joey: Skip school?
Me: With the school's permission.
Joey. Oh.
Me: So, what would I be doing election day?
Joey: Uh, probably working a phone bank, and just calling people to bug them to go out and vote.
Me: I've never done a phone bank before.
Joey: It's fine.
Me: I'm really bad at talking to people on the phone.
Joey: I can tell. You could also go around the polling locations and poll watch. You know what poll watching is?
Me: Yeah. at poll worker training they told us. It's when people stand around and wait for you to make a mistake, so they can call the local news and say a polling location is committing fraud.
Joey: Well, you'd actually just check the lists to see who voted.
Me: Oh. That sounds fun. So no standing on street corners with signs?
Joey: We leave that to other people.
He went on to kindly volunteer to be the subject for a profile I have to write for my English class. Although I cannot stand on street corners, election day ought to be exciting.