The Mac|Life staff has a case of election fever. Although, it may be electionitis--we're still waiting for a call back from the ear, nose and vote specialist. (Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!) Regardless, we're all jazzed to make our voices heard tomorrow, and hope you are too. (Unless you're not a U.S. citizen, or you're a nonvoting felon, or you're under 18. You can still make your voices heard by busting out some inspirational Hammer lyrics.)
Unfortunately, we've been hearing rumblings that the line to vote is going to be a long one. Look, record voter turn out is wonderful, and we believe anyone who can vote, should. But standing in line--for what some folks are guessing could be more than two hours--isn't so wonderful. Especially when what waits for you at the end of that line isn't Space Mountain or a free puppy, but a voting booth.
So, in order to make your participation in the democratic process during this historic 2008 election a bit less boring, here are some line-waiting tips.
Fill Out a Voter Cheat Sheet - Figure what you want to vote for before you head off to the polling place. Write your choices on a cheat sheet so you're in and out of the voting booth lickety split. (Don't worry; it's not really cheating--this ain't the SATs.) If everyone does that, the lines will go so much quicker. So. Much. Quicker. We're just saying.
Load Up on Media - Make sure you iPhone or iPod is chock-full of tunes, videos, and/or games. Throw a few episodes of your favorite show, or grab the latest game from the iTunes App Store. You political junkies out there can peruse our list of 7 Essential Election Apps for some "fun" suggestions.
Make a Friend - You're going to be in line for while, so why not make friends with your neighbors? After all, they live in your voting precinct, and you've never even had them over for coffee cake! If you happen to bring an iPhone or iPod touch with a two-player game like Tap Tap Revenge or Paper Football, well...you've just scored a new BFF.
Don't Go Crazy with the Coffee - What if your polling place doesn't have a bathroom? I think we've said enough. (Seriously. We thought of a few jokes to put here but they were all way too inappropriate, trust us.)
Charge Your Devices - Make sure you charge your iPhone, iPod, or random entertainment/gaming/tasing device. You don't want to be in line for 30 minutes and have your gadget stop working. That would suck.
Check the Weather - At risk of sounding like your Nanna, bring a jacket or umbrella. Even if there is a slight chance of rain, you just know it's gonna rain if you don't bring an umbrella.
Portable Chair - Pick up one of those portable walking stick/chairs. The thing will pay for itself in the first 20 minutes. And when you leave after voting, you can sell it to the poor schmuck at the back of the line--ka-ching!!!
Leave the Dog at Home - Fido may be part of the family, but he's not really part of the democratic process. Making your dog stand in line with you for hours is cruel. That's what your kids are for!
Books - Grab a paperback book. They're light, easy to toss in a jacket pocket, and they kill time like there's no tomorrow. Plus, a book's battery will never die. (OK, OK, unless you read on a Kindle, SMARTYPANTS. If so, be sure to juice your Kindle. Does that last sentence sound dirty?)
Vote Early - The longest wait times are expected after 5pm. If possible, make arrangements with your boss to show up late on Tuesday. When you're at home enjoying a nice cup of cocoa at 10pm and you see the local news pointing to all the voters still in line, you'll be happy you voted early.
Bring Your Own Pen - In a country with a Starbucks on every corner, you would think pen shortages would be a thing of the past. (Not sure how Starbucks links to pens? OK, neither are we, but stay with us here...) Now think about hundreds of people walking away from the polling place after inadvertently placing a pen in their pocket. Bring two pens: one black, one blue. Just in case.
Bring a Video Camera - Polling-place shenanigans can happen anywhere. Video evidence of the dastardly deeds will help bring the evildoers to justice. If your polling place is on the up-and-up, you can make one of those video diaries to show your kids when they're old enough to vote.
Next Time, Get an Absentee Ballot - Since most lines end in some sort of amusement ride, sandwich counter, or visit with Santa Claus, standing in line just to vote can seem pretty boring by comparison. If you don't want to ever stand in a voting line again, check to see if your state allows you to vote via absentee ballot--or maybe just vote early. Of course, if you use an absentee ballot you don't get one of those sweet "I Voted!" stickers. And isn't that what it's all about? (Hint: No. It's about democracy. The stickers are just a charming, sticky bonus.)
Happy voting!
