First Time Voter

  When i brought Max into the FSSA office a few weeks ago, they were required to ask him if he wanted to register to vote.
  He said yes.
  So Max became a registered voter.
  As i said last year, i was not convinced this was a good idea.  In a previous election, his reason for supporting a candidate was that the man's name is the same as one of Thomas the Tank Engine's friends.
  Not that people more in touch with political realities vote any more sensibily. . . .
  So Max and i voted together today.

Preparing

  i searched for some photos to assemble into a document he could read, showing us what to expect.  There was one of the spindly tables, and a diagram of the flow of the site. 
  He studied it intently.
  i included a yes/no checkline about whether he wanted to do it still.
  He checked yes.
  i also culled a pic of a ballot that looked something like what i expected to see, then found i could actually get a sample of the ballot for our precinct. 
  i printed that too.

School/Property Tax Question

  i must say that i firmly believe the schools need more funding.  i was ready to vote yes before they even started to make their case. 
  The issue is about basic things: things as basic as closing two entire buildings for lack of funds to keep them in electricity, and discontinuing most bus transportation.
  Somehow art and music, important as they are, seem nearly insignificant compared to this monumentat lack.
  The (township) Pride supporters campaigning outside the door were thrilled that we expressed enthusiastic support.  One of them said that the students know what's at stake, and feel powerless & hopeless over it.
 

PollSite

  We were the only voters onsite when we arrived.  Max patiently went through the process after me.
  Totally unimportant, which is probably why i didn't think of it, but his name comes first in our family, where we sign the book.
  He had said to me that he wanted help filling out the ballot, & he wanted me to help him.
  Having been a pollworker, i didn't think that would be allowed.  i told him so, but hastened to add that one of the workers there would help him, and he would be just fine. 
  But, "cruel" person that i am, i insisted that he ask for the help himself.
  Loud enough that they could hear him, no less.
  The judge of his declared party readily agreed.  They went to a table, and i went to a different polling station.
  It was hard for me to concentrate, listening to them.
  The judge was great.  He seemed a bit surprised at how much help was needed, but adjusted readily, gently prompting Max to fill in the bubbles.
  Both judges helped him feed the sheet into the counting machine.  They told us he was #94. 
  i think Max's presence excited the workers. 
  Firsttime voters are special.
 
      This just in:  Our township approved the  tax increase!