Tuesday, November 5 was Election Day. There were no national elections (unfortunately); the items on the ballot were municipal offices and various local propositions. It was the first election that I've been eligible to vote in that I didn't vote.
My reason for not voting is kind of silly: the election simply slipped my mind. Tuesday was a rather busy day for me; I had to reschedule an appointment in the morning because I had too much else going on that day. I had a lunchtime talk to attend; I had a two-hour job interview immediately after the talk; then I had to come home and pack to catch a flight out of OAK for a client meeting the next day. The time window in which I could have voted was rather slim, especially given that I was trying to work enough to reasonably be considered a full work day.
I received my vote-by-mail ballot several weeks ago and set it aside because it wasn't urgent. Typically the weekend before the election, I pull out the voter information packet, read the detailed summaries of the candidates and/or propositions, and then make informed decisions on each item (or, at least non-uninformed decisions). I consider this procedure a prerequisite for voting; I think it is irresponsible to vote on ballot items that I know nothing about. Of course I could be more informed; in the weeks leading up to the election, I could participate in the local meetings and rallies in which the strengths, shortcomings, and implications of the ballot items are discussed. But I like to think that simply reading through the voter information packet is more effort than the average voter takes, and so for that I give myself kudos.
I digress. In the week leading up to the election, I was in Montreal and Boston on vacation. I returned home the Saturday night before Election Day. If I had had better forethought, I would have brought the voter information packet with me on my trip, but that also slipped my mind. Sunday was also unexpectedly busy--I hosted friends in the afternoon to play board games and then attended an event in Berkeley in the evening. On Monday, I remembered that Election Day was the following day, but I was preparing for my Tuesday interview.
The result of all these excuses was that I didn't vote. And I know that this represents a squandering of a treasured privilege that billions of people around the world only dream of having. So perhaps I should feel more guilty than I do for not voting. But there's nothing I can do about it now. So I'm moving on.
