That was awkward

It was about half an hour before 5:00 p.m. - I needed to skeedaddle and vote before the polls closed! So, Micah and I bundled up and walked over to my polling place (only a block away - very convenient).

I had to wait in line for just a little bit, but it wasn't too bad - having Micah with me helped to keep things light while I chit-chatted with some fellow voters and the workers of that polling location. I soon received my ballot, and Micah and I headed over to a booth so I could secretly cast my vote. Yet little did I know that some things weren't going to be secret for much longer.

As I pulled the ballot out of the sleeve, I noticed that I had the ballot for the wrong party. Oh wow, I thought to myself, what am, I supposed to do?? I don't want to draw attention to myself by going back and getting the correct party's ballot...I don't want to hand this in blank and walk out the door without voting at all...and I don't want to force myself to vote for a candidate on this piece of paper.

After a moment or two of staring down at the ballot, I took a deep breath, walked away from my secret booth and found someone who was working for the polling place. She directed me to another individual, who then directed me back to the people at the table who had originally handed me my ballot. After returning my unmarked ballot, they told me I had to electronically cast my vote because they did not have any paper ballots for my party of choice! It was not a popular enough party at my polling place to constitute having their paper ballots. While figuring out the whole ballot situation, my party of choice had been publicly declared in front of about 15 or so people who were not voting the same way...Oh my word, was I beginning to feel uncomfortable.

The next few moments of my life were completely awkward and 100% embarrassing. There I stood in the corner at the one and only electronic voting booth, knowing that all in the room were aware of my party of choice - which was opposite of all those around me.

I definitely don't want to repeat that ever again. But wait, I have to vote again in November...