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We had planned on performing our civic duty of voting this past Saturday morning (early voting). We arrived at the annex just at 9:00AM. It was Saturday and our county was open for early voting (9:00AM ~ 12:00PM). I parked downtown next to the old courthouse and clock/bell tower. We walked the block and a half to the annex. We saw the line emerge from the building turn back towards us on east broad street. It then turned back north and continued down Perry Street. We chuckled as we walked Perry street and turned right on the sidewalk for East Washington Street. The line continued. We walked to the courtyard where we found the end of the line. Remember it was 9:00AM October 22nd. So, it was a bit cool (okay dang cold I tell you - with the wind blowing).
We made a couple of friends while standing in line. The two ladies in front of us were nice. The two couples behind us were enjoyable. We talked and joked as we crept along East Washington. About 30 minutes had past when we made the turn onto Perry Street sidewalk. By this time, we realized that an entrepreneur could make a fortune selling doughnuts and coffee along this line.
Once on Perry street, we was greeted by strong winds. They seemed to be flowing with great strength along Perry Street. We continued to talk while in Line and trying to stay warm. We learned about people's family, their vacations. We learned where they liked to go eat. Where the didn't. We were almost witness to a death defying car crash. We agonized as we watched a lady stand in line in much pain. She had had back surgery only two weeks prior.
As we approached East Broad Street, the sun was up and we emerged from the shade of the building. It was approaching 11:00AM. Our faces started to defrost. Our hands began to be less numb. We stretched in the warmth that the sun gave us. Our conversations turned from breakfast to lunch plans. My lovely wife, Cinderella, had left without eating breakfast. She commented that she thought I was joking about having to stand in line for a while. She was very hungry.
It was 11:30 when we inched our way through the doors of the annex. A man handed us a clipboard with a paper to fill out. 15 minutes later we presented the clipboards with our ID's to the table 30 feet inside the doorway. We thought we were almost there.
"Stand in the line there and stay to the left" was what we heard. We waiting. Surely it was just past that next doorway. NO. 3 hallways,3 turns and almost an hour later we were standing at the doorway where the last gateway held us up. A nice lady requested our papers and ID's again. In return, she handed me a voting card and told me to go through the next doorway.
I took my card and waited for an open booth. I inserted my card and took about 3 minutes to cast my votes. Kind of of upset that so many contest where uncontested.
I pressed "cast ballot" and the card ejected. I handed it to a lady and she in return gave me a sticker. I exited down the stairs and through a doorway that led back to the sidewalk. I waited for my wife and a friend and we were soon headed back to the car. Three and a half hours after arriving.
That's what I call Voting - Coweta County, GA style
