Day 134: Rural residents of Washington have been able to vote by mail for decades, and I believe the option now extends to urban residents as well. I used to think this was a good thing, but several other factors make me very nervous. Some time ago, we went to numbered ballots and a big deal was made out of the fact that you can check on line to see if your ballot number has been counted. In the current presidential primary, you are required to declare a party affiliation by checking the appropriate box on the outside of the return envelope. Your name and your ballot number also appear on the return envelope, and therefore may not be quite as "confidential" as you are led to believe. Once completed, your ballot can be dropped at a collection site or it can be put in the mail...to pass through the hands of any number of postal employees and/or contract carriers who can see your party declaration. While I'd like to believe that everyone who handles my ballot is a fine, upstanding citizen, the current political climate does not allow me that comfort. Even if I had that assurance, I'm still left with the feeling that my vote is...well, surely you've picked up on the visual metaphor in the photo by now.
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