Editor,
Dear UNM Political Science Department: I looked over the survey you sent and even started answering the questions. It was apparent, though, that the survey did not actually address the real problem with the Election Day I witnessed firsthand.
I have worked the polls off and on for almost 30 years, both here and in Washington. This year was quite different, though I should have seen it coming four years ago when a gal I went to school with flew from Wisconsin to Albuquerque in order to go into the poor parts of town and get everyone to the polls. Both parties are welcome to send challengers or watchers to the polls. In past years, occasionally a person would come in, watch for 10 minutes or so and leave. This year, a young first-time voter was there from the time we opened until the time we closed. She looked over our shoulders the whole time and copied down information, which she gave to someone who showed up every hour or so. She was using her cell phone in the voting room. When I told her she needed to go outside to use her phone, she ignored me. We were not allowed to ask anyone for ID. If they said they were a particular voter, we had to let them vote.
I worked in the precinct I am registered. I know many people voted early or absentee, but of the more than 400 people I saw, I have to say, I did not recognize anyone other than my husband. I never saw so many first-time voters, which they often loudly announced to us. They looked like they had never had a job in their lives. Some smelled of alcohol, and another smelled like pot. They would come to me with their ballots, noting the many issues, asking if they needed to vote on all the items. I explained they did not need to express a choice on issues where they had no opinion, and it would not invalidate their vote. I explained they could vote a straight party ticket if they wanted by just covering the oval pertaining to the party of their choice. I suspect this is what most of them did. They were clearly voting only for the top of the ticket and knew little or nothing about anything. The result is that we lost good people like former Rep. Steve Pearce.
Plato noted that democracy was doomed to failure when getting elected meant pandering to the masses. The intelligence and discernment I witnessed during this past election does not bode well for our country. As those of you who have studied the Constitution may realize, at least two-thirds of our federal budget these days is spent on projects that are unconstitutional. Our forefathers knew that government should be very limited in order to ensure prosperity and freedom for the people. It is common knowledge that money was collected on the Internet from unknown sources. The only hope and bright spot I can see is this: If I know how they got elected, they do, too. They also know it will not be as easy to take over an election again in two years. Perhaps the majority in Congress will rethink some of their stated MOs. The big question is whether and how the country can survive the next two years.
Marie Therese Hall
Daily Lobo reader
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
