Ole Pappy

For years, I labored under the false assumption I couldn’t vote in Minneota because I have my driver’s license and residence in Wisconsin.

But I’m here over 80 percent of time, in my apartment and I know the candidates in Minnesota and I don’t know them in Wisconsin. So Tuesday, I asked the Election Judge if there was any way I could vote in Minnesota.

I needed proof I lived here, and/or someone to go on record and vouch for me. For years, I’ve used an absentee ballot from Wisconsin, but always felt bad because I spent all my time here and know all the candidates and I’d just be guessing in Wisconsin. So I asked — and I did receive.

I am now registered in Minneota for three years and I can’t vote in Wisconsin. I was so happy I nearly did a jig — that is, if I could do a jig. Everything is new this year.

For the first time Minneota’s City Hall also took voters from Westerheim and Nordland Townships. There is an all new voting machine and the two townships shared the cost with Minneota.

There also is no longer voting at the school, despite the fact school board candidates were on the ballot. As a result, about 1,076 people were registered to vote in Minneota.

By 3 p.m., 400 had voted — so it appeared to be a heavy turnout. The new machine is easy to use. You simply feed your ballot into the machine, it takes it in and your votes are counted. Neat deal.

Voting in Minneota despite having a residence in Wisconsin was not the weirdest time I’ve voted. Back when I was 21 years old, I sat on a rock in Vietnam, with an absentee ballot and voted, then gave my ballot to an officer and it was sent back to Minnesota to be counted.

Oh, one more thing. The rules have changed. I was told I couldn’t take photos of people voting unless I asked them if it was OK to print their photo. “I’ve never done that before,” I said. “This is a new rule,” I was told. So I asked.

The people voting on this page didn’t need to be asked because I didn’t use their faces. Things have sure changed in the old voting game these days. But I am happy to have been able to vote.

Thanks Election Judge!

LAUGH A LITTLE: How dumb can you get? The young (blond) girl was getting her hair down with a hearing device plugged in her ears. The hair dresser asked her politely to remove the device. But the young girl didn’t hear her. So the hair dresser took them out of the girls ears and the girl fell out of the chair and dropped dead on the floor. The hair dresser looked in horror. Then she listened to the device that had been in the young ladies ears ... ..... and it said, breath, rest, now breath, now rest .... etc.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: As my Ole Pappy used to say, “Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” What a vote of confidence. Thanks Ole Pappy!