(no subject)

[the_rck]

I realized last night that the August election is going to happen while we’re out of town on vacation. I hadn’t previously made the connection for some reason. Fortunately, it’s not too late for us to get absentee ballots. I could just go downtown and vote at city hall because I’m free while they’re open, but Scott can’t do that, so I’m just going to send both our applications by mail and hope that there aren’t any delays. I really wish that applying online was possible.

I’m also looking at the restrictions on absentee voting and feeling a bit— I don’t know; upset is the wrong word. None of the legally permissible reasons for absentee voting actually cover my situation. The closest is 'physically unable to vote at the polls without assistance from another person.' That doesn’t quite apply.

I’m worried that I’ll panic due to all the people and not be able to stay. I’m not sure that Ativan would be enough or that voting while on Ativan is a great idea. I mean, I’m not going to be making decisions at the polls. I’ll already know how I’m voting.

I’m also worried that I’ll wreck myself physically what with standing in line for as long as is likely to be necessary. I probably wouldn’t fall over or collapse or anything, but I might not be able to get out of bed the next day. Also, if it’s cold, I might have trouble breathing due to asthma (and I don’t have the option of a rescue inhaler).

None of those things are things that assistance from another person would resolve, and one of them is a psychological barrier rather than a physical barrier. This isn’t an I can’t hold the pen or I can’t read the ballot or even an I can’t get into the polling place because there’s a step up at the entrance (I think there is, but I don’t remember for sure). It’s as if the folks making the law either had a failure of imagination or wanted to exclude people like me from voting. On the physical issues that affect me, I suspect the former, but I kind of wonder about the latter in terms of my agoraphobia/anxiety issues.

Comments

[zhelana]

I don't think it's meant to be taken that literally. Just... you can't vote because of disability.

[the_rck]

I know, but at the same time, I worry about the ways in which the letter of the law can be used to harass people that the folks enforcing the law don't agree with. I don't think it will happen to me, but there are some parts of the state where I could see it happening as part of a voter suppression effort.

[kyrielle]

"Physically unable to...without help from another person" does not assert that you _can_ with help from another person. It asserts that you cannot, on your own.

This seems accurate in your case. The "without" clause is to keep people from being excluded from absentee ballots who could manage with assistance, I would think.

[brunettepet.livejournal.com]

We really shouldn't have to explain ourselves at all.

[the_rck]

I agree. Sadly Michigan isn't likely to change any time soon. Enough of the state government is conservative that they want barriers for voting by the poor, the disabled, etc.