Voting Day Here in TX-22

I do follow politics pretty closely. I participated in mock legislatures in college. I actively campaigned for candidates of my choosing in both college and high school. Politics is the one thing that I regularly look for in the news, after all, these are the people we have elected to make major decisions that affect our lives.

We here in Texas district 22 are watching the results from today's election closely. And the reason why, is because it is possible that we will have a House representative that will not represent us or our interests at all. Now, before I say anything else, I should clarify that I am not a Republican - I may vote Republican often, but that is because the alternative would be voting for a candidate who is anti-life and anti-family. I actually have many sympathies with the traditional Democratic line, you know, the old FDR Democrats that actually did support the little guy and not try to kill him! But I digress...

I believe that a district should have a House rep who truly represents them, even if I may not personally agree with that choice. If it isn't my district, I shouldn't have a say. That's a representative democracy for you. Nothing irritates me more than hearing of any kind of voter disenfranchisement, no matter on which side, because that rocks the foundation of what our country is built on.

We may end up being victims of such an atrocity this election cycle. Democrats are usually champions for making sure every voter is counted and their intent is acknowledged. I have always admired that about them. But they have spent all summer in legal battles to make sure that Republicans could not run a nominee in this very Republican district. And they knew it too, because they didn't just put any Democrat up, but a very left, progressive Democrat. One that would only stand a chance if no one else were to run against him. Republicans did the only thing they could - supported a write-in.

The real kicker is that while most people here know how to write in a candidate, most do not realize that if they vote straight ticket Republican (as many do) they not only will not cast a ballot for the Republican write in , but will not even have the opportunity to do so. This is where the disenfranchisement comes in. Most voters seem to think they can vote straight ticket and then write in Sekula Gibbs, but a straight ticket vote bypasses all write in opportunities. This is just as devious as telling voters the wrong place to go vote and hoping they won't realize their mistake in time!

So I am watching the results today very closely, and praying that our district will not be deceived by the dirty political tricks. Much rests on our representative's shoulders, and one should only have to ask that it is a representative truly fighting for the majority of our people's wishes and values.