Exactly four years ago on the first Tuesday in November I was on the #15 bus here on Belmont in Southeast Portland — going nowhere. Traffic was standing still. And we never have traffic jams on SE Belmont. I was late to my breakfast meeting at Zells Cafe, but at least my bus driver was able to tell me why.
“It’s Election Day,” he said cheerfully, pointing on his left to the ballot drop-off boxes thronged with cars on 10th and Morrison. “Ahhhh,” I said.
I had mailed in my ballot days earlier — as had most Oregonians (Oregon moved to mail-in voting in 1998). So, however much traffic congestion we were experiencing was minor compared to all the other states on Election Day that don’t have mail-in voting.
All that traffic congestion accelerates global warming, because vehicles emit far more emissions when idling than they do at, for example, 30 miles per hour. I don’t think that reducing carbon emissions was the reason that Oregon was the first state to go to mail-in ballots, but reducing carbon emissions was certainly a consequence of the decision to institute voting by mail. A good consequence, of a good decision. I hope other states adopt the same policy soon. Another benefit is that you don’t get voting-related phone calls in the weeks and days after your ballot has been received, because all the organizations know you’ve already voted. That’s a lot of calls to be spared from.
My husband and I are going to two election-night parties tonight, both being thrown by members of my carpool. We think we’ll be politically happier tomorrow than we’ve been in eight years.
photo courtesy of iceman9294
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