Disenfranchised in 2008

My girlfriend is currently oversees doing phenomenal volunteer work as a community and business developer. I will not disclose who or where she is or what group she is volunteering with in order to maintain her identity. However, if you know her personally, then you know who I am referring too.

Even though she is out of the country, we talk quite often via the Internet. We were discussing what was going on here in the United States and the upcoming presidential election. I will not go into details about who or what we were discussing because those are trivial details and not the point of this "Tell 'Em" section.

Here's why I'm mad:

My girlfriend filled out her absentee request ballot almost two months ago and never received her ballot. She has e-mailed the Board of Elections (BOE) in her area and there has been no response. Upon having this conversation, I took it upon myself to get involved. She looked up the necessary information and I made all the phone calls (at $.40 per minute, you owe me!). I called every single number on the website, TWICE and my work returned void. As a matter of fact, one of the numbers did not even work.

As a last resort, I did the only thing I could think of... I called Barack Obama*. The headquarters in that state was on the ball. They sent me the info and phone number of my girlfriend's local BOE, her city councilman/woman, and the Dems/Reps Lawyers Council for that state to make sure her voice would be heard.

*Sidebar- Do not think for a second because I called BO HQ that means she is voting for him. They were the only people I could think of to aid in this situation. Furthermore, there was no way I was calling anyone from McCain's camp.

In 2008, you would never think people would still be disenfranchised. No matter who she votes for, she should have the right to cast her vote. She should not have to go through all the rigmarole of trying to take part in an American constitutional right!

As of today, I still have not reached anyone from any of the numbers that I have called. I decided to give it three tries before I call the lawyers council.

Stay tuned to see what happens...