Primary Elections

People in Alabama don't understand primary elections. It is because we have always been a one party state. Not the same party mind you but a one party state nonetheless. Back when I was growing up, everybody was a democrat. My maternal grandparents said the word republican with the same facial expression and respect that I use when I say dog crap. Back then, the democratic primary, which was held in May or June, was the election. Whoever won that won the general election in November 100% of the time. Therefore everybody voted in the democratic primary. In fact I am not sure that the republicans even bothered to have a primary. I think it was in the late 70's when Ronald Reagan came along that everything changed. Suddenly Alabama was a republican state. In the county where I currently live, very few candidates even bother running on the democratic ticket. The republicans win all of the local offices in the November election.

Back when I worked, everytime there was an election, folks wore those little stickers that said "I voted, Did You?". When it was the primaries, invariably some ass would come up and ask me where was my sticker, had I not voted, was I gonna vote after work? I always tried to explain to them that the primaries are for the parties to nominate their candidates for the general election and that since I was neither a democrat or a republican, it was not appropriate for me to vote in the primaries. Almost always they looked at me glassy eyed for a few seconds and then started lecturing me on how voting in a democracy is a responsibility. I could have pointed out that we don't live in a democracy but a democratic republic instead, but it would have done no good.

My father always voted in every election, or at least he did until Alabama became a two party state. The first time he went to vote in a primary and they asked him democrat or republican he told them he was neither one. I was not there but sources close to the scene told me that the polling person told him that he would HAVE to declare one or the other. To which he is reported to have replied "I don't have to do a goddamn thing but die" and he turned and walked out. I don't know if he ever voted in another primary election, could have, could have not, but I do know he missed that one.

Looking back on it I sometimes wish I had used his approach when folks challenged me about voting. Since I was hired out, it would have of course been untrue as there were lots of things I HAD to do, but I suspect it would have ended a lot of tedious conversations a whole lot quicker.