Today's Rotary speaker was the county clerk and recorder, who gave us a great overview of how Colorado's ballot by mail system came to be, and how effective it has turned out to be. I had been in my house three months before my first ballot arrived in the mail, and dropping it off curbside with friendly poll workers was the easiest thing I have ever done. Three years before that, I had waited a full three hours in a long line to vote in the presidential election in South Carolina. Colorado had the 3rd highest turnout in 2016, and Boulder county had something like 86% turnout (although it might have been as high as 89% -- I was taking notes for the newsletter as fast as I could, and this woman spoke exceptionally fast). I really wish the rest of the nation would take on a system like ours. We have a high level of confidence that our voting system is safe. We have paper ballots that are scanned and kept for proof for recounts. No voting machines are connected to the internet. Any thumb drives attached to the machines are scanned first for viruses, malware, or other dirty tricks, and afterwards kept in evidence bags. When you hear rumblings in your own state that what we need are paper ballots, consider pushing your secretaries of state for a Colorado-style system. You deserve no less. If you can improve on it, please do!
I'm trying to keep a happy face on, but I have to report that we don't have much time left with the Best Dog in the World. My little red-headed Bump is approaching his curtain call. His cancer is starting to affect brain function. He's still a happy, sweet dog, but he doesn't seem to recognize us well, nor is his personality still readily apparent. At best, we have weeks left. At worst, less than one week. I need to dig through my photo storage and find some of his best work for a retrospective to come very soon.
I'm watch Athena stalk Rabbit as I type. In fact, as I started that sentence, a leap, hiss, and growling happened all at once. The growling continues. I just don't get it, why Athena is such a bully. She was not raised to be mean. She just runs hot and cold. She's either the sweetest, cuddliest, little mommy's girl, or she is all teeth and claws (including testing how much it takes to draw my blood). There is no in between, nor is there any logic to when the switches will come. By contrast, Alfred is the most easy-going, positive, calming influence in the house. It would be a welcome relief for there to be a happy middle where everyone could exist, at least once in a while. Instead, I get to watch and wait for chaos. I don't wait long.
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