By Rich Mullins
The Tampa Tribune

Voting is voluntary, right. Maybe not for County Commissioner.

When I went to vote this morning at Precinct 237 on Florida Avenue, I had three choices for County Commissioner District 5:

Jim Norman

Joe Redner

Yamel Christina Arronte

What if I didn’t like any of those candidates? What if I just wanted to move on and not cast any vote for anyone? Oddly, the electronic voting machine would not let me. The machine would not move to the next screen of candidates for other offices UNTIL I picked one of those three people – Norman, Redner, Arronte. I tried several times. No luck. Eventually, I picked one. THEN it let me move on to Commissioner 7, etc. etc.

In case the Supreme Court needs to know, it was the machine furthest to the right when the voter looks outward at the vast stage of democracy…..facing the kindly volunteer staffers checking drivers licenses.

Before you ask….No, I didn’t ask for help from the kindly voting staff on site. I didn’t think it was any of their business, honestly. And there was a guy in a wheelchair waiting for my booth – staring at me with a look like “Well, are you done YET?”

If the election comes down to one vote – I guess you can blame me.

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