Election Day!

Voting in Alabama is ... well ... different! 

First of all, in a town of 5,000 citizens, there is just one place to vote, which thankfully, is located very close to us. But, we did not have to wait very long to cast our ballot this afternoon, even though the woman running the place said this is the largest number of voters she's seen in her 48 years of working at the polls.

It is all very well organized as to which line to stand in A-D, E-J, K-P, and Q-Z. So, we get inside and show our picture ID and get our paper ticket to take to the next table and hand to the poll worker who hands us a ballot. The ballot is an 8.5" x 17" piece of card stock with all the candidates printed on one side and all the state/local amendments and issues on the other side. From that table we proceed to ... not a voting BOOTH, but we pick a TABLE at which to mark our ballots. Oh no, no voting machines in this state. You sit down on a folding chair at a table with other folks marking their ballots too. The hall is filled with an assortment of long tables and card tables scattered around. We sat at a card table with another voter. There on the table are felt tip pens with which you mark your ballot.

This is the best part! To indicate your vote you connect a broken arrow with your felt tip pen! Seriously! 

For this election it's not really so bad to be seated next to another voter who essentially has full sight of your ballot, because this state really only swings one way!

After marking your ballot you take it and insert it in a machine. The man sitting there says, "Either way." That means you have a puzzled look on your face that indicates you don't know if you're supposed to insert the ballot face up or face down. So, it goes in "either way." And then the man hands you a little "I Voted" sticker.

Okay, so this is the VERY BEST part! While wearing your sticker, you can walk across the street to the cute little newly opened Gulf Shores Family Pharmacy and Soda Fountain and get FREE ice cream! So, of course, we did! 

We spent a pleasant hour or so, eating our ice cream and visiting with the pharmacy owners, Artie and Stacy, watching national election stuff on the store TV and discussing sports and politics.

We love this pharmacy and the people there, and we encourage any locals to support it. Try it, you'll like it! The service is superb and the people are great ... and the ice cream isn't bad either!

Voting day in Alabama is truly a unique experience!

Gulf Shores Family Pharmacy, Clubhouse Drive, Gulf Shores, Alabama.