It's Primary Election Day - Get Out and Vote Today!

Today is Primary Election day here in the USA, so if you haven't already voted by mail, get out to the polls and cast your vote. I know primaries aren't as "important" as the general election in November, but really, the candidates on the November ballot will be determined by today's vote. I registered to vote by mail a couple of months ago and sent my vote in almost a month ago, so I'm set. I did leave DH a note to vote, and also to let me know if he wanted vote-by-mail for November. Today is the LAST day I can get him signed up for that.

I've voted by mail several times in my life, but made sure I signed
up and voted in the primary more than two months ago. 

Of course, there are problems with vote-by-mail too ... an overloaded Postal service and the fact that  things can be "lost" in the mail, etc. But there are also things like chads or malfunctioning voting machines on election day that can cause problems in any election. Nothing seems to be foolproof, so we do the best that we can. I didn't feel like I wanted to play the "stand in line, socially distant" in our November temperatures. I've done the waiting game in sub-zero temps (as well as on "warm" days) for the general election in past years. It wouldn't have been terrible to stand in line in August, but I took advantage and voted by mail.

The race of the day is Ilhan Omar v Antone Melton-Meaux. Although
I think either candidate would be good, I suspect Ilhan will be
moved on to the general election in November. Minnesotans might
be "Minnesota Nice", but we like a spitfire now and again, and Ilhan
Omar is certainly that. 

The big election in our area is between Ilhan Omar, the current Representative, and her opponent, Antone Melton-Meaux. Omar is a firebrand - outspoken and somewhat divisive, but always interesting and someone who makes a lot of waves (unusual for Minnesota Nice). Melton-Meaux is what's called a "progressive Democrat" and has come across well in commercials and articles. His campaign is well funded and this should be quite the battle. I didn't get to vote in this particular election - they're part of the Minneapolis districts, not the St Paul ones. My Representative is Betty McCollum, and I voted for her again because I've liked her through the years. But, five of our eight Representatives were newly elected in 2018 (taking office in 2019), so it's a position that has had a lot of turnover.

• Minnesota's 1st district: Jim Hagedorn (R) (since 2019)
• Minnesota's 2nd district: Angie Craig (D) (since 2019)
• Minnesota's 3rd district: Dean Phillips (D) (since 2019)
• Minnesota's 4th district: Betty McCollum (D) (since 2001)
• Minnesota's 5th district: Ilhan Omar (D) (since 2019)
• Minnesota's 6th district: Tom Emmer (R) (since 2015)
• Minnesota's 7th district: Collin Peterson (D) (since 1991)
• Minnesota's 8th district: Pete Stauber (R) (since 2019)

Regardless of your location or political beliefs, you owe it to yourself and your neighbors to get out and vote today, if you haven't already voted, get to your polling location and vote! ESPECIALLY if you're female! It took women more than 60 years to finally get the right to vote. Don't waste the opportunity to make a difference in your government. 

On that note, I'm out of here. Have an excellent Tuesday and I'll be back tomorrow. VOTE, Wear a MASK and please, be kind to one another.