Being a part of election history

So after speaking with George Miranda at the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder's office Thursday morning about how the county is offering early voting to people in this county, I decided to beat the crush that some 4.5 million registered voters are going to be placing on county poll locations everywhere Tuesday and drove the six miles from the Whittier Daily News office to election central in Norwalk.

My first impressions were bad. Parking was tough and when I finally found the line of patriots waiting to cast their votes, it wound around half the building. I struck up a conversation with some guy who could pass for the Rev. Al Sharpton. He lived in Los Angeles and decided to vote early because he had the time Thursday and would be in Atlanta on Tuesday.

After an hour I was elated to get in the front door, only to be directed to the third floor. I walked in this huge room with about 100 hapless souls sitting on chairs holding three-digit numbers in their hands. As election workers created emergency ballots for us patriots that reflected local races and ballot measures in the cities where we live, I sat looking at the clock, thinking about how much work was piling up back at the office.

After another half an hour my number was called. I got my ballot and was herded to another small room with the most rudimentary voting machines ever. A plastic partitian and a black ballpoint pen. I carefully marked my choices through the rather long and historic ballot, found my way to the elevators and was out the door. From time in to time out: One hour, 35 minutes.

Not too bad, I thought, to have lived and contributed to a historic moment in our nation's history.

If you want to vote early and avoid Black Tuesday, the Registrar's office is at 12400 Imperial Highway in Norwalk. The early polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Election Day.

Visit lavote.net or call (800) 815-2666 for more information.

Vote. Be a true patriot.