Catching up

Just in from voting at Jacksonville's First Baptist Church. At 11:55 a.m., mine was the 523rd ballot cast. And that's before the lunch and post-work rushes.

Poll inspector Geraldine Player said she grew up in Jacksonville, and for most of her life has known everyone in town. That's changing, though; she said these days she feels like she knows almost no one. She greeted more than a few people by name, however, as they slid their ballots into the bulky counting machine. It was a chance to catch up. She asked after people's health and their children as she passed out "I voted" stickers.

I got to catch up too, as Steve Sewak came in to vote. He's the man who trained my incorrigible shepherd mix, Daisy, a couple years back. Steve and and his wife, both Army veterans, vote every chance they get, he said. When they still were in the service, they dutifully cast absentee ballots at every election, from as far away as Germany. Why?

"Because I can," Steve said with a smile. "And you can't complain if you don't vote."

Steve said he felt it very important to vote on Amendment 2, which would set a minimum on the amount of property tax local school districts must collect.

"I think everyone should pay for the schools," he said.

He also wanted to vote for Gov. Bob Riley, who he feels has done well enough in office to earn a second term.

"But don't tell my state-employee friends that," he chuckled.

We shook hands and parted. He urged me to bring Daisy by for a refresher course if she misbehaves.

Have you run into anyone interesting at the ballot box today? Click on "comments" below to tell us about it.