Soooo yeahhhh, here's the thing. In October and November, Election campaigns tend to ramp up their efforts to push their agenda, the constant phone calls, spam, Ad mail, it is all just too much. I wish I could put an I voted tag on my phone and mail box. I have gotten over 100 mailers, and at least 5 to 11 calls a day. Today, I turned off my phone after I got 3 before 8:20AM. It is bordering on harassment. 

I am not saying ignore your civic duty, if you don't want to vote, then don't. But if you do then educate yourself, vote early. Personally, I Mail-in Ballot vote, that means I vote when it is still October. The day after my ballot comes in, it goes out.  I have voted in every election and Mid-term election since I turned 18, that was 30 years ago! 

It was a lot different then than now. Then there was a break between but now, within a week of one election they are campaigning for the next. Election Fatigue and Election Depression  are real mental diagnosis now. People have to take anti-anxiety medications and anti-depressants because of POLITICAL Pandering and In-fighting.  Maybe I am getting old and cranky in a "get off my lawn" kind of way but I just want to have my morning cuppa in peace. 

I think there needs to be some new rules, 

 - No campaigning for more than three months before election day. ( no more year around campaigning) 

 - no more paper campaign ads, seriously tons and tons go into landfills every time and who actually reads them. (I read my Blue Book to learn everything about issues and initiatives, and research candidates before my ballot comes. The ads go into my fireplace - they burn pretty colors)

- no more than 2 calls per day to household. No more 8AM to 8PM calling hours. 

-no more attack/slander/fear-mongering/hater commercials on radio, youtube, internet, television... Just The Facts, please. 

         (I know this will make the media coverage boring but the negativity is stressing people into nervous break downs. Truth is not a relative word. When there are five versions of the "truth about "_insert_name/issue_here_" shouted at everyone every 8-12 minutes in angry, judgy voices that don't match the actual record, it should be illegal.)

Sorry for the little rant but I just want a quiet day to write, do my mom things, and wait for the results AFTER the poles close. I did my civic duty, I have always done my civic duty, BECAUSE I want to.  If other people aren't then guilting or harassing them, telling them what to think or scaring them into fear voting one way or another, isn't the solution, it's coercion. Education not sponsored by political agendas is the only true path. People need to want to do it. 

My grandfather used to always quote, "You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink." Then he would add, "Because sometimes the water is tainted."