Yes, please Deity of Your Choice: Please, for the love of You, make this stop!
I can't handle it anymore. MY 'mute' button is worn out.

The League of Woman Voters once published a paper ballot with all candidates names and other propositions printed as they appear on the ballot (or machine). So that you could study the ballot and investigate propositions before entering the booth. Today, many only hear of propositions for the first time when they cast their ballot.

This is particularly difficult in California where many rich people have paid to have propositions put on the CA ballots. Voting takes longer. Californians must vote on at least 40 propositions. Most were never heard of until they vote. Some are worded to be deceptive because rich people can now pay to have propositions on that ballot.

Don't know about your location, but here there is always a rep from each party passing out sample ballots showing how they want you to vote. So at a minimum, you can see what the different parties want. I'll usually take a sample ballot from each just to confirm my understanding of what the different issues mean.

That was sweet, Dana, thanks.

I was pretty sleepy when I posted that, from my phone. In bed. Good to have your independent confirmation.

Right now, Obama has a slight lead in the Colorado polls.

There are also two ballot measures before Colorado voters that are as important to me (and ultimately, to the US as a whole) as the presidential race. The first is to treat the sale of marijuana just like the sale of alcohol. We already have legalized medical marijuana here, and it makes sense to just allow the sale of it to all people over 21and get some badly needed tax revenues. It has always been silly to treat pot as it were some awful street drug like crystal meth or crack cocaine. Legalize pot, make some money from it, and free up the courts and law enforcement to deal with actual problems.

The second ballot measure actually gives me some hope for this bizarre state which includes every nut group from Focus on the Family to the People’s Republic of Boulder. The Colorado people are fighting back against the Supreme Court and its ruling on the Citizen’s campaign contributions case. Corporations are NOT people! Vote YES on 65, Colorado!

Only two states are being given a chance to vote to amend the constitution and throw Citizens’ out the door. The other state where this question has been put up for a vote is Montana. Let’s hear it for the WILD WEST! GO MONTANA! GO COLORADO!

Ahem… Here’s the text of 65 as it reads on the Colorado ballot:

I'm still not sure why conservatives think libertarians are "their" voters. My choice was between Johnson and Obama. Johnson's better on foreign policy and civil liberties. Obama's better on social safety net, beating Mitt, and the message vote that its country before party which the GOP House doesn't understand.