Vote in the Toolshed

I am a registered voter. The problem is, I registered in Lee County and now I live in Tallapoosa County. Also I didn't know WHERE to vote. So I asked my landlord today and he told me to go to the little cinder block building in front of the church that burnt. I kid you not, those were his exact words.

I don't know what that little building is supposed to be. I always thought it was some kind of storage shed. There were 4 poll workers. One man in the corner, one man at the end of the table, and the other two women behind the table. I don't think the women could get up. I think they sat down against the wall and then the table was slid in front of them. Two voters were in the building and I had to stand on the little porch and wait because there wasn't anymore room.

Sometimes I feel like I'm speaking a language no one knows. I came in, said I had never voted in Tallapoosa County, I wasn't on the list, and I wasn't sure if I would be allowed to vote. They asked for my driver's license, which I gladly handed over because I thought I'd get to vote after all. They asked where I lived, how long I'd lived there, and if I was registered.

Then we hit a snag- I'm not on the list.

Well, of course not. I never voted in Tallapoosa County before.

Suddenly the air felt hostile. It ain't comfortable being the odd one out in a tool shed.

One of the women had this attitude like the whole world was wrong and she, by damn, was going to bring the rest of us in line and make us behave.  She started talking to me like I was really dumb.

I am not dumb. It annoys me when people think I am. I clearly stated I had never voted here before. She told me I had to go back to Lee County and vote there.

But I live here now.

Finally the man in the corner spoke up and kindly informed me that I'd have to go to the courthouse in Dadeville (which was already closed at that point). They can't make any changes or add me to the list at the poll (tool shed). I thanked him, got my id, backed out onto the porch, stepped around people who were glaring at me for taking up time/space, and drove home.

And I managed to keep my mouth shut because I know it's funny to be kicked out of a tool shed/clubhouse/poll.