Evening star., 1952-11-10
Looking Around While WAITING to Vote
To the Editor Of The Stor:

/ ' only during the last few years and
this past election Is the first experience
! have had tn voting for q presidential
candidate. I was deeply impressed with
this experience. ] went to my voting
precinct at an hour when hoped to
miss the crowds, but to my surprise,
there were people standing in line when
I arrived.
Outside Of the building. on the walks
and In the parking area stood men and
women who smiled as they handed out
information on the various candidates.
Several asked that we vote for their
favorites. Large and small posters with
pictures and party slogans were here
and there on easels. on automobiles,
or tackled to- trees.
A man and his wife stood on the side
walk arguing about candidate Eve
overheard a name mentioned as we
passed.. The husband apparently was
trying to change his wife's opinion. On
the parking lot. between cars, a hatless
woman with short. black hair was ex-
planning some issue to an older man,
using her fingers to enumerate her
reasons.
Inside the building, election officials.
six women and one man, sat at tables
checking up on the eligibility of the
voters. They were smiling and encour-
aging the crowds to carry out the rou-
tine quietly and efficiently. There were
two booths on the side of the room
which held the automatic voting ma
chimes and lines queued in front of
both. I was greatly interested to see
America. Free America, exercising its
1nallenable right" to cast a secret
ballot.
noted how one man spent quite q
long time in the booth. His brown
trouser legs and brown shoes showed
beneath the curtain. I was afraid he
had not made up his mind before No.
vember and was trying to decide
important issues in the voting place.
An important looking older man went
in quickly and came out quickly as il
he had pressing business waiting at his
ot1lce. A young woman who appeared
to be in her twenties, with baby in her
arms and little boy of about S years
holding to her skirts. handed the baby
to an older woman whom she called
mother" while she entered the booth.
The little boy followed his mother be-
hind the curtain and his little feet and
legs showed below the curtain alongside
the mothers. He was having his first
lesson in democracy. She then took the
baby from her mother and stood aside
while the older woman voted. Two
women in the line in front of me talked
with another woman about a mutual
acquaintance who had been ILL., A young
man came up to speak to them and
shake hands with the two women. One
said that he had just returned from
Korea. I noted that he was in civilian
clothes and wondered why he had not
worn his uniform. He went back and
stood in line.
young couple stood opposite me.
They were interested only in each other
and thought they might be newlyweds.
Directly behind where stood, middle
aged woman kept looking at the pink
slip which she held in her hand. She
seemed deeply serious. and her face was
sad although she smiled at me several
times. thought she appeared to be a
new citizen, perhaps of German birth.
An older. sick-loolsing man came slowly
by. helped along by a younger man, no
doubt his son as they favored each
other. He had to sit in chair for a
space before entering the booth.
thought the right Of suffrage meant a
lot to him.
A man explained the mechanics Of
the voting machine to his wife. She
seemed nervous and folded and un-
folded her sample ballot as she stood
behind him. A very intelligent appear
ing man was chatting about real estate
to the woman behind him. He kept
watching the booth for his turn to vote.
Something went wrong, however, as he
cast his ballot and the official told him
he had voided his vote. He was terribly
disturbed. sensed that this election
meant lot to him. Perhaps he had
been working hard for certain candi-
dates and had been counting on this
special act of casting. maybe a de-
Gliding ballot-who knows? He pro-
tested to the officials. but I saw no
change being made in the rules. He
had lost his vote.
A mechanic in coveralls came up and
signed. A tall, thin man in a heavy
overcoat; woman with short, gray
hair smoking cigarette. I turned about
from time to time to look at those in
line. There were young and old, men
and women; tired faces; smiling faces:
workmen. Office people and those who
looked like housewives, or teachers. or
business executives, or sales people.
There were serious people and those
laughing together as if voting were fun.
In my minds eye, could see lines like
these queued up all over the Nation
in crowded cities, small towns and coun-
try precincts-individua and collective
America, deciding who shall run our
Government. make our internal policies
and shape our international relations.
A businesslike woman with a flash
light and camera was on a stool in the
corner Of the room. From time to time
she took picture, perhaps for news
paper. After a good bit of waiting, I
finally reached my goal-the voting
booth. turned the levers down quickly,
as had marked my sample ballot some
days before, and did not wish to keep
others waiting any longer than was
necessary. thanked God for the privi-
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