On Tuesday, October 7, I found out I’d be in New York City on Election Day. I wasn’t leaving St. Louis until Wednesday, October 15, but packing is packing, so I never found time to cast my absentee vote in person at the Board of Elections office.

This didn’t strike me as a big deal. When I voted absentee in the New Jersey elections in 1992, from what I recall, my mom picked up a blank ballot and mailed it to my college P.O. box. I colored in my circles and sent it in. I figured I’d ask one or another friend back in St. Louis to do the same for me.

But then I thought to call the local Barack Obama campaign office instead. They probably would send me a ballot. All those little videos on Barack Obama’s YouTube channel make it seem like these folks are so devoted to facilitating your vote, they’d cartwheel to your house and back if it would help. I could save one of my friends a trip. Continue Reading

Four years ago, about 7,500 absentee ballots were cast in the high Democratic voting City of St. Louis. As of yesterday, that number was close to 17,000.