[speaker001:] okay did you vote in the last uh national election
[speaker002:] yes we uh uh I haven't missed a one since I've been eligible to vote
[speaker001:] oh that's good
[speaker002:] uh did you get to vote at the last one
[speaker001:] I voted in the last national one yeah I'm not sure if I got the last local one
[speaker002:] oh uh-huh yeah and sometimes the the local ones aren't as publicized it seems that uh they should be
[speaker001:] yeah and you're not sure where to go and vote and all that
[speaker002:] right and uh there's usually nobody running against you know the incumbents
[speaker001:] right or you don't know what they stand you know where they stand or anything like that
[speaker002:] right so uh but I I feel that uh a lot of people have gotten lazy about voting
[speaker001:] yeah I think you're right
[speaker002:] and it's it's they're and also they're fed up with the system and they say well why should I even vote
[speaker001:] yeah or sometimes they don't like either of the choices
[speaker002:] right
[speaker001:] for the candidates so they think well you know why vote
[speaker002:] right the lesser of the two evils is how we usually look at it oh I know it the last gubernatorial race was oh that was awful
[speaker001:] yeah really especially in Texas it really was yeah it was a mess
[speaker002:] but uh so I don't know I it'll be interesting to see how the next uh few years go
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] um
[speaker001:] did you think it's a serious problem that half the people don't vote or
[speaker002:] yeah I think well it's it's definitely a problem and I think it could get worse
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] you know we get this lackadaisical attitude and say huh you know why should we vote and then uh you know it could uh it could lead to some serious things
[speaker001:] yeah it also seems like maybe another another candidate that nobody wants could slip in if you know not enough people are voting
[speaker002:] um-hum right uh yeah we can get uh you know if we get someone in there like that then you know they could make all sorts of changes if they were you know had enough pull
[speaker001:] yeah it's kind of like in Louisiana where that uh guy that's like a Ku Klux Klan member something got elected kind of scary when you think about that
[speaker002:] yes um-hum yeah and uh who's the other guy LaRouche uh LaRouche LaRouche uh that uh is sort of the uh socialist not socialist but communist uh he's so off the wall that uh he's gone in and tried to get into city elections and uh but he's got he's been put away for uh credit card fraud I believe
[speaker001:] oh gosh
[speaker002:] yeah Lyndon LaRouche that's it
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] and uh so yeah
[speaker001:] yeah people'll will sit home and assume oh that guy would never get elected next thing you know you've got him
[speaker002:] um-hum right if you don't go and vote then you know very good chance that they they will because a lot of the people like that
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] they'll strike a chord in something you know in some of the people that so will say well you know this guy's got everything together you know I like what he says you know it'll be so far off the wall that they'll elect him
[speaker001:] right yeah
[speaker002:] and uh you know I think that's sort of what happened with Louisiana because because uh the guy did get elected correct that's what I thought
[speaker001:] yeah I think so right yeah he sure did
[speaker002:] and uh so you know it uh but you know they can always fool us you know they might do a good job
[speaker001:] yeah I think one thing that maybe would help people vote is if the polls were either open more days or you could mail it in or
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] something like if you have if you have real strict work hours and you can only go like at seven in the morning or after work and you have to stand in line for so long I think that discourages a lot of people
[speaker002:] oh yeah what we do usually is uh vote uh absenteeism
[speaker001:] uh-huh
[speaker002:] and uh I know here you know you don't have to have any reason you can just go and vote
[speaker001:] right
[speaker002:] and uh the polls are open what was it a couple of weeks uh the hours are good and it they're even open on Saturdays and a couple of Sundays
[speaker001:] uh-huh
[speaker002:] and so you we've got plenty of time to go uh because uh down here in in Houston it's uh the lines are long
[speaker001:] yeah I'm in Dallas and they're long here too so
[speaker002:] so uh but uh
[speaker001:] yeah I voted absentee one year I really was going to be gone so I I did it but uh it was nice I would be tempted to do it again
[speaker002:] uh-huh well uh I recommend it because you just walk right on in and there's usually not anybody in line
[speaker001:] right
[speaker002:] and uh you know that vote's just as good as you know the one on election day
[speaker001:] yeah I think they should change the whole system so that it's easier I think I think more people would do it if it wasn't such a hassle
[speaker002:] um-hum yeah um I've yeah I've been involved with uh some of the campaigns and the state conventions of the of the Republican party and it's really interesting to see the process as far as what goes through as far as the voting and the uh how the uh
[speaker001:] uh-huh
[speaker002:] the not the ballots but uh my mind has gone blank I've been wrestling with a child all evening uh what uh how they develop uh what the candidate stands for the you know the views and uh
[speaker001:] uh-huh
[speaker002:] you know everybody gets to vote on you know well should he be for this and uh you know on and on and on and uh it's it's interesting
[speaker001:] yeah that would be I usually vote a lot of times I'll vote a straight party ticket just because I don't take the time to find out what every
[speaker002:] but
[speaker001:] you know other than the major candidates what they stand for on on what issues so I just trust well the party kind of goes along these lines so I'll go ahead and vote
[speaker002:] huh um-hum uh right and uh there for a while that would that works we've uh
[speaker001:] but that
[speaker002:] I I know I have uh I'll stick to uh to uh you know sometimes I'll stick to a certain party depends on the guy
[speaker001:] uh-huh
[speaker002:] but uh if it uh gets down between two then I'll I'll vote for the party if I know you know something about the other guy or you know they're both just as bad then I'll say well
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] I know what this guy stands for as far as for his party and um but yeah you know that's not uh the best way but
[speaker001:] no I guess it'd be best if you knew what each person and what they stood for and why and everything but
[speaker002:] right right but it gets to the point where I mean you've got to have the time find the time also to read read about the guy and and be able to find the information about what he stands for
[speaker001:] right and try to determine if what you read was objective or not and
[speaker002:] right or what you've heard on TV which I think is just outrageous I I don't agree with how the uh media handles elections
[speaker001:] yeah yeah
[speaker002:] I you know I'm I'm tired of hearing about the polls you know you know this is how he stands such and such a day
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] they break it out it's just it's just ridiculous
[speaker001:] yeah I think it could affect the outcome you know could make it unfair
[speaker002:] um-hum it really could and uh uh then how sometimes how the media will blow things out of proportion and will run an an issue into the ground which is good and dead and they keep dragging it on and it could hamper the uh outcome of an election for the guy that should have won
[speaker001:] oh yeah
[speaker002:] yeah so uh
[speaker001:] yeah the press has a lot of power
[speaker002:] they really do I I sometimes think that that should be limited more
[speaker001:] yeah oh but boy you try get into that you'd really open a can of worms
[speaker002:] oh yes or they uh you know I I agree with the freedom of of the press and that's you know all the amendments but sometimes it's for the public's own good that we don't hear things
[speaker001:] yeah seems like they should regulate themselves a little bit and I don't think they ever care to
[speaker002:] no they don't
[speaker001:] well I can't think of anything else really about the polls or voting
[speaker002:] and well I enjoyed talking to you
[speaker001:] to talk about well it was good talking to you um bye
[speaker002:] all right thank you bye-bye