The day before Thanksgiving the cashier at Trader Joe's instantly gave me something to be thankful for. He looked down at my basket full of groceries, picked up the one indulgence (a Jamaican Rum loaf cake) and asked shyly, "I'm sorry but I'm going to need to see your ID."
Now I haven't been IDed for almost a year and I don't think I've ever been IDed in order to buy a cake (which speaks very well for the cake...I mean, how much rum did they put in this thing?). It really made me quite happy because while feeling young is the most important thing looking young is certainly a major perk.
But then again I do think our youth-obsessed culture can get out of hand. My mother tells me that she spotted her first wrinkle well before 30 and so it's no surprise that I'm now able to spot crow's feet when I smile at my reflection. Popular culture would tell us that I should be running to the nearest clinic to ask about collagen injections. But the truth is I kind of like my crow's feet. I think they make my smile softer and make me seem more approachable and maybe even a bit more mature. I know we tend to forget this but maturity is actually a GOOD thing. So I don't care what the magazines say, I'm keeping my new wrinkles. It took a lot of smiling to earn them and I consider them a badge of honor and a mark of both inner and outer beauty.
So I am thankful. I'm obviously most thankful for my family, my friends and for being an American (that's sounds corny but I am truly grateful for that). But on a much more superficial level I'm thankful because I actually believe that I look better now than I did when I wasn't old enough to buy the rum cake. I'm in good shape, I've finally been able to grow my hair past my shoulders without it becoming unmanageable AND I have awesome crow's feet.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and your families! And keep those wrinkles!
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
SEX, MURDER AND A DOUBLE LATTE,
PASSION, BETRAYAL AND KILLER HIGHLIGHTS,
OBSESSION, DECEIT AND REALLY DARK CHOCOLATE
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Freaky Fun
The other day I was working on the edits for Lust, Loathing And A Little Lip Gloss at Starbucks when the guy next to me (who looked as if he either lived in the gym or off of steroids) leaned over with a flirtatious smile, pulled out a thermos and said, “Hey, you wanna share some of my protein shake?’
It is people like him who endear me to LA. After living in Santa Cruz, San Francisco and briefly in New York I thought I had met every kind of eccentric there was to meet but now, here in LA, I’ve been discovering that there are entire categories of freaks that I didn’t even know existed!
It’s not just the fitness-freaks. It’s the I-like-picking-up-girls-while-stuck-in-traffic-even-if-their-kid’s-in-the-car freaks. It’s the my-spirit-guides-have-told-me-to-turn-my-psychic-abilities-into- the-basis-of-a-new-reality-TV-show freaks. Or even the my-dog-has-his-own-therapist-and-acupuncturist freaks (who might actually be less shocking than the I-share-my-acupuncturist-WITH-my-dog freaks…but I suppose that’s a matter of opinion).
It’s all really quite wonderful. Freaks are the most entertaining of people. I always feel flattered when they honor me with their attention and unusual banter (although I do strongly discourage men from trying to pick me or anyone else up when a child is in the car…that’s not so much freaky as it is tacky).
That said it should be known that I consider myself to be an I-worship-all-things-Starbucks freak. I also can’t seem to pass a dry leaf without crunching it under my feet. I live in a neighborhood that is full of trees that shed their leaves so my late-afternoon walks aren’t so much strolls as they are half-hour stomping events. So with that in mind I’m certainly not going to be overly judgmental of other people’s peculiarities. I’m just glad that I don’t have to strain the limits of my imagination in order to come up with new outrageous characters for my novels. I just have to walk outside and wait for someone to offer me half a protein shake.
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
SEX, MURDER AND A DOUBLE LATTE,
PASSION, BETRAYAL AND KILLER HIGHLIGHTS,
OBSESSION, DECEIT AND REALLY DARK CHOCOLATE
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
It is people like him who endear me to LA. After living in Santa Cruz, San Francisco and briefly in New York I thought I had met every kind of eccentric there was to meet but now, here in LA, I’ve been discovering that there are entire categories of freaks that I didn’t even know existed!
It’s not just the fitness-freaks. It’s the I-like-picking-up-girls-while-stuck-in-traffic-even-if-their-kid’s-in-the-car freaks. It’s the my-spirit-guides-have-told-me-to-turn-my-psychic-abilities-into- the-basis-of-a-new-reality-TV-show freaks. Or even the my-dog-has-his-own-therapist-and-acupuncturist freaks (who might actually be less shocking than the I-share-my-acupuncturist-WITH-my-dog freaks…but I suppose that’s a matter of opinion).
It’s all really quite wonderful. Freaks are the most entertaining of people. I always feel flattered when they honor me with their attention and unusual banter (although I do strongly discourage men from trying to pick me or anyone else up when a child is in the car…that’s not so much freaky as it is tacky).
That said it should be known that I consider myself to be an I-worship-all-things-Starbucks freak. I also can’t seem to pass a dry leaf without crunching it under my feet. I live in a neighborhood that is full of trees that shed their leaves so my late-afternoon walks aren’t so much strolls as they are half-hour stomping events. So with that in mind I’m certainly not going to be overly judgmental of other people’s peculiarities. I’m just glad that I don’t have to strain the limits of my imagination in order to come up with new outrageous characters for my novels. I just have to walk outside and wait for someone to offer me half a protein shake.
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
SEX, MURDER AND A DOUBLE LATTE,
PASSION, BETRAYAL AND KILLER HIGHLIGHTS,
OBSESSION, DECEIT AND REALLY DARK CHOCOLATE
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Happy Birthday Grammy!
My grandmother wasn’t always the easiest person to get along with. She had what could be described as a strong personality. In fact everything about her was strong. She loved as fiercely as she argued (and anyone who has ever been in an argument with her knows the full significance of that statement). She didn’t have a lot of tolerance for weakness and her expectations for those of us in her family were insanely high. They were high because she truly believed in our abilities. She was certain of our talents and our intelligence and she was sure that if we were simply given the opportunity we could be successful.
So she did what she could to give us those opportunities. With my grandmother at his side my grandfather built my mother a house when she was a single mom with a toddler working toward a graduate degree. They were a middle class couple and yet my grandparents used large chunks of their hard earned savings to send us to Kenya, Bali, Tahiti , Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe so we could expand our world view. My grandmother didn’t want me to grow up thinking that my way of life was the only way of life out there. She tried (somewhat unsuccessfully) to find my musical talents by giving me piano lessons and singing lessons. She encouraged me to take dance lessons.
She encouraged me to write.
Before I was even considering a career as an author she was sure that writing was to be my calling. That's why I named the main character of my books, Sophie, after her.
I have so many memories of my grandmother. The dolls she made me and the dresses. All those angle food ice cream cakes she made for my birthdays. Her world famous dark-chocolate fudge.
My grandmother passed away a little over seven years ago and today is her birthday. So today I made dark chocolate fudge with my son and told him about his great Grammy, the woman who helped raise me. The woman who I will always miss and who I continue to dream of. The woman who gave me my opportunities.
So once again:
Happy Birthday Grammy!
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
SEX, MURDER AND A DOUBLE LATTE,
PASSION, BETRAYAL AND KILLER HIGHLIGHTS,
OBSESSION, DECEIT AND REALLY DARK CHOCOLATE
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
So she did what she could to give us those opportunities. With my grandmother at his side my grandfather built my mother a house when she was a single mom with a toddler working toward a graduate degree. They were a middle class couple and yet my grandparents used large chunks of their hard earned savings to send us to Kenya, Bali, Tahiti , Mexico, the Caribbean and Europe so we could expand our world view. My grandmother didn’t want me to grow up thinking that my way of life was the only way of life out there. She tried (somewhat unsuccessfully) to find my musical talents by giving me piano lessons and singing lessons. She encouraged me to take dance lessons.
She encouraged me to write.
Before I was even considering a career as an author she was sure that writing was to be my calling. That's why I named the main character of my books, Sophie, after her.
I have so many memories of my grandmother. The dolls she made me and the dresses. All those angle food ice cream cakes she made for my birthdays. Her world famous dark-chocolate fudge.
My grandmother passed away a little over seven years ago and today is her birthday. So today I made dark chocolate fudge with my son and told him about his great Grammy, the woman who helped raise me. The woman who I will always miss and who I continue to dream of. The woman who gave me my opportunities.
So once again:
Happy Birthday Grammy!
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
SEX, MURDER AND A DOUBLE LATTE,
PASSION, BETRAYAL AND KILLER HIGHLIGHTS,
OBSESSION, DECEIT AND REALLY DARK CHOCOLATE
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
A Day Of Mixed Emotions
When Barack Obama was officially announced to be the next president of the United States I broke down in tears.
Up until 1967, just 3 years before my Black father met my white mother the Supreme Court in Loving vs. Virginia declared that the laws against interracial marriage held in multitudes of states were unconstitutional and therefore unenforceable. And yet many of those states kept that ban on the books anyway as a way of publicly and officially declaring their disapproval. The last state to finally vote to take the law off its books was Alabama. That was in the year 2000.
It was a very close vote.
Now we’ve elected a man who is the product of one of those unions that so many sought to ban.
As recently as 1988 there wasn’t a single Black CEO in any large publicly traded company. Even now Blacks hold less than 1% of the tens of thousands of senior-level, corporate posts at America’s 1,000 largest public corporations.
And yet on January 20th 2009 the most powerful executive position in the world will go to Barack Obama.
Now when Black parents tell their children they can be anything they want to be they have evidence to back that up.
How could I not cry?
And yet yesterday was also filled with intense heartache because as voters delivered a powerful blow to those who sought to suppress one particular group voters also chose to empower those who now seek to demoralize another.
Florida and Arizona voted to ban same-sex marriage and Arkansas voted to ban gay couples from adopting children. In California voters chose to make our state the first to actually take away Gay’s right to marry after we legalized it.
For me the worst part is that many (although by no means all) Black voters helped propel these propositions to victory. In other words it was my community.
History has taught us (or it SHOULD have taught us if they ever bothered to discuss this stuff in school) that when a minority group is subjected to the racism of a group that is in power that minority group tends to turn inward in an act of self-preservation. They are less likely to invite in others who are not like them. And then there is such a thing as jealousy. My father was rarely around when I was growing up and yet my two half brothers (who I haven’t seen or heard from in over 15 years) were jealous of me because as little attention as I got from our dad it was still more than he gave to them. In other words, the less good stuff there is to go around (the good stuff can be attention, advancement, tolerance or something else) the more envious and competitive people tend to be.
Ironically the one group that has NEVER discriminated against other minority groups are the Gays and Lesbians.
When Obama won the election the streets of San Francisco’s Castro district exploded with celebration. People were literally dancing in the street. And then, as the OTHER results of the election came in the mood changed. People were shocked, even devastated to learn that those whose victory they cheered would seek to hurt them.
Yes, I know that many will use religion as an excuse for their vote. A vast majority of those who voted for these bills genuinely believe that Gay marriage goes against the teachings of their faith. Many once felt the same way about interracial marriage.
But for those of you who are Gay I want you to know there is hope. One of the reasons I support Barack Obama is because he DOESN’T buy into this idea that minority groups have to stick to their own at the expense of others. Those of you who saw him speak at a King’s Church on Martin Luther King’s Day know this. He stood up in front of that congregation and told them that if Blacks really want to live King’s dream we are going to have to look within our own community and examine the way we treat our Jewish and Gay brothers and sisters (as Jew I guess that makes me my own sister…but I digress). No Democratic politician has ever asked the Black community to do that before and the people in that church were listening.
I know that Obama said he supported civil-unions over Gay-marriage. I know that he had to in order to get elected. But now he is arguably the most influential man in the world. I believe he will continue to challenge us, ALL of us, to be more tolerant and open to one another. I believe he will help to guide us toward a future filled with less prejudice and hate. I don’t think he’s the next Messiah and I don’t think he has the power to eliminate prejudice. But I do think he’ll get us closer to the goal line. To use Obama’s words: I have never been more hopeful.
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
SEX, MURDER AND A DOUBLE LATTE,
PASSION, BETRAYAL AND KILLER HIGHLIGHTS,
OBSESSION, DECEIT AND REALLY DARK CHOCOLATE
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Up until 1967, just 3 years before my Black father met my white mother the Supreme Court in Loving vs. Virginia declared that the laws against interracial marriage held in multitudes of states were unconstitutional and therefore unenforceable. And yet many of those states kept that ban on the books anyway as a way of publicly and officially declaring their disapproval. The last state to finally vote to take the law off its books was Alabama. That was in the year 2000.
It was a very close vote.
Now we’ve elected a man who is the product of one of those unions that so many sought to ban.
As recently as 1988 there wasn’t a single Black CEO in any large publicly traded company. Even now Blacks hold less than 1% of the tens of thousands of senior-level, corporate posts at America’s 1,000 largest public corporations.
And yet on January 20th 2009 the most powerful executive position in the world will go to Barack Obama.
Now when Black parents tell their children they can be anything they want to be they have evidence to back that up.
How could I not cry?
And yet yesterday was also filled with intense heartache because as voters delivered a powerful blow to those who sought to suppress one particular group voters also chose to empower those who now seek to demoralize another.
Florida and Arizona voted to ban same-sex marriage and Arkansas voted to ban gay couples from adopting children. In California voters chose to make our state the first to actually take away Gay’s right to marry after we legalized it.
For me the worst part is that many (although by no means all) Black voters helped propel these propositions to victory. In other words it was my community.
History has taught us (or it SHOULD have taught us if they ever bothered to discuss this stuff in school) that when a minority group is subjected to the racism of a group that is in power that minority group tends to turn inward in an act of self-preservation. They are less likely to invite in others who are not like them. And then there is such a thing as jealousy. My father was rarely around when I was growing up and yet my two half brothers (who I haven’t seen or heard from in over 15 years) were jealous of me because as little attention as I got from our dad it was still more than he gave to them. In other words, the less good stuff there is to go around (the good stuff can be attention, advancement, tolerance or something else) the more envious and competitive people tend to be.
Ironically the one group that has NEVER discriminated against other minority groups are the Gays and Lesbians.
When Obama won the election the streets of San Francisco’s Castro district exploded with celebration. People were literally dancing in the street. And then, as the OTHER results of the election came in the mood changed. People were shocked, even devastated to learn that those whose victory they cheered would seek to hurt them.
Yes, I know that many will use religion as an excuse for their vote. A vast majority of those who voted for these bills genuinely believe that Gay marriage goes against the teachings of their faith. Many once felt the same way about interracial marriage.
But for those of you who are Gay I want you to know there is hope. One of the reasons I support Barack Obama is because he DOESN’T buy into this idea that minority groups have to stick to their own at the expense of others. Those of you who saw him speak at a King’s Church on Martin Luther King’s Day know this. He stood up in front of that congregation and told them that if Blacks really want to live King’s dream we are going to have to look within our own community and examine the way we treat our Jewish and Gay brothers and sisters (as Jew I guess that makes me my own sister…but I digress). No Democratic politician has ever asked the Black community to do that before and the people in that church were listening.
I know that Obama said he supported civil-unions over Gay-marriage. I know that he had to in order to get elected. But now he is arguably the most influential man in the world. I believe he will continue to challenge us, ALL of us, to be more tolerant and open to one another. I believe he will help to guide us toward a future filled with less prejudice and hate. I don’t think he’s the next Messiah and I don’t think he has the power to eliminate prejudice. But I do think he’ll get us closer to the goal line. To use Obama’s words: I have never been more hopeful.
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
SEX, MURDER AND A DOUBLE LATTE,
PASSION, BETRAYAL AND KILLER HIGHLIGHTS,
OBSESSION, DECEIT AND REALLY DARK CHOCOLATE
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Monday, November 03, 2008
This Is Long...Read It Anyway
Tomorrow’s the big day. Don’t even pretend that you don’t know what I’m talking about. I know that some of you have been seeing news reports about the insane lines for early voting, some lines (including the ones in LA) go on for 4-6 hours. Maybe that’s given you second thoughts about casting your ballot.
Go cast your ballot anyway. Even if you’re in a solidly red or blue state.
This is going to be the most historic election of our generation, not just because Obama is Black and Palin is a woman. Not just because the electoral map is changing or because the issues are so big. It’s historic because this map marks our country’s return to true patriotism. Yeah, I know, this campaign season has been full of rhetoric charging that any question of America’s past patriotism is the equivalent of being a terrorist. Well, I’m sorry but in my opinion a competent person over the age of 18 can’t call themselves a patriot unless they participate in our democracy and they aren’t participating in our democracy if they’re staying home on election day.
The 2004 election had the highest voter turn out since 1968. So what does that mean? Did 85% of eligible voters make it to the polls? 90%? Maybe 78%?
Try 60%. THAT is our 40 year record. It points to a level of apathy and perhaps cynicism that has no place in a democracy. Women and Blacks used to endure torture and imprisonment in their effort to earn the right to vote and now we just sit on our butts and make up lame excuses. Can’t get time off of work? Go to the polls at 7 am or after 5. You don’t have childcare? Grab some snacks and toys and bring the munchkins along. Show them what it means to be part of a democracy. Don’t have a car? Either take the bus or call the local campaign headquarters of the candidate you plan to vote for and tell them you need a ride. It’s that simple.
Ten, twenty, forty years from now do you want to tell your grandchildren that when the people of this country finally got involved in their own government you were no where to be found? I didn’t think so. This is your opportunity to be part of history. Don’t pass it up.
Now that I’ve shamed you into voting, here are a few tips to make things easier. If you haven’t registered yet you may be out of luck UNLESS you live in Maine, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, New Hampshire or Wyoming. All of these states have same day registration so you can register on the very day you vote. Just be sure to bring your state issued ID. Even if you think you are registered it doesn’t hurt to check, to make sure there haven’t been any mistakes in the processing. You can check your registration status at The National Association Of Secretaries of State (NASS). This site will also tell you the hours of your polling place. Most states keep their polling places open until 7 or 8 but Indiana, Hawaii and Kentucky close theirs at 6. However the polling spots in Kentucky and Indiana are open at the early hour of 6 am. NASS will also tell you what kinds of ID you need but my suggestion is that even if it says you don’t need a State issued picture ID you should still bring one if you have it. If you don’t, know that only Indiana and Georgia require an identification with a current photo. If you don’t live in one of these states, don't have a picture ID and your poll workers says you need one then you need to argue and if they don’t let up stand right there, pull out your cell and call:
Election Protection: 1-866-OUR-VOTE
or
Election Assistance Commission: (866) 747-1471
If all else fails get a provisional ballot. When you walk out of that troubled polling place you should place one more phone call to CNN. Their voter hotline is:
877-GOCNN-08 (877-462-6608). CNN will report on some of your calls, and their partner InfoVoter Technologies can help get you in touch with your election board or find your voting location. It’s amazing how quickly a “misunderstanding” can be straightened out when media attention is brought to it.
If you don’t know where you’re supposed to vote (remember, voting locations can change year to year) go to www.maps.google.com/vote plug in your address and it will tell you exactly where to go and how to get there via car, public transit or walking.
Don’t wear ANYTHING with Obama or McCain’s name on it. Not a t-shirt, not a button not even a sock with the word “Hope” on it. Lots of polling places consider this campaigning for a candidate and you can NOT campaign in a polling place. They will turn you away.
If you are disabled or find the ballot confusing in any way you can bring another person that you trust into the booth with you to help.
Here’s another important note: Sometimes, when using the electronic voting machine, you will press Obama’s name and McCain’s name will come up or vice versa. That means there’s a problem with the machine. DO NOT STEP AWAY FROM THE MACHINE TO GET HELP! The minute you walk away from your booth your voting experience is OVER! Instead keep your feet exactly where they are and yell, loudly, for a poll worker to help you. They are required to come over and do so.
Lastly (and this is according to The Wall Street Journal) "The Republican Party has said it might challenge voters registered by activist groups…State laws vary widely about who can make challenges and under what conditions. In Ohio, only poll workers can challenge a voter; in Florida, any voter can challenge any other.
Be prepared for a challenge by bringing along proof of your age, identity and address. If those are in order and you are in the correct precinct, you must be offered a regular ballot. If they aren't, you may have to vote by provisional ballot."
Good luck and Happy Voting!
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
SEX, MURDER AND A DOUBLE LATTE,
PASSION, BETRAYAL AND KILLER HIGHLIGHTS,
OBSESSION, DECEIT AND REALLY DARK CHOCOLATE
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
Go cast your ballot anyway. Even if you’re in a solidly red or blue state.
This is going to be the most historic election of our generation, not just because Obama is Black and Palin is a woman. Not just because the electoral map is changing or because the issues are so big. It’s historic because this map marks our country’s return to true patriotism. Yeah, I know, this campaign season has been full of rhetoric charging that any question of America’s past patriotism is the equivalent of being a terrorist. Well, I’m sorry but in my opinion a competent person over the age of 18 can’t call themselves a patriot unless they participate in our democracy and they aren’t participating in our democracy if they’re staying home on election day.
The 2004 election had the highest voter turn out since 1968. So what does that mean? Did 85% of eligible voters make it to the polls? 90%? Maybe 78%?
Try 60%. THAT is our 40 year record. It points to a level of apathy and perhaps cynicism that has no place in a democracy. Women and Blacks used to endure torture and imprisonment in their effort to earn the right to vote and now we just sit on our butts and make up lame excuses. Can’t get time off of work? Go to the polls at 7 am or after 5. You don’t have childcare? Grab some snacks and toys and bring the munchkins along. Show them what it means to be part of a democracy. Don’t have a car? Either take the bus or call the local campaign headquarters of the candidate you plan to vote for and tell them you need a ride. It’s that simple.
Ten, twenty, forty years from now do you want to tell your grandchildren that when the people of this country finally got involved in their own government you were no where to be found? I didn’t think so. This is your opportunity to be part of history. Don’t pass it up.
Now that I’ve shamed you into voting, here are a few tips to make things easier. If you haven’t registered yet you may be out of luck UNLESS you live in Maine, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, New Hampshire or Wyoming. All of these states have same day registration so you can register on the very day you vote. Just be sure to bring your state issued ID. Even if you think you are registered it doesn’t hurt to check, to make sure there haven’t been any mistakes in the processing. You can check your registration status at The National Association Of Secretaries of State (NASS). This site will also tell you the hours of your polling place. Most states keep their polling places open until 7 or 8 but Indiana, Hawaii and Kentucky close theirs at 6. However the polling spots in Kentucky and Indiana are open at the early hour of 6 am. NASS will also tell you what kinds of ID you need but my suggestion is that even if it says you don’t need a State issued picture ID you should still bring one if you have it. If you don’t, know that only Indiana and Georgia require an identification with a current photo. If you don’t live in one of these states, don't have a picture ID and your poll workers says you need one then you need to argue and if they don’t let up stand right there, pull out your cell and call:
Election Protection: 1-866-OUR-VOTE
or
Election Assistance Commission: (866) 747-1471
If all else fails get a provisional ballot. When you walk out of that troubled polling place you should place one more phone call to CNN. Their voter hotline is:
877-GOCNN-08 (877-462-6608). CNN will report on some of your calls, and their partner InfoVoter Technologies can help get you in touch with your election board or find your voting location. It’s amazing how quickly a “misunderstanding” can be straightened out when media attention is brought to it.
If you don’t know where you’re supposed to vote (remember, voting locations can change year to year) go to www.maps.google.com/vote plug in your address and it will tell you exactly where to go and how to get there via car, public transit or walking.
Don’t wear ANYTHING with Obama or McCain’s name on it. Not a t-shirt, not a button not even a sock with the word “Hope” on it. Lots of polling places consider this campaigning for a candidate and you can NOT campaign in a polling place. They will turn you away.
If you are disabled or find the ballot confusing in any way you can bring another person that you trust into the booth with you to help.
Here’s another important note: Sometimes, when using the electronic voting machine, you will press Obama’s name and McCain’s name will come up or vice versa. That means there’s a problem with the machine. DO NOT STEP AWAY FROM THE MACHINE TO GET HELP! The minute you walk away from your booth your voting experience is OVER! Instead keep your feet exactly where they are and yell, loudly, for a poll worker to help you. They are required to come over and do so.
Lastly (and this is according to The Wall Street Journal) "The Republican Party has said it might challenge voters registered by activist groups…State laws vary widely about who can make challenges and under what conditions. In Ohio, only poll workers can challenge a voter; in Florida, any voter can challenge any other.
Be prepared for a challenge by bringing along proof of your age, identity and address. If those are in order and you are in the correct precinct, you must be offered a regular ballot. If they aren't, you may have to vote by provisional ballot."
Good luck and Happy Voting!
Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
SEX, MURDER AND A DOUBLE LATTE,
PASSION, BETRAYAL AND KILLER HIGHLIGHTS,
OBSESSION, DECEIT AND REALLY DARK CHOCOLATE
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING
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