I never assume that I will be allowed to vote or that my vote will be counted. I’ve seen too much, that’s just the way it is. So I over prepare. I bring that little goofy proof of registration card with me every time I vote, wherever I am. Today was no different. Even though, officially, you do not have to provide any kind of identification to vote in California - I played it “safe.”

Walking into my assigned polling place, a neighbor’s garage, I presented my little beige registration confirmation card to the first poll worker beyond the door and was immediately told:

“You’re not on the list.”

What the hell???!!! [Now all of you conspiracy folks out there, simmer down for a sec. My full name is not easily characterized, it's a good ol' jumble of cultures/ethnicities so I can't believe it was a targeted omission. And anyway, this gets much worse.]

You could say, I.was.not.happy.

So I am directed to the third table where an obviously nervous man, now a little flustered but basically sincere greets me with this:

“Um. Well, um you’re not on the list. Hmm. Well um, I guess you’ll have to fill out a provisional ballot. Ummm…so if you’ll be patient with me I’ll be patient with you.”

“Erm…okay?.”

It didn’t bother me then, but now I am wondering if he was worried I was gonna jump salty on him or something. Or maybe I am truly being “oversensitive,” I don’t know. It was all kind of weird.

So anyway, I proceed to fill out the bright pink provisional ballot envelope and request a Democratic ballot, as I had been instructed to do by the Obama campaign. The poll worker then tells me:

“Oh no, you don’t get a separate ballot, you get an independent ballot but you just have to fill it out in a Democrat booth.”

Ummkay. On it’s face, this is a basic instruction easy enough to follow given that there are three little booths marked Democrat and three little booths marked Republican. I take my ballot to the Democratic booth. Figuring out how to slide the thing in the voting slot, was confusing enough. I then mark my twenty or so ballot initiatives and finish with a hole punch for Barack Obama. I pull out my ballot, and walk it over to the gentleman who had helped me before. He takes my ballot, places it into that bright pink provisional envelope I filled out earlier, seals it up and slides it down into something that looks like a tuppeware box on steroids. I can’t help myself. I start laughing.

“My vote is never going to be counted is it?”

So deflated, but proudly rocking my chipper “I voted” sticker I headed out and headed home. When I got home, I sat down to the computer, checked my email and found this from the Obama campaign:

URGENT CALIFORNIA UPDATE:
Carmen –Californians have reported problems voting as “Decline to State” voters, commonly referred to as “unaffiliated,” “independent” or “non-partisan” voters.

Please read this email for clarification of how “Decline to State” (DTS) voters can vote in today’s election for Barack Obama. Even if you’ve already voted, please make sure this information gets to as many voters as possible.

DTS voters have the right to vote for Barack Obama in the Democratic Presidential Primary.

DTS voters must identify themselves as DTS or non-partisan voters and ask to vote in the Democratic Presidential Primary when they arrive at their polling location. They will get instructions from a poll worker on how to vote in the Democratic Primary. If a voter gets into the voting booth and finds that he or she does not have an option to vote for Barack Obama, the voter should not cast his or her ballot. Instead, he or she should return the partially filled-out or unmarked ballot to the poll worker, and ask the poll worker to seek clarification from the supervisor at the polling location or from the County Registrar of Voters.
In Los Angeles County, DTS voters will be given a non-partisan ballot which they must take into a “Democratic” booth. They must mark both the “Democratic” bubble and the bubble for Barack Obama.

Damn. It’s true. My vote won’t count. I specifically did not mark Democrat, because I was told all I had to do was go to a Democratic booth and vote for the candidate of my choice.

But I am not the only one. It seems this problem is epidemic in Los Angeles:

Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo Tuesday issued the following statement in the wake of numerous reports of wide-spread nonpartisan voter confusion over Los Angeles County’s “double bubble” voter ballot:
“I have heard numerous reports from voters throughout the City of Los Angeles which point to wide-spread voter confusion over Los Angeles County’s so-called ‘double-bubble’ Decline-to-State non-partisan voter ballot. We understand this ballot is unique to the County of Los Angeles.

“In light of these reports, I am calling upon Secretary of State Debra Bowen and L.A. County Registrar Dean Logan to review the county’s unique and potentially confusing ballot design.

“It would be unfortunate if non-partisan voters, confused by the county’s unique “double bubble” ballot design, did not have their vote counted.

“I urge the Secretary of State and County Registrar to do everything within their power to ensure that every vote is counted, and to carefully weigh voter intent against this confusing Los Angeles County ballot design.

“Los Angeles’ non-partisan voters must not be disenfranchised because of a confusing ballot design.”

Los Angeles County voters registered as “nonpartisan/decline to state” but who want to vote for an American Independent or Democratic candidate in the presidential primary must mark the box labeled “Democrat” or “American Independent” at the top of the ballot. Voters began to report Tuesday morning that they did not realize they needed to check the box on the ballot in addition to choosing a corresponding candidate. City Attorney Concerned About L.A. Voter Confusion SUPER TUESDAY

I have reported my experience to the Obama California election hotline. I have reported my experience to the Los Angeles election hotline. Tomorrow, I will call the City Attorney’s office. Gentle readers I promise you this: I will fight for my vote to be counted. Stay tuned, I may need your help.