VOTING (we care)

mondays usually suck for me. i work 8 hours, i leave the house at 9 and come home at 10:30, and then i usually have homework for another hour and a half if i manage to stay up that late. but today, today was a good day.
my friend (and unfortunately not yours) michael willis was in the ARC this morning when i got to work. i was excited to see him as usual and started talking about the big day tomorrow. as an employee of an institution run by the state i cannot really discuss partisan politics and tried to not be excited with willis about barack obama. i also had to bite my tongue just a few short minutes ago about a golfer who said every myth about Obama on Fox News as fact. (come up with the list in your head...he said it).
but i digress in frustration.
as i was talking to willis he told me that neither he nor his mother got their ballot, even though both are registered in whitman county. this was a huge deal to me- see, i've been working on getting willis registered to vote for the past 8 months. he felt his vote didn't count, that he couldn't be a part of voting in a black man who might get shot (god forbid, but it's a real fear for many student athletes of color i have talked to), and he was just overall disappointed in the democratic process. so when he finally registered to vote i was ecstatic- finding out today that he didn't receive his ballot took the wind out of my proverbial sails.
a few people i talked to didn't get their ballots in time, including andy. according to andy though, "what's a vote for the socialist worker's party really going to do anyway?" i got you andy.
willis, though, is not a socialist like andy.
so i was freaking out. i didn't have the answer to his question and was bummed that i didn't know how to help him. after my class got out, though, i got a voicemail on my phone: "whatup dub, i was jus wond'in if the votin thing is still no -can-do or what. if you could hit me back i'd 'ppreciate it."
then my brain went into high gear: who would know?
so i run into the class i just left and ask my amazing and very fiercy CES 201 professor Carmen Lugo-Lugo what to do. she tells me willis has to drive to colfax (colfax?!) and get a special ballot she didn't know the name of so they can vote. i wish i knew the name. damn.
i get to work and she's emailed the name to me-- PROVISIONAL BALLOT! YES! but is there time?
willis calls me and i tell him what to do. now i just pray that he goes with his mom sometime to do it.
tonight he comes in for tutoring and he tells me both he and his mom voted in colfax today. the first time he's voted, and he actually cares a lot.
so it's still monday. it's 9:00 pm and i'm at work, i have lots of things still left to do.
but i helped someone vote today. it took some time, and it took some resources. but three people (including another student whose story i don't have time to tell) voted today. and that makes it a good day.
and don't worry, folks. while i'm at work tomorrow night i'm setting up election center 08 and will follow it on CNN all night via internet with the electoral white board- in honor of tim russert (may he rest in peace) and my dad (an avid fan of the electoral white board). i just hope my dad picks a winner this time.