Considering that I didnโt cast a ballot for U.S. President back in 2016 (and took a lot of heat for it, from friends and readers on both ends of the political spectrum), it should come as little to no surprise that I did not vote for either President Donald Trump or former Vice-President Joe Biden (or any other candidate) this year.
Oh, just as I did in 2016, I still voted, I just didnโt feel, in all good conscience, that I could vote for either of these two men to lead our country for the next four years.
โWell, that means you canโt complain if you donโt like who ends up getting elected,โ is what many of my detractors told me in โ16.
I countered that, as an American citizen, I have the right to do anything I want (as long as itโs legal), I just felt again that I would rather let the rest of the country decide between two candidates I canโt personally support โ which also is my right.
And, just to repeat myself, just because I didnโt cast my vote for Trump or former First Lady Hillary Clinton in โ16, or Trump or Biden this year doesnโt mean I didnโt vote. I did vote for the local and state candidates I felt I could support โ some of whom won and some who lost last time โ and I again feel pretty good about most of the people and amendments I did support.
And yes, I have now voted this year โ by a mail-in ballot that I requested and received from Pasco Supervisor of Elections Brian Corleyโs office. I had no desire whatsoever to vote in person and, based on the lines from Day One at Pascoโs early voting locations, I donโt want to drop off my ballot, either.
Covid-19 has affected so many aspects of our daily lives and although Iโm still wearing a face mask everywhere in public I do go, way too many of you arenโt doing the same, so even with my vote, I still feel I need to do everything I can to protect myself.
As for who Iโm voted for in some of the other elections on the Nov. 3 ballot, Iโd rather not say, but Here is how I voted on all six Amendments to the Florida Constitution that also were on my ballot โ several of which I have fairly strong feelings about:
On Amendment 1, I say Yes, you should have to be a U.S. citizen to vote in any election, although I foolishly thought it was already a requirement nationwide.
On Amendment 2, considering the cost of living these days, I donโt feel that even $10 per hour is much of a living wage, and As a small business owner, I have no problem with the $1-per-hour-per-year increase through 2026, so Iโm voting Yes.
On Amendment 3, I feel very strongly that in Primary Elections, only registered Republicans should vote for Republican candidates and Democrats for Democratic candidates, unless there is no opposition candidate, which is the system we currently have in place, so Iโm voted No on changing that.
On Amendment 4, I feel that we already have too many such amendments to deal with every year, so to require any amendment to have to be approved in two elections gets a hard No from me. Iโm not really 100% sure how I feel about Amendment 5, but I voted Yes because I believe that homeowners (even though Iโm not currently one) should get as much benefit as they can since owning a home continues to only get more expensive.
And finally, I also feel that any spouse of any deceased or disabled veteran should get as much benefit as possible from their spouseโs service, so Iโm voting Yes on Amendment 6.
Even if you disagree with everything Iโve said here, I hope youโll also exercise your right to vote in this very important General Election.