Off season elections never get the turnout of big presidential elections. Special elections get even less. The rascals who write propositions and the 30 second television spots count on this. The reality is we get the government that people who show up vote for.
Democracy is precious. The right to choose your representatives and decide issues is a hard won right.
Some places require people to vote and fine them for failure to participate. Could be a good revenue generator in this era of tight budgets.
Don’t forget to vote today.
November 1968 was the election that put Richard Nixon in the President’s office.
These photos November 5 show the County Clerk’s office counting votes. This appears to be in the era before punch cards were counted by computer but these could also be the absentee votes. In any case there were a lot of desktop calculators and papers to tally the numbers.
Perhaps someone from the Clerk’s office can comment when they are wrapped up with this special election.
Anyone who has been baffled by technology can empathize with this moment. Glenn Desmond is the television newsman who is struggling with the technology of the time. Big heavy film camera, two lenses, big heavy wooden tripod and big heavy sound amplifier, I’ll bet that none of my counterparts in television want to go back to these days. The Space Race would replace clunky vacuum tube technology in a few years. I’m guessing he worked for KSBY but broadcast media was not as self-promotional then so there are no stickers to say what station he is with. If anyone knows post a comment.
Today you can put a more powerful camera in your shirt pocket.
Photos by Michael Raphael
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I’m not sure I would describe this scene as “bedlam,” but there is a certain degree of hustle — and bustle! — going on.