Andrew and I went yesterday to exercise our constitutional privilege and obligation. We waited in line about 90 minutes at the City-County Building, which is currently the only place in Indianapolis, a city of nearly 900,000 people, that you can early vote. But tomorrow more voting places open around the city, so hopefully everyone who wants to early vote can find a way to do so.

When we got into line, it looped around to the left of the picture (my right as I was taking it), then to the back of the block where you can see, then back the other way towards the building, and around the corner to the side entrance of the City-County Building. It was sunny and windy but nice. Most people were in groups of twos or threes, but there were some solos and a few slightly larger groups.

Just after this point, there was a group of people under a tent handing out snacks and water. I thought that was extremely kind but failed to take a picture!

Here, the line turned away from the door, went about 25 yards in the wrong direction, then turned 180 degrees and headed the right way. Walking the “wrong” way took us toward a stage where musicians were playing for the crowd waiting to vote. They were playing a lot of Motown, and the saxophonist was excellent. A little boy about two years old was grooving with them and eventually got up on stage and danced there. He even touched the cymbals a couple times and didn’t get pounded by the drummer. Hopefully this was the worst my hair looked all day. It was such a bright day I couldn’t even see my screen, so I didn’t know what the pictures were like until I got into the car afterward.

This guy was writing poems on the spot. He would get some words from a person, type a poem on a manual typewriter (!), then leave his desk and find the people in line. He’d give them their poem and let them decide if they wanted to pay him. Very fun.

The last stretch before the final turn seemed to take forever. Maybe there was a shift change at 3:00, or maybe I was just tired of waiting. But we were getting close!

This part of the line seemed to go more quickly, but maybe it was just because we had reading material with all the signs. It’s remarkable how much they ranged from really good to terrible.

The door to the building was probably the largest clump of people, because you had those in line waiting to vote plus those leaving waiting for the people they had come with. Apparently Andrew was more interested in the police action across the street (five cars with their lights flashing) than in looking at the camera.

At this point we went inside, and I wasn’t sure if photography was allowed, so I didn’t chance it and take any. The actual voting area (Clerk’s office) was chaotic. There were people every step of the way to tell you what to do, and it was probably as organized as they could possibly have made it, but it was a lot. One area for showing your ID and getting your paper, a room plus corners of other rooms for putting your paper into a machine and making your choices. Clicking your choices and then having to go back and review them. A new line to have your ballot affirmed and witnessed. And then, finally, the ballot box! And I got my sticker.

And that was it! Voting accomplished. Now I wait until at least November 3 to see the results. But voting always feels big to me, important and meaningful, even when my candidates don’t really have a chance. In German, the word for vote is Stimme, which is also the word for voice. I like that.