I decided to go to the courthouse and vote early. The line wasn’t too bad. I got to the window and showed the lady my ID. I was then asked to lower my mask to make sure it was me. I did as instructed and signed the sheet of paper saying I was there.

I turned around and went to another table to get a ballot. I had to tell them what school district I lived in so they could give me the proper ballot. I sat down and started filling out my ballot. I read through each section and filled in the correct oval that corresponded with the name I voted for.

I got to the last box and there were four names listed. Above the names, the ballot said ‘this particular school district is replacing three people on the board.’ Naturally, I read this and saw four names. So, I bubbled in the ovals next to three names (since they are replacing three people on the board.)

I take my ballot to the appropriate machine and I fed it through the little slot on top. I grab my “I Voted” sticker and started walking towards the exit. About that time, the machine decided to start doing its best R2-D2 impersonation. It beeped and warbled while the nice volunteer lady started yelling at me to come back.

I walked back and the lady asked me to push the “return” button to get my form back. The machine beeped as I did. The lady, doing her best C3-PO act as she translated the beeping for me, informed me that I had circled too many bubbles somewhere on the form. This, of course, according to the voting box.

So I take my form and start looking it over. Front and back. Nothing that I can see. Meanwhile, after helping several other people successfully navigate their papers into the box, she came over and asked if I found the issue. I told her that I had not.

At that point in time, she pointed to the school board category. I informed her that I filled in three spots because the school district needed three spots filled. I am pretty sure I said it with a confidence that would make anyone jealous too. Confidence quickly escaped me, though. Just like C3-PO pointing out the obvious, she pointed to the section directly under ‘this particular school district is replacing three people on the board.’ There you could read the words in BOLD letters: ‘Fill in none, one or two names’.

Yeah. I completely missed that. She gave me a nice little sticker to place over the circle. I did so. I went back and this time R2-D2 sat quietly and ate my ballot like a good little droid. I walked out puzzled and confused. The obvious answer was to vote for the number of people that are being replaced. Also the obvious answer was to read the instructions before voting. How could I have known that one obvious answer plus another obvious answer would equal a disgruntled voting box?