Political office is always a two part formula. First you have to win election to the post and then you have to serve. Saturday I got past part 1 with a 1475 to 943 victory. That makes me the new town moderator when I get sworn in Monday morning,
The turnout was a little below 20% and somewhat stronger than expected. There were only two other contested races, neither of which was extremely intense. The overall voters who turned out was unofficially pegged at 2488 so if you add the total you can see that there weren't many blanks cast in the race. Most everyone who showed up had decided on a candidate in the race. Still the turnout was not nearly the 4100 who turned out for last year's more vigorous contests.
Election day is quite hectic and almost a blur afterwards but during the day it seems like it might never end. The troops had been out late Friday evening preparing the polling place with strategically placed signs to greet the voters as they arrived Saturday. Our poll presence was good as beginning at 8 o'clock when the polls opened I had a steady stream of family, friends and supporters holding signs. I maintained my position all day with the exception of about an hour and a half to go watch the little kids at first communion in the afternoon. I knew I had put in a pretty solid effort when at about 7:58p.m., the town clerk came out of the polling place to look for any stragglers who if they didn't hurry would miss their chance to vote. At the time most all of the other candidate workers had gone while myself and one of my supporters still stood with our signs to exhort the very last voter to hurry her way in to the polls. My only proof of my day long duty at my post is the rather nasty sun burn I got on my face and for the first time ever sun burned bald spot. (note to self, aren't you glad people don't hold it against a candidate who is to stupid to put on sunblock?) My only defense on this subject is that for most of my life when I have been working for a candidate or running myself, I have either had an umbrella or frozen my behind off on election day.
Winning is exhilarating, humbling and exhausting all at once. After the polls closed I jumped in the car and went for a drive while a couple of the troops went in to wait for the results. Fortunately, with the new counting technology it is a very short period of time before the results are totaled so it was about 15 minutes before I got the call. You kind of hold your breath when the cell rings because you know a lot of effort by everybody is condensed into just one answer. I had felt both ends of the emotional spectrum during the day. Early, wondering if I had done enough and then later gaining confidence as when the voters began to thin out I could really focus on who they might be and to my great relief I knew a lot of them. I counted the last forty or so and speculated on who they might be voting for, I came eerily close to what the final percentage of victory was.
The cell rang about 8:15p.m. and the words were "your ok" which allowed for a sigh of relief but also brought a thought of the opponent who was experiencing the polar opposite feeling. Anybody who has run and lost can sympathize with the opponent at that moment. The old timers at the hearing of disappointment will always say there is another one next year but still it is not easy news to swallow for the candidate. So its over and I am the winner but up next comes the serving and this can be as dicey as the campaigning but in a much different way. Dan Aykroyd said once in the film Ghostbusters "I have been in the private sector and they expect results". This particular job is on the ballot every year just for that reason. If you aren't producing an expected result your stay can be short.
My face is killing me, I feel like I haven't slept in a month, I caught a wicked cold and I got a win. I am in perfect shape to head into part 2.
