What the Hell was that?

So it's 20 mins later. I just voted. I think. Maybe I just designed a new vacuum. I'm not sure.

So I am not accustomed to voting in a big city - I've always lived in smaller communities up til now. But we voted the old-fashioned way: you slide your ballot into a sleeve and you mark an 'X' or you punch out the hole with a stylus (hence the 'hanging chads.').

But this machine was a huge contraption filled with pulls and levers, the way I imagine what the 'man behind the curtain' has in The Wizard of Oz.

Step one: Manipulate this giant red lever that sticks about three feet out of the ground and pull it to the right. And it wasn't necessarily an easy pull-I can imagine that there are some elderly or infirm who have troubles with this step.

Step 2: Reach up about 6 feet and twist these teeny little black levers (that are very close together and you have to shimmy your index finger in between the levers so that you can grasp and turn it) about 2mm until an 'X' appears. Repeat that step down the row until completed.

And then, on the very right bottom corner - about waist level - of this huge (4'X4') ballot is a smaller, very poorly written 'yes or no' vote on an amendment whether or not to allow veterans with disabilities to have to be approved by the DAV before receiving particular benefits, or something. The verbiage was awful.

Step 4: Push that huge red lever back to its starting position.

And when manipulating these pulls and levers, you can hear these gears and cogs twisting and shifting and ratcheting. I swear to God, I don't think I voted. I think I created a souvenir penny.

How do I know I voted? I know I saw 'X's next to my candidate, but did it go anywhere? Did I just exercise my right to masturbate? (sorry, mom) I'm freaking out!

And fortunately, I voted a straight party ticket, but I don't see how I could have voted for a Democratic president, a Green Party senator, and a Republican congressman (God forbid!) if I wanted to. Can I do that if I wanted to? It's all so complicated- I'm freaking out!

I got to go work out - my hands are shaking.