Voting in Western PA

During the last presidential election I voted in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, a small town in western Pennsylvania. Western Pennsylvania is under the microscope this election thanks to accusations of racism and a McCain campaign must-win electoral vote strategy.

I thought I'd post on a fond memory of my Pennsylvania voting experience in 2004. At 6pm on a rainy, cold night, I arrived at the small township building that was my assigned polling place and found a parking space among rows of cars and Amish buggies. Inside the polling place I stood amidst a line including a host of Amishmen and women. Indeed, I think the Amish out numbered me and the rest of my "English" kind. Together we stood and waited patiently for the poll workers to find each of our names in the registry. It took a while since the Amish families in the area largely shared the same surnames and were best distinguishable by their addresses. (Also, not every Amish had a driver's license helpfully detailing full name and address information). There were a particularly large amount of Beilers at the polling place. Below is my largely fictionalized re-creation of what happend:

Poll Worker: Name?
Amishman: John Beiler.
Poll Worker: John Amos Beiler? John Ben Beiler? John Daniel Beiler? John Levi Beiler? John Rudy Beiler? John Valentine Beiler?...
Amishman: Just John Beiler. I live on the Bethel Road.
Poll Worker: [running her finger along the list] John Beiler 118 Bethel Road? John Beiler 124 Bethel Road? John Beiler 133 Bethel Road? John Beiler 247 Bethel Road? John Beiler 340 Bethel Road?...
Amishman: No, on the Wilmington side of Bethel.
Poll Worker: Oh, maybe further down here. [running her finger further down the list]. 1370 Bethel Road? 2932 Bethel Road?
Amishman: 4350, down off Joe Lane, first house.
Poll Worker: I have two John Beiler's at that address.
Amishman: That must be my nephew Johnny. He lives at the second house down.

So, yes. The Amish do vote. And I believe they generally vote Republican. I've even seen campaign signs in their yards.

If voting in Pennsylvania intrigues you, I recommend this past weekend's broadcast of This American Life. The radio show took the time over the past two months to travel Pennsylvania and collect stories about the impending election.

Note: there is a real John Beiler. He lives down the road from my parents' house. Don't know why this English is giving a shout-out to an Amish who will never check this blog, but I am!