I know what you’re thinking; you’re thinking this has something to do with that recent primary they held over in Nevada. Well, as amusing as the result of that was, I assure it does not. Fact is, I’ve known about that excellent Nevada state law for quite some time now.
Well, now it is… Instead of handwriting “N.O.T.C.” in all those ballot sections this year, thanks to my handy new ExcelMark custom self-inking stamps, I’ll be saving myself the writer’s cramp!
Here’s how it works:
Find a section of your ballot like in the example below and simply stamp or write “N.O.T.C.” Do it within the lines and clearly beside the options, and for Heaven’s sake don’t stamp one of the ovals.
Yes, this is technically an “undervote” and will not be counted. And, yes, it would be the same as if you had “overvoted” choosing more than one. Next, when you’re done, later on the ballot in a nice wide open space, you stamp or place your “key” explaining what that N.O.T.C. means.
Q: So, why not just undervote offending sections and leave it at that, like most people?
A: Leave a blank space for some behind-the-scenes creep in this day and age? No thank you.
Q: Oh, so you’re just a conspiracy theorist?
A: Nah, I’m sending a message.
Just imagine if this sort of thing took off—whole slates of “winning candidates” with mere fractions of the vote, their stark lack of constituency and mandate laid bare for all to see. Would we finally get better candidates? Probably not, but at least we’ll dispel the illusion.
Anyway, consider this just a tool to use any time you vote, for all of those pesky sections where you encounter a clear devil’s bargain. Remember, you can’t just skip voting. There are too many ballot initiatives, constitutional amendments, and all those odious judges to remove.
P.S. I’m still in edits on my third project. No less than three major household appliance failures in the last month set me back quite a bit.
