The air was cool and clammy, and every car in the lot was drenched in dew when we departed this morning to cast our ballots. This year has been exceptionally warm deep into autumn, but the recent rains have brought the temperature down, so we cranked the front and rear window defroster/defoggers as well as our little coupe’s seat warmers and set out into the still, dark streets. 

The midterm elections of 2022 landed just after I had lost my job as a Senior Producer in the game industry, which meant that we were still living a daytime schedule. When we dropped off our ballots at the city hall drop box, there was a line of cars in the roundabout and halfway down the block. Police officers directed traffic both at the intersection and within the roundabout to ensure a smooth flow and prevent any shenanigans from occurring.

This morning, the only officers we saw were in a patrolling squad car as we returned from dropping off our ballots. They were the only other people we saw out and about as we went to cast our votes. 

For as long as we have lived here, Washington has seemingly had a reasonably robust system set up to ensure an easy voting process. Ballots and official informational pamphlets about candidates and ballot measures as well as details on the various ways to return our ballots arrive in mailboxes no less than a week before election day. Ballot boxes are set up at convenient central locations and open for deposit at all hours of the day or night, meaning even people like us, who have inhuman schedules, can still easily exercise our franchise.

While our work was not impeded by the election, we have decided to postpone the release of our usually scheduled audiobook chapter until tomorrow. While it has been reiterated ad nauseum at this point, this may be one of the most consequential elections in a generation. Today–if you have not already–get out and vote. Tomorrow, we hope that regardless of the outcome of the election, something which will indubitably be unknown for quite some time after voting has concluded, you will join us once again for an exhilarating audio experience. 

Tomorrow, we sit down for a real treat of a chapter: 09 – Prometheus Sends his Regards (Part 2).