Halloween came early on the prairie at the unincorporated southern tip of the metroplex. The coyotes were howling all night and into the dawnless morning. I had nightmares that politicians and coyotes were eating my chickens under my county-mandated, windmill-powered address sign. The little wolves – the politicians, not the coyotes – were charging me as they ate the chickens I had raised. The first responders couldn’t find me, but the pizza delivery guy arrived in time to chase them all off. My chickens were air-evacuated to Baylor hospital where they were then served with hot rolls and gravy. It was like "Apocalypse Now." The President said it was OK. It was all for the children, and I was living too well, anyway. The governor said a toll road would have prevented all this, provided everyone was vaccinated. The air didn’t smell like victory, only political methane provided by beta males.

There are 11 proposed amendments to the Texas constitution on the ballot Tuesday. Your local governments may have added more. You may have voted early already. If you researched your reasons for voting, good for you.

I don’t have any hard data to back this up, but I suspect that by making voting too convenient, we enable more folks who don’t really care much about the process to burden the rest of us with their opinions. Jefferson said something about an informed public, but he is dead now, so it is fashionable to ignore him.

I am concerned that a large number of voters only vote because it is the thing to do. For too many, I don’t think voting is about making logical choices but merely about making sure one doesn’t have to give an honest answer. Just imagine this answer at your favorite service club, on your neighbor’s front porch or around the office: "I didn’t vote because I didn’t want to take the time to research the issues." A candid answer, but it would be pretty uncomfortable for a lot of people. The founders might have even started pulling on their boots and sharpening things – not that they wouldn’t be anyway, if faced with what we have let ourselves become.

Before we had weeks of early voting, people seemed to discuss the issues more. The one date to vote acted like a deadline. It made things happen. Folks felt a sense of urgency. I think there was more of a sense of solemnity, of duty even. Which is what casting an informed vote is: duty. Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Independent – no matter what kind of party or "ism" to which you might subscribe, research your vote. It truly is your duty, if you are really a patriot. It is much more important than the pledge or how you treat the flag. Why, it is even more important than your party affiliation.

Now I think more people cast a vote, especially in these referendum-type elections, because they are just trying to follow the herd and avoid embarrassment.

I remember those old scenes from the TV show "Rawhide." You know the ones – where the cattle are being herded through chutes (tight fencing for all you city folks) into the tick dip. I think the cattle were doing more thinking than some of our convenience-minded voters. Head’em up, move’em out – the dippees, that is. I see adverts in more than one language to (hum the old tune with me) cast a vote, any vote, flip a coin, what the hay, Rawhide!

I have had the privilege of serving as an election official in both primaries and the general election. Once while I served as vice-chairman of the Republican Party here I was even responsible for a primary. Our chairman had decided to jet off with our congressman to D.C. I don’t remember what it was about. I think it was cash for cookies or something. Suffice it to say, I have listened to a lot of voters.

More times than I want to remember, I have heard voters say they don’t know anything about this candidate or whatever issue, so they "just picked one." I have even heard people ask election officials how they should vote! I remember "Rawhide," and the dippee cattle go through my mind. There you go, Mr. or Mrs. Voter, herded right into the dip of social approval, kind of like some weird secular baptism. Whoopppee, it’s only our Republic you are monkeying with, you dippee. Have you ever seen an advertisement on the television to cast an informed vote? Come to think about it, I don’t ever remember a government ad encouraging anyone to research an issue or even just a simple admonishment to be responsible. I guess the attorney general or whoever makes those public service announcements is afraid that someone will suggest he wants to reimpose the poll tax. "Cast a responsible vote" might sound a little heavy-handed if sponsored by the government; in the spirit of the holidays it could be a little creepy.

In truth, the ads that just say go vote are a little "big brothery" as well. I wonder if the Department of Truth produces them. How about something like, "No matter how you vote, research the issues and vote your conscience or perhaps you shouldn’t vote," or "Don’t be a moron. Know what you are voting for or don’t vote." Better yet, how about banning the government from being able to spend money on advertising other than just a simple notice of election.

There, I feel better.