Ohio River, Left Bank, MP 606

The scene was very simple - a particular room on the first floor at the old Urban Government Center, maybe four ladies seated at a table two of whom I recognized, and all of them looking over a map of the county divided into "new" precincts. I was trying to sneak a peak and technically shouldn't have been there at all.

I know (or believe) it was prompted by a discussion I had yesterday with a current local candidate asking me 'When will the ballots go to print?" The answer to that question is set out in state law - fifty days before the Primary. This candidate's interest in that question has nothing to do with what prompted my dream.

For ballots to be printed, they must be sorted into all the different permutations of precincts - which precincts will have which races on which ballots. Where I live, in the most recent election numbered as L119, we will have a race for State Senate in the 26th and State Rep in the 34th, but not for Council because I am now in the 4th. Prior to redistricting, L119 was in the 33rd Senate, the 41st House, and the 9th Council. The House District number is the one that matters for ballots.

In Jefferson County, we number our precincts based on an alpha-numeric system put in place in 1981, with the letter representing the House district, followed by a three digit precinct number. My number, L119, meant the 119th precinct of House District 41. (As a note, we do not use the numbers 001 through 100, nor do we ever repeat any precinct name which has been previously retired.) But I am now in the 34th District, which has precincts beginning with the letter G. L119 will (or should), beginning with the 2022 Primary, which is in fifty-one days, be renamed as G-xxx.

For the ballots to be printed by tomorrow, the map for the county has already been drawn into new precincts, with new names where needed. My strong belief is my dream was simply me trying to see the new map, which, for anyone who knows me, makes perfect sense.

The two ladies in the dream were Eileen Shaughnessy and Bonnie Lerding, two very wonderful ladies, a Democrat and Republican respectfully, both of whom worked for the Board of Elections for many years, both long-since deceased, who lived in the now-retired H122, now a part of H123 (which won't have to be renamed), and both of whom were dear friends of mine. I'll note Mrs. Lerding even had my yard sign in her yard, the only Democratic sign she ever had, when I ran for office in 1985. However, had I actually won that Primary, I doubt she would had let me leave it there for the November race.

The dream, a single scene perfectly remembered, makes perfect sense.