Dedicated Dude From Mass Drove to Georgia to Vote

According to The Boston Globe, Joe LaMuraglia was so determined to vote in this 2020 election even if it meant spending 30 hours in the car. The article states that Joe has been living with his partner in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, since the pandemic hit back in March. He is registered to vote where he owns a home in Georgia. Joe requested an absentee ballot back in September. He checked the mail religiously and day after day, there was no ballot in sight. He called the elections office to ask in so many words, "WHAT GIVES?" It became apparent that the elections office made a boo boo. Somehow they sent his ballot to Virginia instead. UGH! They are people and people make mistakes.

Joe asked them to resend the ballot to the correct address. In that moment he made a promise to himself that if the ballot didn't make it to him on time he was going to have to make the drive. And when the ballot didn't show up a week before the election, that is exactly what he did.

In this age of Covid-19, Joe didn't feel comfortable flying to his home state of Georgia plus he wanted to be on his own schedule. So he packed up his trusty 2007 Volvo and embarked on a one man road trip! His car, that he affectionately calls Sophia after the beloved "Golden Girls" character, was reliable and got him to Georgia in one piece. One of the legs of his journey was 15 hours straight! I don't know if I could put in that kind of "seat time" as Joe calls it.

Was it worth the mileage he put on Sophia the Volvo and undoubtedly losing feeling in his buttocks? Absolutely! Joe felt like this election was too important to sit out.