What if they held an election and no one came?

If Maryland's presidential primary was supposed to actually matter for once, no one bothered to inform the voters in my neighborhood.

I, along with my fellow election judges at Cedarmere Elementary, expected a heavy turnout due to the contentious Obama-Hillary race. We were very wrong. Except for a small rush of voters when the polls opened and another surge after 5, we had very little traffic. We barely made it to a 32 percent turnout. (Our precinct, in case you're wondering, went heavily in favor of Obama by a 2-to-1 margin.)

The polling place was a ghost town for much of the day. Nobody bothered to electioneer outside. People driving past the school would have no way to know there was an election going on inside.

As bored as we were, we knew we couldn't leave the precinct for any reason so we had to find ways to entertain ourselves during the downtime. My most creative use of time award goes to the election judge at our poll who used voting stickers to make works of art. The sunburst, featured above, is my personal favorite.

I'm quite thankful that the voters at the precinct were very nice and grateful for our work. I'm sure the fact that they didn't have to wait in line contributed to their good moods. Everyone thanked us for helping and even the people who were upset because they were unable to vote (because they were unaffiliated, at the wrong polling place, or hadn't bothered to register) voiced their gripes in a polite manner.

But you know what would have really been nice? It would have been oh-so-nice if the elections board actually bothered to inform us that, due to the crappy weather, the polls would be open 90 minutes later. We only found out because one of the election judges had a call from her son-in-law asking if it was true that we had to stay open. We tried to verify the rumor by calling the elections board but nobody answered. Instead, I had to call my husband who checked the news and sure enough, our captivity had been extended.

I understand the reason for extending the voting hours. I really do. No one is more gung-ho about the importance of voting than this nerdy political science major. Still, I really wish they had considered the safety of the elections judges in this decision.

We'd all been inside since 6 a.m. and the freezing rain did a wonderful job of encasing our vehicles in an inch-thick layer of ice. After we finished out 16-and-a-half-hour workday at 10:30 p.m., we were freed only to forge an icy sidewalk and parking lot. With front and rear defrosters on high and my scraper getting the workout of a lifetime, it still took half and hour to get my car into a drivable condition.

I stuck to the main roads and everything was fine until I got to my street and lost total control of the car. My steering wheel was impotent to the forces of the ice. I almost plowed into two different light poles but by some stroke of luck, managed to avoid them.

I came to a stop about 30 feet from my driveway. I was blocking a driveway and the mailbox so I knew I had to move but I was too afraid to go anywhere. After calling both Rich and my parents for advice, I started to drift again and eventually wound up in the driveway. I've never been so happy to be home.

I may complain, but I'm still really glad I was a part of the process. As an unaffiliated voter who can't vote in Maryland's closed primary anyway, it was important to me to have some hand in this important election. Besides, someone has to do it.

That said, I will now return to CNN for my regular dose of election coverage.

Hey Baltimore County: Don't mess with my grandparents

See that cute elderly couple to the left? Those are my grandparents. And Baltimore County is trying to make them miserable.

Earlier this week, my 91-year-old grandparents were very upset to receive a citation from the county stating that they must move their car from their driveway by Dec. 26, 2006 because it is not currently licensed. The vehicle is, however, fully operable and on their own property.

Failure to move the car by the specified date will result in a $200 per day fine.

The primary reason my grandparents keep their car, even though they don't drive it, is for safety. They believe that having a car outside is a signal that someone is home and will deter criminals from breaking in. I can't say whether this is actually a true crime deterrentt but if it makes my grandparents happy, then I'm all for it.

In addition, we use the trunk of the vehicle for storage of a wheelchair and walker. Because we no longer permit my grandparents to drive, it is incumbent upon the children and grandchildren to transport them to doctor's appointments. Keeping their medical aids in the car eases the process significantly.

None of this seems to matter to the people at Baltimore County code enforcement who received a complaint and found my grandparents in violation of Section 428:

Section 428, Outside Storage of Unlicensed or Inoperative Motor Vehicles on Residential Property [Bill No. 135-1986]

A. An inoperative motor vehicle may not be stored outside on a residential lot.

B. An unlicensed motor vehicle may not be stored outside on a residential lot except under the following conditions:

1. Outside storage (i.e., not within a fully enclosed structure) for a period not exceeding 15 days, unless extended by the Zoning Commissioner, in any calendar year is permitted for no more than one such vehicle per dwelling unit per year.

2. The vehicle may not be stored in a front or side yard unless placed in a driveway or other off-street parking area, and the vehicle may not be stored in a rear yard unless placed at least 8 feet from any property line.

3. The owner of the vehicle must reside on the lot upon which the vehicle is stored.

4. The vehicle may not be used or dismantled for parts.

C. Nothing contained in Subsection B shall be construed to prohibit the outside storage of unlicensed but operative farm tractors or farm equipment actually and regularly used on a farm, farmette or satellite farm.

I'm not entirely sure where to channel my anger. I know I'm annoyed with the County Council which, 20 years ago, passed the legislation telling people what they can and can't do on their own private property. I know I'm mad at whoever it was that reported my grandparents to the county. I suppose I really can't blame the inspector who issued the citation because he was just doing his job.

The good news is that I convinced the aforementioned inspector to grant a 30-day extension so at least my grandparents don't have to rush to do something in the next few days. I asked him about what it takes for the zoning commission to issue a special exception and he said no exception has ever been granted.

I just can't forgive anyone who gives my grandparents a hard time. It's their car and their property. Why does the county get to tell them they can't keep something there that gives them a sense of security?

Perhaps in the alternative, Baltimore County would be willing to put a marked police car on the driveway 24/7. Too expensive? Then let my grandparents keep their car. They're 91 and never done a thing wrong in their lives. They've earned it.

Baltimore County Crime Tour, 2006 edition

Well, it's just a week into the new year and based on the recent spate of violence in Baltimore County, I'm thinking of beginning a guided crime tour. And gosh, lucky for me, none of the stops on the tour require me going very far from home.

As of last night, we can add a murder at the Valley Center shopping center in Owings Mills to the list. The day before brought us a murder at Security Square Mall (where I practically grew up) and a shooting at White Marsh Mall. And just before the new year, there was a double murder of two city police officers, just around the corner from my old middle school.

(Shockingly, Owings Mills Mall has emerged unscathed from this recent trend of shootings but the year is still young. Plus, in fairness, the getaway vehicle from the Security murder was found that night in the Owings Mills subway station lot, right next to the mall.)

We learned about last night's shooting before it hit the media. Our friend who lives a stone's throw from the TGIFriday's where the murder occurred called us and left a message saying she heard six gunshots. This morning she reported that a police helicopter circled above her neighborhood until roughly 1 a.m. We later learned via local news that the perpetrator was caught and the shooting resulted from a fight where the victim and shooter knew one another.

For some reason it's somewhat more comforting to know that if murders are going to happen, that at least the people know one another. The murder at Security Square Mall appears to be more random. At this point police believe it was most likely an attempted car-jacking. This crime, I might add, happened at 10:30 in the morning, right in the middle of broad daylight. Add to that the fact that the assailant remains at large and you have more than a few scared shoppers.

Of course the one positive thing to come from these shooting is an increased attention in the safety of shopping areas. The murder of St. Paul's administrator William Bassett at Towson Town Center this past year spurred the Baltimore County Council to pass legislation requiring video cameras at shopping malls. Unfortunately, the video cameras haven't deterred everyone, especially not the gun-wielding man at the Towson Hechts who was reportedly distraught over a parking space.

I wish I had something particularly poignant to say about this violence spree but I don't. It's difficult to see many attacks in just a few short days, especially so close to home.

All I can say is thank goodness for the Baltimore County State's Attorney's Office, which pursues the death penalty in all death penalty-eligible cases. Perhaps wannabe thugs should learn a lesson from Wesley Baker, the inmate executed last month for his role in a murder at Westview Mall. Unlike the city, Baltimore County gets convictions.