Today I voted in the Democratic primary as well as the Multnomah county local elections.  It felt really good to vote.  One of my takeaways from the process was that it is really just too hard.  Not only was it complex to figure out how to register, but the process of voting by mail is just too complicated.  Now, I know, many of you will scoff.  Yes, in theory, if you know what you're doing, it's not a big deal.  But I'm reminded of a conversation I had with a friend years ago about check cashing places and how hard it was for many people to conceive of going into a bank and opening a checking account.  I can easily see how somebody like a working mother who is busy and stressed would not have the bandwidth to deal with the election process.  Which is a shame because I want to hear from everyone; that's what makes democracy strong.  I think it should be incredibly easy to vote.  It should be easier *not* to vote.  You should be able to vote anywhere and anyway you want.  Everyone should get automatically registered and there should be smartphone apps for voting.  Yes, I am aware that there are privacy and fraud issues.  But this is a smart country.  Let's figure it out.