Voters may feel like it's the Day of the Dead

Today is the Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday that celebrates the return to Earth of departed souls. Families polish the bones of their loved ones just for the occasion.

In the United States, it's also the Day of the Dead -- the day of dead-tired Americans who are sick of all the negative political ads that have blanketed the television screen.

The pundits and pollsters have John Kerry and George Bush in a horse race that's centered on a handful of swing states where voters are about evenly divided over the two candidates.

So who will win the election?

If you follow the Washington Redskins, the win could go to Kerry.

The Green Bay Packers defeated the Redskins on Sunday, a positive omen for Kerry because the result of the Redskins' final home game before the presidential election has accurately predicted the White House winner since 1936.

If the Redskins win, the incumbent party wins. If the team loses, the challenger wins.

Of course, Republicans aren't buying it. They prefer to point to the Weekly Reader poll in which school children overwhelming picked Bush.

Party operatives will tell you that everyone is excited about the election. Personally, my children were more excited about Halloween. They were thrilled to dress up as witches and go begging for candy.

We had the usual assortment of trick-or-treaters. But none of them showed up in Bush or Kerry masks, so it's impossible for me to tell just who has the upper hand on the presidential fright meter.

Personally, there's nothing like a little scare to get Americans ready for Election Day. If that doesn't get people to the polls, nothing will.

Now that the pumpkins have been carved and the candy collected, we can turn our undivided attention to today's election and be thankful we don't live in California, where there are 16 ballot propositions, dealing with everything from stem-cell research to slot machines.

It's tough enough electing a president. Deciding a whole litany of ballot measures could confuse even the most conscientious voter.

But then it could be worse. We could live in Brazil, where a legislator wants to make it illegal to give pets names that are common among people.

The lawmaker proposed the measure after psychologists suggested that some children may get depressed when they learn they share their first name with someone's pet.

If the law is passed, pet stores and veterinary clinics in that country would have to display signs warning of the prohibition of human first names for pets.

Back in the states, most Americans probably aren't worried about pet names. It's all the name-calling by candidates that angers most people.

Still, it's reassuring to see all those folks in Florida lining up to vote absentee ballots days before the election. It's nice to know they take voting seriously.

Then again, maybe they just want to make sure their votes get counted without being burdened with pregnant chads.

Clearly, democracy can be confusing -- particularly when a major network plans to bring you the vote totals on an ice rink.

But then the way the pundits tell it, it's the candidates who are skating on thin ice.

Mark Bliss is a staff writer for the Southeast Missourian.