Photo: Brenda Anderson, Creative Commons, Flickr
If you want your vote to count, don’t vote on Election Day. Why? The Moon.

Just as the Moon pulls the tides, it pulls on our emotions and our body’s rhythms. Our emotional outlook ebbs and flows along with the cycle of the Moon from New to Full and back to New. About every 2.5 days the emotional atmosphere shifts when the Moon moves from one sign of the zodiac to another, passing through all twelve signs in about 28 days. During the time the Moon is in each sign, it forms aspects to the other planets that also influence how the Moon’s energy is expressed. The period of time after the Moon has made its final aspect to the planets but has not yet entered the next sign is a called Void-of-Course (VOC). These times can last from one minute to over a day. VOC times are best suited for doing things where no action or specific outcome is desired. It’s a time for reflection, an opportunity to slow down and attend to routine tasks, as actions taken during VOC times might not turn out as planned.

After the 2000 election debacle, people realized not only how one person’s vote can make a difference, but the importance of ensuring that their ballots counted. On Election Day the Moon is VOC on the East Coast from 1:47AM until 7:01 PM. (Subtract 1 hour for Central, 2 hours for Mountain, and 3 hours for Pacific Time.) This increases the potential for all kinds of delays and frustrations on Election Day.

To best ensure that your vote counts, you need to do two things. Cast your vote before Election Day and during a time when the Moon is not VOC.

Contact your Supervisor of Elections office right away to find out if your locality offers early voting. You can obtain this information by visiting the League of Women Voters Education Fund website. Click your state on the map, and then click the “i” icon next to your state. Make sure you bring the required form(s) of identification to the early voting location. If there’s anything you do not understand, ask a poll worker. Once you’ve cast your vote, there’s no turning back.

If your area doesn’t offer early voting, request an absentee ballot from the Supervisor of Elections office. When you receive the ballot, follow the instructions carefully and be sure to put the correct amount of postage on the ballot. You’ll also need to allow enough time to ensure the ballot is received at the Elections office before the deadline. NOTE: Some areas allow you to fax in your ballot. This is why it’s so important to contact your local elections office to know the rules.

Below is a list of dates and times from now up to Election Day when the Moon is VOC. As long as it falls within the criteria of your area’s election requirements, I recommend casting or mailing your vote after October 15. Just make sure to allow plenty of time for the elections office to receive your ballot.

DO NOT Mail or Cast Your Ballot During These Times! All times listed are EASTERN TIME; adjust to your time zone:

SEP 23 5:17 PM to 5:13 AM SEP 24
SEP 26 7:20 AM to 9:52 AM
SEP 28 1:30 PM to 4:05 PM
SEP 30 9:47 PM to 12:26 AM OCT 1
OCT 2 6:47 PM to 11:14 AM OCT 3
OCT 5 9:08 PM to 11:48 PM
OCT 7 3:37 PM to 12:03 PM OCT 8
OCT 10 7:13 PM to 9:31 PM
OCT 13 1:02 AM to 3:07 AM
OCT 15 3:36 AM to 5:31 AM
OCT 17 3:33 AM to 6:25 AM
OCT 19 5:52 AM to 7:40 AM
OCT 21 7:55 AM to 10:35 AM
OCT 23 1:53 PM to 3:40 PM
OCT 25 9:02 PM to 10:47 PM
OCT 28 6:05 AM to 7:47 AM
OCT 30 1:45 AM to 6:41 PM
NOV 2 4:41 AM to 6:13 AM
ELECTION DAY: 1:47 AM to 7:01 PM

Experiment with the VOC times in your own life. See if you notice any difference how things unfold during these times. View VOC times as opportunities to do things where the outcome is not important or you specifically do not want anything to come of the matter. Slow down the pace. Check out the Weekly Forecast for detailed information on the daily energies.

Related Post: “The ‘Mother of All Bailouts’ and Mercury Retrograde: Sep 24 – Oct 15, 2008”