Leave Nothing in the Tank - by Patricia Liehr

My husband Angelo was the mayor of his city in his early thirties. Joe Biden was a senator from Delaware at the time, and an up-and-coming young Democrat who gave a convention speech for Jimmy Carter. Angelo and Joe got to know each other during the Carter campaign – so, there has been a connection that has persisted for more than 40 years.

Angelo has always had immense appreciation for Joe as a genuine human being who really cares about others. He has supported him and his campaigns whenever and wherever possible. As I write this, I am looking out my window to the front yard where there is a sea of Biden yard signs, noticing folks who pass by as they take them in. Angelo is at the polls for early voting, a self-assigned responsibility that has taken much of his time over the past two weeks. His most frequent motto during the last several months before the November 3 election has been: I am leaving “nothing in the tank” for this one.

Yesterday, when I returned from my walk, a dear friend, Nelson, was parked in our driveway with his wife. Nelson is an American citizen of Puerto Rican heritage. He had left a note in our front door asking that Angelo call him. I visited with Nelson and Maria, picked up his note and promised to tell Angelo he had come by and give him the note.

At a noon break, Angelo came home and he called Nelson. Though he didn’t tell me, Nelson was very upset. When he went to vote, he was told he “wasn’t on the list” and he met another Puerto Rican gentleman at the polls who had the same experience. He gave Angelo relevant information and insisted that Angelo take his social security number because he had been asked to provide it when he went to vote. Angelo got on the phone and made several calls to local and regional polling officials. They readily found Nelson on the list of eligible voters and they provided Angelo with Nelson’s voter ID. Angelo called Nelson, and Nelson went once more to the polls – this time with his voter ID. Nelson voted and called Angelo immediately to let him know, and thank him. There's nothing being left in the tank.