denied!

i just received this email from arlington county:

We have no record of you registered in Arlington County. It appears, unfortunately, that your application never made it to us. Do you perhaps recall if you mailed it separately from your tax return? In any case, at this point the registration deadline has passed (it was Oct. 4) and there is nothing we can do.

I would suggest you download the voter registration application from our website now and return it to us so you will be all set for future elections. We will be able to process it after the election when the registration books re-open.

For more information about elections in Arlington, please visit our web page at www.arlingtonva.us.

Linda Lindberg, General Registrar
Arlington County Government
2100 Clarendon Blvd., Suite 320
Arlington, VA 22201
703-228-3462
703-228-4611 tty
703-228-3659 fax
llindberg@arlingtonva.us
www.arlingtonva.us

so... how can i possibly go through the trouble of registering to vote, and then not be registered? i was fully hoping to wage my blank protest vote. oh well, although my individual vote doesn't count, i was at least hoping to participate. i feel somehow left out of this whole election thing now - it will be the first major election i'm out of the loop on since i became eligible to vote. somehow i care less now - i wonder if the ability to and act of voting promotes more active interest and participation?

update: yes, it does.