The Privilege and Joy of Voting

I am a diehard. I believe in and I cherish our right AND our duty to vote. It gives me pride in knowing that I did my part for my community and government. I should never complain about anything that our elected officials do or don’t do if I don’t vote.

I will vote today in these early voting opportunities in the mid-term elections. I will have a range of choices to select for state and local offices. I will do my best to determine whose platforms I believe will make the greatest and most positive impact in my community and government.

I will hang out there for the next couple of weeks as I am also an election clerk. I believe in the system that much. Election workers, by the way, are some of the most civic-minded people you’ll meet. I am one of them.

I want to suggest that you rediscover, where possible, the joy of voting and if at all possible, to vote in person. Standing in line gives us the opportunity to interact with fellow citizens and be filled with pride and joy that we do our part.

Voting in person renews a commitment to be amongst others who believe in this right also. It is, for a moment, a reminder that our vote is no more or less important than anyone else’s. We are made to realize that “anyone else” is the person in front of us in the line or next to us in the booth. It is both humbling and empowering.

My local polling station is in a high school, a place of trust and community involvement that is a direct and visible result of our choices on the ballot. I don’t know who my co-workers will be, but I do know we all had to be trained and sworn in for adhering to the ethical standards required.

There will be people who may have trouble walking, but they are not being held back from exercising their privilege to vote. There will be those who we will take the equipment out to their vehicle because their health prevents them from coming into the polling station.

There will be excited first-time voters: recent U.S. citizens or those who are just now age-qualified to vote. They will be greeted by one of the many volunteers, show their driver’s license or other forms of qualification.

Unless we are called over by a voter to assist them with their voting selections (which we will be covered by the oath we swore to), we will have no idea who is a Republican, Democrat or Libertarian. We shouldn’t care. We should feel optimism and goodwill toward American democracy.

The big bonus at the end is the I VOTED sticker that the voters will be wearing. They will smile at another voter as they leave the building. They will have no idea who the other votes for and at that moment, it won’t matter. They are both Americans.

God bless America!