Today, as I entered my polling station and approached my voting machine, I actually felt a little rush of adrenaline. And I got chills.
This is my third presidential election, and in my short time as a voting American adult, I haven't experienced the buzz of electricity in the United States that has progressively grown in the months and days leading up to today. It was crowded in my polling station, with 4 precincts voting there, and there were lines in two of the other precincts. Reading the news about record numbers turn-outs across the country fueled that energy.
As I put in my voting card (we use electronic voting machines here in Ohio, and you get a little credit card that you slide into the monitor to access the ballot) and the names of candidates running for president popped up, I shook my head and my stomach flipped. This election matters so much, and no matter who wins, I'm so proud of the millions of Americans who are participating in the process. My heart swells even more at the thought of all those Americans who are voting for the first time, no matter their age. And the thought of the millions of Americans who are voting in their first election as adults - wow. I can't imagine my first vote being cast in such an important election.
And (even cornier still, perhaps), I thought back to the Founders who wanted citizens to get to choose their governing officials. I felt as if we're doing them proud today by stepping up to the plate. And I also thought back to all those women who persisted for my right to vote. How beautiful it is that I got to vote in an election where a woman is on the ticket.
So I know, this is perhaps a bit silly. But I've never cared about an election this much. I felt anxious and preoccupied all day today. I even have the news on tonight - rarely happens! At this point, it's out of our hands. We'll have a new president-elect tomorrow, and I hope that this ends (but probably more likely would just put on hold) the bickering back and forth across the aisle. As I often hope for OSU games, I hope that the election is competitive (as opposed to Clinton-Dole in 1996).
1 comment:
I was amazed at the amount of Americans who turned out to vote. Even in our small towm of Perrysville, people waited up to an hour to vote. That was in the morning. There was no line when I voted at about 2:30. I vote at about that time every election. I am usually #25; this time I was #76Big differnece. Love you
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