I love voting. It gives me such a sense of civic pride. As the Boy and I walked to our polling place this morning, we commented on how the act of voting is the gravest responsibility that can be bestowed on a person. We are making a choice for our country as a people – we better not mess it up.
I was too young for the 2000 election by about 8 months. But I have voted in every presidential election since then, and it’s always a thrill. Seeing Virginia (where I have voted in 3 of my 4 presidential elections) switch from a solid red to a swing state is exciting. I know that my vote counts and will make a difference, no matter which way I vote. And even when I voted in solid-blue Maryland, it was exciting to either add my voice to the crowd saying “YES – THIS ONE”, or else add a dissenting voice so that there was a vocal minority saying, “THERE IS ANOTHER WAY”.
If you’re not registered already, then you’ve missed out [CORRECTION: There are 14 states with same-day voter registration]. If you don’t have an appropriate photo ID in Virginia, you can cast a provisional ballot. If you need a ride to the polls and you live in Alexandria…I’ll be off work at 5.
It’s an exciting day. It’ll be an exciting night. But the thing that I am honestly most excited about is the fact that this time tomorrow, the election will be over. So – who voted? Who’s got plans? Good stories? We ran into friends in line, and they took our picture, and we took theirs. So fun to chat in a chilly line! Anyone doing a fun results watch? We will be getting Indian food and popping open a bottle of wine that we’ve been saving for an important occasion. The Boy wants to watch the results on the BBC…we’ll see which network we actually choose.