I generally steer clear of political topics here, but I want to put this out there: voting, especially in this election, is incredibly important…and if you don’t vote, I don’t want to hear you whine later about who gets elected!
As a science-centric person, I didn’t relish the thought of being in close proximity to other people in an area where the number of Covid-19 cases is growing…but I also wanted to do my best to ensure that my vote was registered. That meant availing myself of early voting at the only polling location in my (rural) county.
The wait wasn’t long, and I occupied myself with taking in the sights and sounds around me. The trees were in full color, the sun was shining, and fellow citizens had shown up to cast their votes. Of course, some failed to wear their masks (or socially distance properly)…despite research that indicates that universal mask-wearing could save 100,000+ lives.
I cast my vote, took my free pen (the choice was to either keep it or throw it away, per the election worker), my sticker, and stepped back out into the sunshine. I had voted, my vote was registered, and it was satisfying because I had, in a small way, taken my stand.
Now it’s my hope that other eligible voters who haven’t voted yet – including those who may feel like their vote won’t matter – also cast their votes, regardless of how depressing and dystopian our present may seem. We have to make our voices heard if we want to live in a society that’s good for all. Never give up. Vote!