Vote.

It’s a Privilege, Not a Right

Okay. So I just came home.

This morning I went to the early voting site near my house, prepared to just drop off my mail in ballot in the box. I’d spent considerable time in the last couple of weeks — reviewing endorsements, talking with friends and finally having a long chat about the entire ballot with some dear friends. My plan was to park, go inside, drop the ballot in the official box and leave. As little time inside as possible for safety and all that.

Then I thought … wait, what if my signatures don’t match? What if somehow that box into which I drop it gets compromised? What if? What if? A cascade of disaster scenarios played out, things that in years past never would even have occurred to me. But when I hear that the GOP in California was placing fraudulent drop boxes on corners (yes, you read that correctly the actual official GOP party — not some fringe group), I figured I wasn’t going to take any chances.

Entering the polling place, any concern I had about safety dissipated immediately — ample staffing, incredible cleaning protocols, everyone masked, social distancing being enforced, plastic barriers between poll workers and voters, and a whole separate crew of people who were moving through the room in an orchestrated sweep, cleaning, disinfecting. It was amazing.

So I had my mail in ballot voided properly and stepped into the booth. I pulled the curtain closed (it had a CURTAIN!), and the minute I did, I began to shake. Literally shake. It was like the first time I voted ever. I cried through the whole thing. The enormity of this election swept over and through me.

Meticulously I selected each name. I went back through the entire ballot and confirmed every one. Then I hit the “cast ballot” button. Tears, again. Watching as my mail in ballot was taken and put into a shredding box (loved seeing how carefully and meticulously every rule and protocol was being followed), I found myself beaming through my tears and thanking the volunteers. The eyes above every mask held the same joy, the same sense of importance.

I stepped outside and saw the BidenHarris Campaign bus and an event gathering. So I stayed and got to talk with both my US Senators — Jacky Rosen and Catherine Cortez-Masto, my local State Senator (and friend) Yvanna Cancela and our former State AG who’s about to become a County Commissioner. I wept. Again. I told them how important this feels.

I put out yard signs saying I voted early. Saying BidenHarris … and I’ve just sent an email to a bunch of friends urging them to vote now.

Several folks have replied saying they were going to wait, but now they’re not going to.

Then I came home and watched this and started crying again.

This. Election. Matters.

In 2016,49% of the people who are ELIGIBLE to vote in this country didn’t even show up. Didn’t. Even. Show. Up. That is a disgrace. It’s a disgrace that people felt so utterly disenfranchised they felt their voice didn’t matter. That’s partly on our Government — a two-party system both sides of which have some level of culpability. Pandering to special interests. Forgetting that our nation is of WE the People. It’s also, however, on us. Those people. If the Government isn’t doing its job, it’s OUR responsibility to do something.

That something, is voting.

So, do it. Vote.