I love voting. I registered at the DMV when I switched my residency to Missouri for college, just after my 18th birthday, and since then, I have voted in almost every single election, whether it’s a big one for president or a smaller one for judges or weird obscure amendments where I have to read the language 15 times to make sure I’m not accidentally voting for something horrible.
My first presidential election was 2000, and well … that maybe wasn’t a typical first election, but I still got a thrill out of doing my civic duty.
“It’s not always like this,” said my late sister the next day, “and on behalf of Florida, let me apologize.”
I don’t miss her all the time, but I always miss her when I talk politics.
In 2004, I hid under the covers reading Calvin & Hobbes books and crying when George W. Bush was re-elected – and then I barely dragged myself into work the next morning with smeary eyeliner (I wore eyeliner back then) and red eyes and unbrushed hair. My coworkers, all Republicans and all much older, mocked me, which, to be fair, I probably deserved. I was 24 and crushingly naïve. I stubbornly kept the Kerry sticker on my 1988 Nova until I sold it two years later.
By 2008, I was not quite as innocent. We had an election night party and Ruby, not yet 2, ran around saying, “Obama!” We drank Blue Hawaiis (because they were blue and Obama was born in Hawaii), and when they called the election, we all hugged and cheered.
I was nervous in 2012 and also completely exhausted at all times because I had a 6-month-old. I managed to vote, but I fell asleep on the sofa watching the returns. My husband woke me up around 10. “Get in bed,” he said. “The election’s over. Obama won.”
“I … what … he did? Oh, yay!” I mumbled happily and went back to sleep.
And then there was 2016. I wasn’t ready for 2016.
Now here we are four years later. I’m voting in person today; most of my friends and family have already voted early. The turnout nationwide is absolutely inspiring to me – and should be to everyone who cares about democracy, regardless of the outcome.
I think it’s pretty clear how I’ll be voting, but even if you’re voting differently (and in Louisiana, I assume most people are), please vote!