I was very excited to vote yesterday. Like most Americans, I got up, got my two-year-old into his Iron Man Halloween costume, dropped his sister off at kindergarten, and drove to the polls. I went early, because I was worried about all of those big lines I kept hearing about. Even though I live in Vermont. Where there are no humans.
Well, there were about 10-15 people in front of me, which was not so bad. I spent my time playing on the ol’ iPhone, while Edward held my place in line and blasted people with his repulsor rays.
After a relatively short time, I made it through the line to the big book of names, and when the nice lady flipped through to find mine, it wasn’t there. I was not in the book. Suddenly, I was concerned that I would not be able to vote for the president of the United States of America. I was also concerned that my son had run into the voting booths and was blasting people, and also he stole someone’s chair.
Now, I voted in the primaries, and I voted last year, so I know that I am registered, but that was when I lived in Richmond, VT. Since then, I have moved to Burlington. Richmond isn’t that far away, so I considered driving 20 minutes south to vote, but as it turned out, I didn’t have to. I was directed to a separate table with another, even bigger book. The man there asked me what was going on, and I explained to him that when I switched my address with the DMV, I asked them what I had to do to switch my voter registration, and they said nothing. They said they would take care of it. And the man laughed, and said to never trust the DMV.
I asked him if I would be able to vote, and he just smiled and said, “This is Vermont. We don’t do voter suppression.” He handed me a form to fill out, on which I said that I was registered, thought I had registered, and authorized my registration transfer. He also gave Edward a pen and some paper, which distracted him long enough for me to get my stuff filled out, and just like that, I was ready to vote.
I’m glad I voted when I did, because as we left, the line was now going out the door and almost out to the street. There were dozens of people waiting in the freezing cold, and we got to walk out smiling and happy, having done our civic duty. As I went home to spend the rest of the day worrying about election results, I heard many stories of people not being able to vote, or having problems casting their votes, and I realized that I was almost one of them. It made me realize how lucky I am, and that we all are, that we have such a privilege in this county. I have voted in every election since I was 18, and have been excited each time to do so. In a world where it sometimes seem like all the power is in the hands of the few, on this day at least, we each get to make our voice heard. It was like my own personal super power! And both of us superheroes went home with stickers.
