The vote

Yesterday was voting day.  We all went down as a family and the ladies hosting our area were so very sweet.  Somehow my husband got on a mail-only voting list, so initially it looked like he was out of luck.  But the awesome ladies did the extra paperwork to get things squared away for him.  We each took a kid into the voting booth with us and explained how things worked.  It was a nice civics lesson for them that is worth repeating each time we get to vote.

I find myself voting in a way that leaves me both at peace and at odds with myself.  When I don’t vote for one of the major parties, I often feel as though I am throwing my vote away.  Today I voted for one democrat and one republican.  The rest of my votes went to people in other parties.  I feel positive that I voted for the person with whom I most agree and who I think would handle the job well.  I don’t want to vote for someone who will, in my opinion, do a bad job. 

But there is a strong sense that if one isn’t voting for candidates who are either democratic or republican, one’s vote is pretty pointless.  Perhaps I am naive, but I hope that it still matters.  I hope a message is received, even when the big names win.  I know I sleep better when I cast my worthless vote that speaks my truth.  I am thankful I have the right to be on the fringe, hoping for change, even if it doesn’t come tomorrow.  I am thankful I live in a bitty town that allows our children to experience voting firsthand.  I pray that our freedoms to speak out, to vote and to choose remain so that my own kids will not take this gift of democracy for granted. 

Hope y’all were able to get out and speak your hearts with your ballots!