We start voting almost as soon as we can talk. Growing up, maybe you voted for pizza for dinner, or to watch the Sound of Music for the thousandth time (sorry mom and dad). If you have a sibling – or two or three – chances are you’ve heard “majority rules” more times than you can count. Before we turn eighteen and proudly step out of a voting booth with an “I VOTED” sticker, we’ve voted for countless things in our life.
My earliest memory of voting was in Betty Lawrence’s living room as a child. Surrounded by friends I still have today, I voted for whether we’d watch Hook or Jumanji, whether we’d go outside to go on toboggan rides or stay inside to play Pajama Sam, and whether we’d have Vienna Fingers or Double Stuffed E.L. Fudge cookies.
In those moments, I learned two very important facts about voting: not everyone has the same opinion, and the outcome isn’t always what you want. From daycare to school to work to the voting booth, I had to remember those two facts. In 2015, during presidential campaigning, I struggled with the first. In 2016, during the election, I struggled with the second.
I can remember sitting arms crossed with a grumpy look on my face as a child, pouting over the fact that the vote went to those who wanted to watch a movie instead of working on a craft. At that age, I didn’t understand the feeling of having my vote silenced by the majority. At 22, watching the presidential election, I watched my vote become overpowered by the Electoral College. Both of these moments were confusing and thought-inducing.
I voted for Hook, I voted for toboggan rides, I voted for pizza day, I voted for the color pink, I voted for the first African American President and I voted for Equal Rights. I voted for my town, for my state, for my country. Sometimes my vote was the minority, but on good days it was the majority.
As we continue to navigate this crazy political climate we live in, may we all remember to vote. Whether it’s for something that seems small and insignificant, or something that could truly change the world; voting is a sign of using your voice. Show up, raise your voice, raise your hand, fill in a ballot – no matter how you do it, vote. Not everyone will share the same opinion, but we all share the same power of voting. So use your power. Speak your opinion. The time is now.
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