Today I voted. I thought it would be a good idea to take advantage of early voting, beat the long lines and traffic, ya know, get ahead before November 4th. From all the buzz and talk of this election, I had anticipated maybe a little traffic, but I was not prepared for what I encountered - especially at 8 o'clock in the morning. As I walked down the street towards the voting place, I looked ahead and couldn't help but notice a long line of people waiting outside a building. I kept thinking this can't be the voting place and I was hoping it wasn't. To my dismay it was, and in my type A impatient mind, I quickly got irritated. I thought I can come back and hope the lines die down, or I can suck it up, risk being late to my class and get in that early vote. I decided to wait since the lines seemed to be moving rather quickly. As I followed suit in line behind 4 other people a young lady passed out forms for everyone to fill out and re-iteriated for everyone to make sure their names, address and today's date were on it. I filled out the form and proceeded in my place in the moving line. My irritation suddenly diminished when I starting to look at the faces of people around me. Young faces, old faces, white, black, red, yellow faces. At this point a gentlemen who seemed like he was part of "crowd control" started to tell people ahead of me to go in, in groups of 10. My group went in the polling room and there were even more people inside! I felt like I was at the DMV but with a bigger purpose of being there. I would have to say as many people that were there, they made the process very easy and it was very organized as different lines were separated for different steps. The first step was to make sure you were a registered voter in the state, get a voter card for the booth and then proceed to wait in another line. This line proceeded to a sitting area where people took turns passing around a "clip board" that served as a "number" as they got up simultaneously to go to the voter booth.
As I sat and waited for the clip board to come around I decided to catch up on some reading. Before I knew it, I looked up and the guy sitting to the left of me had the clip board. I don't know why, but I got this anxious nervous yet excited feeling in the pit of my stomach. After one voter finished voting, the guy next to me got up and took his turn at the booth. He passed me the clip board and I felt like he had passed me the torch at the Olympics! Then it was my turn to go to the booth. I couldn't help but smile at the the thought that I am about to be a part of making history. As I inserted the voter card in the slot, after pressing the "English" button for my language, my smile was accompanied by tears. I looked up to the top right hand corner of the screen that read "Obama, Barack/Biden, Joe (President/Vice President)". I stared at it before pressing the touch screen to mark "x" at my selection. Stared at it long enough hoping that I can make a mark in my memory and in history, that would be etched in my brain forever.
I felt so proud when I left the polling place. Proud like Martin must be feeling right now in heaven. The sun was shining and I felt good. I just hope and pray that these same feelings can revisit me come election day next Tuesday.
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GET OUT THE VOTE!
As I sat and waited for the clip board to come around I decided to catch up on some reading. Before I knew it, I looked up and the guy sitting to the left of me had the clip board. I don't know why, but I got this anxious nervous yet excited feeling in the pit of my stomach. After one voter finished voting, the guy next to me got up and took his turn at the booth. He passed me the clip board and I felt like he had passed me the torch at the Olympics! Then it was my turn to go to the booth. I couldn't help but smile at the the thought that I am about to be a part of making history. As I inserted the voter card in the slot, after pressing the "English" button for my language, my smile was accompanied by tears. I looked up to the top right hand corner of the screen that read "Obama, Barack/Biden, Joe (President/Vice President)". I stared at it before pressing the touch screen to mark "x" at my selection. Stared at it long enough hoping that I can make a mark in my memory and in history, that would be etched in my brain forever.
I felt so proud when I left the polling place. Proud like Martin must be feeling right now in heaven. The sun was shining and I felt good. I just hope and pray that these same feelings can revisit me come election day next Tuesday.
Join TC by taking part of making His-Story by sharing yours!
GET OUT THE VOTE!
4 comments:
I wanted to vote early but I just didn't trust that early vote shit. I have never heard of that before and I could just see those computer votes being lost accidentally on purpose.. I am Dat Nigga and I approve this message.
OMG Firefly, I voted on Monday and as I was very nervous because I was overcome by this feeling of greatness and victory that I am taking part in voting for hopefully the first black President of the US.
I'm huge on voting and it makes me sick to know that during the Civil Rights movement, our parents and grandparents faced vicious dogs, water hosing jail and beatings for this right. I can't allow their blood sweat and tears to be in vain.
This is wrong and hopefully it was just good timing on my part and I feel bad for saying this but here goes....I went to the early polling place in Englewood opposed to my neighborhood because I wanted to avoid the long lines...and like I imagined I walked right in and right up....in and out in less than ten minutes. I really hope that it was good timing and not proof of my ignorant but very much seemingly accurate assumption that not too many people in Englewood are motivated or eligible to vote.
However, I felt proud while doing it. I will be at the after party in Grant Park when Obama gives his speech. I think I was the first person to get my tix and I will be attending the inaguration in DC on behalf of the tragedies of our past generations, the trials of the present and the triumph of the future....
I AM ARM CHARM AND I APPROVE THIS MESSAGE!!!!
Hi all. I got my vote in too. First, let me say that I wish that Pioneers like Coretta King and Mamie Till were still around to see this day. I read an article on yahoo this morning that threw a damper on my early voting enthusiasm. Well the article stated that since this is teh frist time that the entire election will be electronic that there may be some type of inaccuracy of the count due to the falling back of the time.
I say this, Damnit if Obama doesn't have a landslide victory, I will personally be on World News Tonight with Chuck Gibson demanding a recount. I not talking that slight win by a nose hair...McCain better not even be in the same percentile with my buddy B-Rock.
You know I thought about running for Alderman before. I wonder if I'll be ready to head for the WHite House when Obama's two terms are up. That may not be a good idea considering some of the shit I've said on here....LMMFAO! Not only that but the media will dig into the back grounds of all of you and pull up your dirt and I'll really be ruined, especially when they run Bitchplease file. LMMFAO!!!
on that Englewood comment...
Yes that is sad but true that some people in poorer neighborhoods (so sad to say) are not that educated about voting and some just don't know how to vote. Then you have those with felony records who can't vote and those that haven't been registered to vote since their grandmothers grandmother! Damn I should have went to Englewood too and saved me 2hrs of waiting time where I went!
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