I can distinctly remember the first time I voted. It was when I had just turned 18, and I was still living with my parents. My dad and I drove down to the local polling station, in our case one of the rickety churches in no-man’s land, Indiana. We stepped into the musty basement to find voter kiosks set up in a pretty little row, and I stepped into my spot to cast my ballot. I remember asking my dad how he planned to vote, how he decided on a candidate, but he didn’t pressure me one way or the other. Just be a part of the process, he said, that’s what really matters.
This year the Presidential election has felt like an enormous amount of pressure on our country. Tempers are boiling over, relationships are being tested, and it feels as though this is one of the most volatile election cycles I can remember. It’s to the point where I know many of my friends and family want nothing to do with it anymore, and they’re considering not even participating. But here’s the thing: my dad was right. It’s the process that matters. It’s the fact that, as a woman, I know there were sacrifices made on my behalf so I could walk up to that polling station November 8th and have my voice heard. It’s the fact that our country was built on the right of every person to have their say, and staying home on Election Day simply isn’t an option in my book.
Register to vote. Vote early if you like. Vote on November 8th. Just vote.
To find out if you’re registered, click here.
To find out where you vote, click here.
And if you live in San Antonio and want to vote early, click here for this handy guide on where/when from SA 2020!
XO,
A
