My First Time

This year was my first time voting. Unless of course you count voting in school elections. I know most of you don't believe that I'm 22 year old so I really have no excuse for not voting before, other than I'm lazy.

In the past I worked and couldn't or wouldn't take off work to vote. Then I had kids and my husband worked and I wasn't going to take my babies to wait in line in the cold. It never seemed worth it to me. I also didn't follow politics very well and considered my uneducated vote fairly worthless.

Then I moved to Washington. When I got my new WA driver's license (And I didn't even have to take a test!) they asked me if I wanted to register to vote. "Sure." Then the man asked if I wanted to vote by mail. I had never heard of this option before. He told me that lots of people in Washington register for the absentee ballot so they can vote by mail. So I signed up.

About 2 weeks ago my ballot arrived in the mail. Then a booklet came in the mail with a brief biography and a statement by each candidate. Last Thursday I sat down at the kitchen table with my pen, ballot and booklet. I read through each candidate and made straight lines on the ballot. I went to the grocery store and dropped my ballot off at the collection box in the front. Voila! I voted! No waiting in line! No standing in the cold! No punching holes halfway through!

I admit that it did take about an hour to sit down and decide. But that's it. I heard that Starbucks was giving out free coffee, Krispy Kreme had free donuts (and I LOVE Krispy Kreme donuts) and Ben and Jerry's had free ice cream for people who stopped by with the "I voted" sticker. I didn't go to any of those places. Have I mentioned that I'm lazy??? Now if only all of those places would make an exception for us Absentee voters and start sending their freebies in the mail... Things would be perfect!

And in case you are wondering who I voted for, I voted for Obama. I had to. When you move to Washington, it's a requirement that you become a Democrat!