During the 2016 election, I was a sophomore in high school. I had never been much of a political person or strongly opinionated until I realized how important being engaged in politics was to the people around me. I remember vividly the day Donald Trump was elected president and I saw one of my friends crying as he walked down the hallway at school, merely just days before his 18th birthday. Not quite old enough to vote, but more than qualified to have an opinion on the matter of who was to be our nation’s leader for the next four years. I was not quite old enough to hold a driver’s license, but I was old enough to see raw emotion and fear in other people’s eyes when thinking about the next four years of our lives.
A few years later (after having graduated and turned 18) I was ready to fight for my rights, not only as a woman but as an active member of the LGBTQ+ community. After conducting my own research and educating myself on the views of the people who were running, I was ready to develop my own opinions and stand up for what I felt was right. I knew that certain argumentative points were more likely to turn me towards the center rather than one side of the aisle or the other, but I knew that I could rely on my research to make my final voting decisions.
On the other hand, I wasn’t entirely sure how I planned to vote. I grew up going to a church basement down the street from my house to watch my father fill out his ballot, but when COVID took a turn for the worse this year, my voting plans were disrupted. I was thankful that the government had found a way to safely print and mail out as many ballots as they did. I knew of many people who were mailing in their ballots because they were hesitant to vote in-person. What I didn’t realize until I got my ballot in the mail, however, was that the ballot could be incredibly intimidating.
I swear, this piece of paper was longer than my arm, but it held so much power and the promise of so much positive change that I knew it was imperative I fill it out completely and send it in. Before this moment, I hadn’t fully grasped the power that turning 18 gives you as a U.S. citizen. I knew that in some states, upon turning 18 you could buy lottery tickets, cigarettes, and sign a lease to a house. But I’d forgotten the most important gift of turning 18 was becoming eligible to vote. Growing up, I never really thought about who I was planning to vote for. But when the time came for me to cast my ballot, I was able to understand just how important voting truly is to the betterment of my community, and the group of people I identify closely with–women and LGBTQ+.
I applied to vote in the state of Arizona because I no longer live in my home state of Illinois, and I waited patiently for it to be delivered to my home. Upon its arrival, I was almost starstruck by what an actual ballot looked and felt like. I had never seen a real ballot in my entire life. Let alone one with my first, middle, and last name on it. I felt as if I had more responsibility than ever before. I looked it over and pondered on what I already knew of the candidates and began my research on the candidates and issues about which I found myself feeling confused.
It has been a few weeks since I sent out my ballot, but I am feeling very good about how I voted. Although the pandemic necessitated my first voting experience be completed from the comfort of my home, I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to vote at all. I look forward to sustaining a spotless voting record and voting (in-person) in 2024.