You're Voting, Right?

At the risk of coming off "too political", I'm going to make a comment or two about the election taking place today. If you're registered to vote, there's no excuse not to. You're just one step away. However, there a few disappointments you might encounter. 

The very first thing about voting this election that's changed is the registration process. While this may not be true for most, since the moment I tried to sign up for this county, I had problems.

First, my SSN wasn't in the record books at first. They couldn't identify who I was. To be honest, I thought about abusing this rare event and doing everything I've ever wanted to, while remaining completely off the radar. 

But then they found me. Yes, this moment was bound to occur as soon I felt I could become some sort of vigilante. Of course, they should've located my . . . existence . . . right from the start; I voted last time. 


2008 was a different animal, though.  I registered from my laptop and voted early at one of the many locations around Ball State University. It was easy. And while they tallied up the votes, my buddies and I played a drinking game (nonalcoholic, no doubt). When our choice candidate took a state, we took a shot. Unfortunately and fortunately, we were all pretty . . . hydrated . . . within the first twenty minutes. 

2012, however, has been a lot different. There's no drinking game for me tonight, though I wish I could. And even after I figured out the whole registration mess, I crossed a speedbump once again at the polls. 

See, to prove I wasn't drinking during the last election, I'll have to admit I picked up my license the day before my twenty-first, and therefore it's a vertical license instead of horizontal. 

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The nice judge who checked my ID today asked me if I bought my ID online.

I had no idea what she was talking about for a moment. Really, you can pick up your ID online? What do you do, print it off or something?

Instead, she was leaning on the idea I had a fake ID. Seems kind of stupid to bring a fake ID to the polls. I could see certain situations that might call for it, but I was definitely a real citizen with a real ID. 

After a few people - probably impatient - argued I was right, and you could score and ID before your 21st, I was allowed to vote.

On the way home, part of the road was blocked off by a fire truck.

Did someone not want me to vote?

Which brings me to the final part of this Election Day rant: DID YOU VOTE?

If you were registered to vote and didn't, I hope you spill coffee on yourself during your ride to work tomorrow. Now, for those of you who didn't register: Why?

The greatest contradiction I've found around here is the constant promotion of democracy juxtaposed with a complete lack of ambition to get out and vote. It's a little hypocritical when you have "Support Our Troops" and "Freedom Isn't Free" picket signs and bumper stickers  and you decide not to exercise your freedom or the democratic way our troops fight to retain. 

Some people didn't vote because they didn't know how to pick. This mentality isn't rare or unique. It isn't "smarter". No magic election fairy is going to drop in another candidate just because you didn't like the other two. The polls aren't going to show a tie with zero electoral and popular votes.  


It's cliched, like "The Lesser of Two Evils". A lot of people feel this way, at least through my experience. It's actually more common than people who are voting. If you studied their issues, you would've definitely decided one lane or the other. I'm not bashing on anyone who didn't vote. All I'm saying is maybe next time you should, especially if the results don't favor you for the next four years.

Voting is one of few forms of power Americans have. We surely have many freedoms and opportunities, but our voice and our vote are the closest we come to interacting with the government we are provided with. Besides, if you were leaning one way or the other and didn't vote, know that the other supports sure did. 

Hope you all went out to vote! 


Taken from Kelsey Timmerman: If you didn't vote, you should be embarrassed. 

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