I filled out my ballot as soon as I got it and it was kind of an anti-climax, sitting alone in my kitchen penciling in bubbles I’d decided on long ago. After months of poll watching and blog reading, it felt like, “Finally, I can get this done.”
I went through intense election turmoil a year ago, when I lived in Iowa. Politicians and their celebrity entourages descended on the state to scrounge for votes in the Iowa Caucus – the first night when Americans cast their votes for who they wanted as president. A whole 12 months ago, Obama didn’t have a jet or sold out stadiums. He was speaking in coffee shops and peoples’ living rooms. At the most absurd campaign events in the history of pop music and the United States, I saw Bright Eyes perform an Obama benefit show in a bowling alley in podunk Carroll, Iowa on New Years Eve 2008.
Right up to the day of the caucus, I was one of the Undecideds, waffling between Obama and Edwards (he was running, remember?). But when it came to the point where I literally had to raise my hand to announce my vote, I realized who I would really be proud and excited say was my candidate. Obama won in Iowa thanks in a large part to youth and student votes and he’s been rolling uphill since then. So even though my Oregon Obama vote this time around counts for a lot less, I was still giddy to cast it.
send us your voting story and we’ll post it.
Having lived in Oregon for over 8 years, It took me a while to get used to the vote by mail thing (I really like it, it’s just… easy to procrastinate). Anyway, this year I sent in my ballot within a week of getting it. A personal record. I would have done it sooner but since the Mercury inexplicably endorsed one of Sizemore’s initatives, I had to do a little more research before deciding to vote AGAINST it.
i have lived in oregon for 30 years… i have learned to ALWAYS vote AGAINST Sizemore