Doing your part

Well, last night, I had my first meeting for being a head election judge. I have done this before but this time I get to be in charge. The process of elections has always fascinated me. And it feel really good to be a part of the whole thing.

There are big steps being taken so that no matter who you are, you can participate in democracy. We are among the first states to have new machines that allows people with many different disabilities to vote independently. For many, this is a new and long sought after opportunity.

Kris and I were talking the other night about how many people complain about the state of things but do not do the little things that can make it better. And as I often told my students, voting is the easiest way to affect things. We have a unique opportunity in this country to contribute and control our government. Yet, almost half of our citizens do not exercise their rights. Imagine if only half of our citizens were able to express their freedom of speech.

Anyway, that is half of my soapbox speech about voting. And to make it even easier for you, I linked the website for the Minnesota Secretary of State. That site can help you find your polling place and even give you a list of candidates. If you do not live in MN, each state should have a similar site.

And I would encourage you to also find a way to contribute to the process. Some things even include pay (ie being an election judge). This would also be found on the website linked. But, you can fill out the form to volunteer when you are voting. It truly is rewarding. You will feel like you helped make some of the great things about this country.

Something to think about.

Linda