Getting Out The Vote

The close of the voting is finally upon us. I will be so very happy not to see any more of those campaign commercials on TV! The slamming, twisting, and negativity is more than irritating and annoying. Oh well, by tonight, we will be back to new car commercials.

Many states in the U.S. now allow for early voting, or voting by absentee ballot without an excuse. My state, Maryland, was lenient on absentee balloting, but didn't permit early voting. There is a question on our ballot to allow it, and it looks like it will pass.

Meanwhile, today my co-coordinators of volunteer drivers and I have worked hard to get ready to provide transportation for seniors to vote at the state's largest voting precinct. We have some 800 people who requested a ride to the polls ready to exercise their privilege to vote for President, Member of Congress, Board of Education, two state referenda, and two local questions. Our ballot in my county and state will be short, but incredibly important.

Polls don't open (for the first time today), but instead, since early voting has happened all over the place, I just say that today is the day when polls will close, and by tomorrow morning, we will know the results in most races.

I'm not going to a party or event to watch returns. Returns will come in way too late for me to stay up to watch. I look forward to a positive outcome tomorrow, to bring change at the top, end the very bad policies of the current President and send him and his cronies to wherever they came from on January 20, 2009.

Exercising my constitutional privilege to vote is incredibly uplifting, powerful, and important to me. Every vote counts: go make yours count, if you haven't already done so! You will see me in boots and leather at my precinct this afternoon when I take a break from my volunteer shift so I can vote, and then at the state's largest precinct until everyone on our lists has voted.

Wherever we sit on the political spectrum, we should remember that we are among very few in the world with open and free elections. This is why I love my country, and work to contribute to making things a little bit better, a little bit stronger, a little bit more fair, each and every day. It's why I volunteer, it's why I work so much on community affairs, it's why I serve, and it's why I care.