The Nineteenth

I am taking the opportunity to break between states to share my experiences voting. I have grown to be an avid voter, every ballot. It is my voice, my right. Regardless of the outcomes, speaking out does matter. I registered to vote in 1995 in Washington State, and have been a voter for this state for now 25 years! My photo is of me voting while in graduate school in 2004. I was excited to register to vote in 1995. Not because of the legacy that was behind me. I didn’t feel political when I was 18. I didn’t have strong views. I didn’t talk about current issues because I didn’t spend the time listening or learning about why our country is the way it is. What happened to grow us into a country of freedom. It was just a new right at 18. The first major election I voted in was for Clinton in 1996. It was a stable election that I likely voted more for consistency than anything. It was four years later in the vote in 2000 that showed me the need and stress of voting. The vote between ...