Day 3123 —Running to the Polls— with a SUNRISE by the RIVER

I put my ID in my jacket and ran the one mile to the local elementary school where I usually vote. There was not much of a line when I got there just one person in front of me waiting. One of the volunteer’s asked why I was wearing shorts when I told her I had ran here, she said, “I guess you are allowed to wear shorts then.”

I did not respond to her and went to get my ballot. The guy there was wearing red. I watched as the two election officials (one from each part) signed my ballot before handing it to me.

I sat and filled out my ballot. I put my ballot into the machine as an election official monitored me. He gave me a sticker, and I walked outside to continue my run.

As I ran, I thought about the privilege to get to vote in elections and how so many people do not have the opportunity, or their vote gets thrown out in attempts to prevent equal access for every citizen to be allowed to participate in a free and fair election. I think it is so sad that so many people do not vote because they do not think politicians represent their needs and then because they do not vote those who get elected do not represent their needs, so it is not like someone’s wrong when they say they’re not represented but continuing to not participate doesn’t change anything either. You are not wrong if you look at government and say, “what did it ever do for me?” However, you are also not making a point that has any value. Making a decision based solely on your own self-interest is not ethical or productive.