Day 4,489—at the Ballot—

 

Start time: 11:33 a.m.

Weather: Mid 70s, wind 3.8  mi/h, Humidity 84%

        My main goal today was to go to the polls and vote, so I ran there with my driver’s license. The last time I voted was in the Spring for a different small election, but this one is a big deal. Amendments 4 and 5 will dramatically change education as well as a lot of other things in Missouri. Most people don’t think about where their property taxes go, but right now in Missouri the majority of your property tax is used for education. This is why your zip code not only determines what school you go to but also how much money that school district has to provide your services. This is why St. Louis Public (where I work) has a lot less money to pay for each student compared to Lindbergh School (where I went). So the idea that we can boil property tax down to such a simple issue is bonkers.

        When I got to the school, no one was there. I went to the door to the back gym where they usually have voting, and no one was there, and they didn’t have a sign. I don’t have any Internet on my phone right now because I used it all on my Florida trip, so I had to run home to access my home Wifi so I could find the new polling place. It turns out it wasn’t too far. Just the church down the street from where I was before, but why didn’t they at least have a sign?

        By the time I got there later, I was dripping with sweat. I still don’t know why I was sweating so much. I hadn’t run that far, and it wasn’t that hot today, but I was wearing a shirt that I haven’t worn recently, so I felt uncomfortable. I really wasn’t thinking that running to vote would end up making the practical aspect of voting challenging, but that’s what I was dealing with today. I was taking extra long to move my ballot in a way that would avoid getting wet.

        When I got home, I hadn’t even run three miles yet, but I was exhausted and so thirsty. I decided to have some hydration, and now I feel a little better. I don’t know what I could have done to get my hydration so off in so little time. I didn’t even do a long run last week.  

If you live in Missouri, go vote! No on amendments 4 and 5! And make sure to check if your polling place has moved! (If you live close to me, you can use my picture as a marker for where you can vote).