This is my favorite time of the year in Ohio, as the leaves change, jeans and sweatshirts get unpacked, football and baseball are getting interesting, the nights are cool, and autumn is in its full glory. Yesterday was a beautiful, and unseasonably warm day for October in Ohio, and I took the day off from work.
I spent the morning tinkering around the house, working on projects, cleaning up old messes, and trying to get a little more organized. It always feels great to have everything in place – even if it is only for a day or two.
In the afternoon, we loaded up the kids and headed off to the board of elections to vote. This year, Ohio is allowing early voting, something that I think is wonderful. In a typical election, there is no way that I would be able to stand in line with my kids for hours and vote. They can only wait so long, and would end up having a horrible experience. In short, they would not get to see democracy in action. Early voting changes that.
We showed up at the board of elections at 1:30, filled out some papers, and completed the whole process of voting in about 15 minutes. There was no line, no hassle, and no problem. Best of all, my children got to experience what it is like to vote. My daughter has asked countless questions about the elections, and is very engaged in the idea of democracy. It made me proud to see her be so enchanted with the voting process – which many just take for granted.
I hope that you will choose to vote this year, as I believe that it is something that every American should do – regardless of ideology. We are blessed to live in a country where all voices can be heard. For Ohioans, I highly recommend taking advantage of early voting. It is too easy not to.
