11/04/2008

I VOTED




November 4, 2008. I just got home from voting. I live in Parsippany, NJ. At 10:40 AM. my polling place was more crowded than I've experienced in my voting history in Morris County NJ, but not so crowded as to necessitate lines. However, the poll workers said there had been lines earlier this morning. The parking lot outside of the firehouse location is small and it was filled. Many of the cars in the small lot were of the larger, non-foreign variety, not your average Democrat's cars. In fact, I live in a mostly Republican part of New Jersey and have often felt a little out of place in my local voting places. I was hoping that the Obama decals on the back of my car were an appropriate distance from the door.


Still, I felt the historic quality of the moment and despite being the agnostic that I am, actually said a prayer as I gazed down at Obama and Biden's names with the little red check next to them. I wasn't leaving anything to chance. A few tears accumulated in my eyes as I got back into the car (no big surprise there). I drove home thinking about how profound this election has felt to me and thousands, maybe millions of others over the last year, in our country. I have felt to be in the best of company as I canvassed in Philadelphia,made phone calls here at home and sent and received hundreds and hundreds of emails with petitions, requests for donations, keeping us up to date and informed and some of THE BEST YouTube videos ever. One more piece of personal information regarding the significance of today's date. My son's birthday is November 4th. This is the second time in his now 23 years that his birthday coincided with an extremely significant event. The first was November 4, 1995. the day that Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin, was fatally shot. That was a tragic day. Today will signify the election of either the first Black President of the United States or the first Woman to become Vice President. On this momentous day, I will cast no dispersions, but I will say that if Barack Obama wins the Presidency, the significance will be even beyond breaking racial barriers (and that is of HUGE significance). It will mean that we will have a president with so much promise and even more capability to bring our country back up to the high standards that we desire and hopefully deserve.


I would love to hear about your experience as you voted today for the 44th President of the United States.

I invite you to comment here, even if you have never participated in blogging before. It's easy to do; you don't have to have a blog address. Simply sign in as anonymous, but then sign your comment at the bottom, so I will know who wrote it.

Thanks....Peace....oh and for one LAST time.....GO OBAMA!!!!!

SHERRIL

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just to show you how easy this is. Hope you will comment next.

Sherril

Farm Girl said...

I voted at 9:15 this morning. There were more people than I have seen at my polling place - which means 5... I was in out and done in 15 min. There was one person ahead of me. The thing that worried me was the guy ahead of me got this really old woman checking him in and she couldn't find him on the books. So she sent him to the other district. He wasn't in that district so he came back to the other table and someone younger was able to find him - but it kind of made me wonder how helpful some of these poll workers are when they get so old that they can't hear or read well enough to find someone in the voter lists...

Anonymous said...

Sherril, I arrived at my polling place around 7:30 this morning and found it similar to what you encountered. I entered the community room of the Pequannock Library to find 20 or so voters signing in for 3 districts. Luckily there were only 3 people in line for my district and I was in and out in under 10 minutes. Although I didn't shed any tears but I did feel an extreme sense of pride knowing I just played a part in making history. What this great country of ours needs now is unity and change.

Shalom

Anonymous said...

I voted this morning around 10am, and it was smooth sailing. I quickly made it through the typical line of about 3 neighbors ahead of me. There was the slightest bit of confusion over finding a name due to a combination of the man's strong accent and the poll workers poor hearing, but his name was located and he signed the line and went to vote. Thank goodness we don't have crazy lines like they do in many urban areas where the population density is so high. If my district were like that, I'd probably always vote absentee.

- Alicia

Anonymous said...

Hi!I voted about 9:45 here in Oklahoma. The wind whipped up and churned around whispering, "Change, change!" and "My man, Obama's gonna win!" The decision to vote in the a.m., during plan time as a teacher, was a good one. Everything was more crisp and clear. My mind was in a gliding pattern as I chatted with some 85 year old ladies in a 25 minute line and voted for Obama. I'm so proud of him! Bold and brave! I'm also proud of myself with following the campaign. Yesterday I spent 8am to 5pm sitting in a room with 450 "peers", on first-time-ever jury duty. I was dismissed after one day, not assigned to a case, so usual high school student grading, planning, and problems didn't clutter my brain.
Today at school, students saw my sticker, and said excitedly, "Did you vote?" and "Who did you vote for, Obama? All right!!"
This campaign has been a growth period for me. Exciting. Gaining more knowledge, and now, on the final night, thrilled. At 55 yrs.,
I feel like the world is mine. Hey, I'm an adult!! Our man's gonna win, and he will serve us well!! Thanks for all your e-mails back and forth, Sherril!
Go Obama Man! love, Becky from Oklahoma

Anonymous said...

I voted for Obama by absentee ballot last week-- not because I believe in him. I don't. But I do believe in my friends and this is one of those times when the vision my friends share around this guy are more important than my personal vision. So that vote was for you, Sherril, and the many others who have worked so hard to win this election for Obama-- and the faith I have in your conviction which does not diminish mine for choosing to stand with you. Go Girl-- THAT's what my vision is about.

LG from Maine

Anonymous said...

My daughter, husband and I voted at around noon today. I have voted in many elections but this one made my heart beat faster and brought tears to my eyes. All 3 of us have never been so excited about an election.
As I'm writing this, Obama is winning the electoral votes and I am beyond thrilled!
Audrey from New Jersey

Len Tower Jr. said...

i voted last thrusday night at city hall, as i do whenever i have to be out-of-town on a voting day

i'm usually the only one there, but this time it was 'mobbed" about two dozen people constantly there

took about ten times longer than normal waiting in the lines (i had done all the research beforehand, and had marked the ballot in a few seconds)

they was a feeling of joy and pride there

one of the election dept employees asked me where i would be (nyc), and if i had taken the chinatown bus (yes), and i got to fill him in on this great cheap way to travel between boston and nyc!

Anonymous said...

What an election! Dave and I got to the polls at 6:05am and it was the most crowded I've ever seen in all my voting years. It paid off!

Anonymous said...

I voted early.

I usually do not vote early. I usually revel in the ritual of "election day". I usually dress up in red, white and blue and wear my rhinestone red, white and blue pin.

But this year, I was anxious, I wanted to do all I could do for Barak, and the campaign was asking for people to vote early. So a week before election day, I went to the polls.

I'm very lucky in that my polling place is only a block from my home. I was amazed at how many people were there (though I didn't have to wait). I was thrilled by how many young people and minorities I saw voting in my oh-so-predominately white town.

We had different voting machines than I was used to so I got the requisite Nice Lady to show me how to use them. I wanted to be absolutely certain that I had done it right.

I don't know why I didn't vote a straight ticket. I voted for every Democrat on the election, and if there wasn't a Democrat running (frequent occurence. I live in the heart of the Red States), I didn't vote for that position at all.

I wanted to vote again.

And again.

Tuesday, I was so nervous, you would have thought I was competing in an olympic event. I was poised for great success or dismal failure. I called my political friends and shared my nerves. One was too nervous that she couldn't watch the news - I called her when John McCain made his (incredibly gracious) concession speech.

Now, I'm just consummed with worrying about Obama's health. God, keep him from the rednecks who would kill him.

And, of course, I am thrilled beyond belief that Hope prevailed.

May God bless the United States of America, and may God bless her leader.

- Diane S.
of the Unfound Door
(Love to Farm Girl and always to you Sherril)

Anonymous said...

I enjoy the process of voting - I have since the first time and I have tried to vote at every opportunity since.
I am, however, deeply cynical and have few illusions as to the "value" or "meaning" of my vote.
Still, I vote.
I enjoyed it more in the days of metal levers and hefty handles but, even in these times of touch-screens and electronic beeps, I vote.
I voted for Obama.
Would have prefered to have voted for Nader but thought that would have been a wasted vote and I didn't want to feel guilty if, by chance, McCain won.
I hope Obama will make some REAL difference in our country (maybe he will legalize Marijuana as he mentioned he would looooong ago) but I fear (ala Colin Powell) he is in bed with the bad boys as are all the top guns in politics.
My mother recently died and my father is getting well on. When he is no longer around I will most likely move to Canada and watch the remaining southerners chew themselves to fundamental ashes. But, till then, I live here, too, and I hope for the best.
Hope is, after all, my birthright as a human, eh?
Oh, the lines were not too long at my polling place (which is rather rural but with expanding populace), but - from comparing my # with the one I had at the primary - lots of folks voted
Dave

Sherril said...

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU 11 times THANK YOU! I chose to wait until all the comments were in before responding to each of your comments. I think my comments will be too long to leave here, so rather than doing so, I'll continue them on a blog post and then email it to you each personally.

Sherril

Sherril said...

Anonymous,
I have no idea what your comment means and less who you are. If you are going to comment, please have the courtesy of signing at the end. And perhaps you can be clear and without sarcasm.
Sherril