My First Time Voting

By Kirsten Wheeler

2020 has been long anticipated as one of the most memorable election years yet. And being just old enough to vote this year, I was particularly eager to head to the polls along with many other enthusiastic young voters, hoping for their voices to be heard in participating in such a monumental election. And, best of all, I’d be rewarded with everybody’s favorite “I voted” sticker.

Sure enough this election season is monumental for reasons no one could have possibly expected a year ago. With the threat of the pandemic still present voting has become more uncertain, and the stakes have become higher than ever.

The solution for many Americans has been to cast their ballots early by mail. Several states have expanded mail-in voting eligibility, sending absentee ballots to every voter for the first time ever this year . Alternatively, many voters who chose not to vote by mail have chosen to vote in-person early in an attempt to avoid crowds on Election Day. With social distancing and capacity restrictions in place, some have waited as long as three hours to cast their ballots.

When I received my mail-in ballot, it did not feel like the exhilarating voting experience I had imagined. I sat down at my dining room table, filled in a few bubbles, signed my name, and left it with my mother to place mine and the rest of my family’s ballots in a ballot box. And that was it. No trip to the polls, no sticker, just filling in bubbles in my dining room.

But at the end of the day, whether I voted at home or in another building does not matter. Nor does it make it any less significant. What matters is that I did it. I made my voice heard in a tremendous moment of American history.

It appears I am not alone in this sentiment. My generation is more enthusiastic than ever to make an impact with their vote. As of now, days before the election, young (18-29) early voter turnout has reached a record breaking 6 million as opposed to 2 million in 2016.

This was certainly a very consequential election, not just for first-time voters like me, but for the entire country... and I feel proud to have made myself part of it.