I could have gone by myself to vote, but I didn’t. Instead, I took all four kids with me late this afternoon. I like for them to see the process.They watched as an acquaintance from our neighborhood flipped the pages of a three-ring binder with names and addresses to “K” and pointed to my name. They watched me sign.A volunteer offered them each a malted milk ball and handed them an “I Voted” sticker. They accompanied me to the machine and saw the names organized on the screen. They watched me review the ballot, confirm my selections, and press the red button.Malted milk balls and stickers? Big red buttons?What’s not to love?Afterwards, The Boy tore out of the building with a huge smile on his face and sprinted along the sidewalk to our van. One of the people standing outside with a sign promoting a candidate for judge observed The Boy’s enthusiasm and said to me, “You must have let him push the red button! He’s on fire!” Then he called out to The Boy, “Did you like voting?”The Boy shouted at the top of his lungs, “I loved my choice!!”Ya gotta love democracy.
I knew there was a reason to voting in person and not just utilizing the absentee ballot … but I might have to wait until Little Monster Man understands about staying put in one location for more than a mere nanosecond!
I like taking my little ones too. Indeed, I remember my mother taking me.
I take mine too because I want them to know that what they do really does count for something, even if your candidate doesn’t win. It’s a wonderful right that I want them to remember came off the backs of others.