Did you vote?

It was election day Feb. 5th and boy did the masses get out and vote. I was an election official at my local precinct (A Baptist Church in the valley) and its was swamped. Everyone should try to volunteer as an election poll worker sometime and see how our voting system works first hand. I was the inspector for my precinct and it was my job to set up the polling place and assign jobs to all the clerks. Our precinct had 6 clerks. We had a total of 300 voters turn out at our precinct which was a record high. I had to first take a 3 hour class prior to the elections and then also had to make arrangements to pick up the supplies and all the machines used at the polls. It filled my car!. I had to be at the polls at 6am to set up for the 7 am opening and worked all day until 8 when they closed and then had to count ballots and box everything up and return it all that night to the designated drop off place. I didn't get home till 10pm. It was a long but fullfilling day. I did my civic duty and enjoyed most of the process.

I think for the most part we have a great system for voting but I noticed a lot of people had no Idea how to vote or what issues were on the ballots or even what party they were? I was very happy to see so may new first time voters out there utilizing their right to make a difference. Evey vote counts. I was also moved to see a 96 year old man voting as an American citizen for the first time. He had just recieved his American citizenship and was so proud and happy to vote. I am proud to be an American in a country that allows us freedom and the right to choose the leaders of our choice. I also loved the little traditions that went along with the poll working like at 7 am you shout outside: "The Polls are Now Open", and administering the "Oath", to to the clerks that they would: uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. These traditions have been apart of the election process from the beginning.