100 years of voting; 10 years since I cast my first ballot!

100 years ago, Women of Washington State finally gained the right to vote. This was 10 years before the 19th Amendment was ratified, and WA was the 5th State in the Nation to give women this right! As a resident and first time voter in Washington State, I have to say, it's a pretty big deal. I get to vote for the first time in WA, on the centennial of the state giving women the right to vote! How cool is that?!

Jeph and I received our ballots in the mail yesterday.

For the majority of you that don't know...Washington does mail in ballots. Not only for those that are voting absentee, but all citizens. We receive our ballots in the mail, along with a voter's guide that discusses each person, referendum, and proposal on the ballot. This booklet goes into detail, giving the argument for and against a prop/ref, rebuttals and closing statements. It gives voting records of incumbents, and pretty much all the information one would need in deciding which candidate to vote for. Once the ballot is filled out, you put it in the envelopes, sign, seal, and deliver it to a ballot box.

I spent the morning at Winegar's, drinking coffee and discussing the topics with Jeph. We read through the relevant parts of the book and talked over the pros and cons and how we each perceived the arguments. While this was going on, our friend Tiffany and her 5yr old son Keola, were sitting with us. Jeph was able to talk to him and explain the importance of voting. Ultimately, I know Jeph and I voted differently on certain topics, but I have to say it was a wonderful and positive experience for my first time voting in WA.

That being said, I'm still not sold on the idea of mailing in a ballot. Granted, while I was active duty I had to mail it in, but I missed going to my polling place. There's a certain sense of civic duty when you stand in the insanely long lines, get your ballot, put it in the box and walk out with an "I voted" sticker.

Later this week, I will have a blog that touches on the situations that have changed the way I vote, and how I've gone about re-prioritizing the topics that are important for me when choosing a candidate. I don't want to put that here, because honestly, it's terribly depressing and angers me...And my last post was pretty much a downer!

This post I just want to say that everyone needs to get out and vote. I don't care who you vote for (Dem, Rep, Bull-moose, etc) BUT I want you to think about what is important to you...Truly think about it and not necessarily which party you like better...To be completely honest, my ballot is a mix of parties. Say what you will about my voting method, but I try to look past the person's affiliations and vote for those I truly think will at least TRY to change things in DC.

Again I beg you...Go vote! Women need to get out more as well. Here in WA it's been 100 years; but on the national level, the 19th Amendment is having its 90th birthday. Please women, honor those pioneers that have given their all so we could partake in such an important civic duty! I want to see higher numbers at the polls! :)

As always, thanks for reading what I have to say!