Voting is such an important part of being an American and I think that it is so important, regardless of your political affiliation. So this year, we took the girls to the polls with us when we voted. Because it was a presidential election year, they also voted in school - in the US Senate race and the presidential race. Lee and I did not discuss our political views with them prior to their voting because we were so interested in who they would vote for and why. I'm so glad that we didn't because it is clear from the conversations that we've had since then that our views would have influenced their votes.
Elizabeth voted for Barack Obama for president - "because I think he's a good father." She voted for Linda McMahon (R) in the senate race - "because she doesn't have pimples and because she's a girl." Not sure why she thinks that Chris Murphy (D) has pimples, but she must have noticed something in the thousands of commercials we've seen over the last few weeks.
Emily voted for Barack Obama for president - "because he's our president." She also voted for Linda McMahon in the senate race - "because Chris Murphy tells lies and Linda McMahon doesn't." I'm telling you, the McMahon commercials made a big impact on the girls.
I remember walking to the polls and going into the voting booth with my parents (probably my mom) as a child and since I've turned 18, I've only missed voting in one election (the primary in August of this year, because I was so disgusted with the state of national politics and because by the time our primary was held, the nominations were clear). My senior year of high school, I remember being heart broken that I was not old enough to vote in the presidential election; I voted by absentee ballot in every election while I was away at college. As conservatives, Lee and I are tiny red dots in a sea of Connecticut blue. But it was important for us to vote on the national issues, as well as the local issues of bond funding for projects. It was also important, for me, that the girls see us vote. My plan is that we will always take them with us to vote and that when they are older, they will remember how important it is to vote!
I took Emily into the voting booth with me and read each line of the ballot to her. When I was done, she carried my ballot over to the counting machine.
