This election galvanized voters of all parties. Everywhere I went yesterday, people sported “I Voted” stickers and were eager to discuss the election. My husband and I went to West Springfield High School at 7:15 AM to vote and found that the line was already snaking its way out of the building. But despite the early hour and the long line, people were upbeat and talkative, energized (in part) by the coffee and baked goods volunteers were selling outside, but mostly by a keen awareness that we were taking part in a historic election. Our long line moved swiftly, and in less than an hour, my husband and I were inside the school and voting. The use of scannable paper ballots made it possible for more people to vote at once, and this new voting method kept the line moving and frustration low. What about you? What happened when you went to vote?
On Mason’s campus, the weather was dreary and damp, but spirits were high.
Student Government ran vans to the Woodson High School polling place, and volunteers promoted this service by becoming “human advertisements.”
Rain apparently, does not damper revolutions!
This guy stole my heart!
Our university was not without its own drama. Yesterday morning, a hacker broke into the Provost’s email account and sent out a fake message announcing that the election had been moved to November 5th. Rumors circulated that Mason students who voted could lose their financial aid.
But such lame attempts proved ineffective against the smart and savvy youthful voters who went to the polls in record numbers. Your demographic – voters between the ages of 18 and 25 – voted overwhelmingly for Obama and helped power him to victory. Now it’s your turn to act upon that mandate and consider how you will help him guide our nation toward economic recovery, energy reform, and improved security both at home and abroad.
How will you meet the challenge Obama made to all Americans in his victory speech last night that change can’t happen without “a new spirit of patriotism, a new spirit of sacrifice?” How has this election influenced your outlook on the future and the role you will play in it as a working professional?
4 comments:
Well, as for my experience at the polls for a first time voter, I had the person at the front put my vote under my mothers name and my mothers was put under my name. I feel that was a little chaotic because the vote was MY VOTE and my mother and I vtoed differently.
I feel that after this election, I am going to become more involved with the local elections, and get my foot in the door of politics. When I was a senior in high school we had to do a campaign project for the local elections and it really interested me. As I begin to grow and expand into the work force, I will work harder at my job and push for the best I can be. Obama is a very respectable speaker and he really touched my heart my his speech. It almost sounded like the I have a dream speech. Almost saying anything is possible. Life can take a turn at any moment. Come together as a society and we can get through this.
This election I was undecided leading all the way up to the election week. I was always leaning toward McCain but it just seemed that time and time again he invented a new way to lose my trust and opinion of him as a decision maker. He had just as many good ideas as Obama but unlike Obama he also had some bad ones. Obama may not be the most qualified person to ever be the president but some before him failed this country in ways that made us question how we could give control of our nation to this "guy". More than anything, he is a symbol for that change America has longed for over the last decade. And whether he was the right move will be seen, but at least America woke up enough to try and fix itself from a failing government.
Polls were fast. I went right in and voted. The only weird thing was exchanging one card from a lady to the women sitting next to her for another card, and then I was ready to vote. The second women just seemed pointless is all.
I arrived at Fairfax Villa Elementary School at 6 a.m. to caste my vote and the line was extremely long. However, the line was also moving very quickly. Although the overall voting process took about an hour, it felt like it only took fifteen minutes. The people who were ahead of me in the line were very friendly, and we all chatted about how excited we were to vote. I told them that it was my first time voting, and they commended me for it. Also, I was very impressed with the large amount of young people that had shown up to vote as well. Despite it being very early in the morning, everyone had a smile on their face and were eager to vote.
Obama’s speech definitely gave me more realistic expectations regarding the future. The way he stated that change isn’t going to take place overnight, and Americans needing to be patient and regain faith in their country, was brilliant. Obama just put everything into perspective regarding the current status of our country, and that it’s going to take time, but as long as we keep our spirits high, America will prosper.
Casting my vote was the easiest process ever. I walked in the school, and walked out 3 minutes later. I knew who I was going to vote for, but my opinions began to sway for a little bit. This is because of the debate we had in class where I had to defend John McCain's tax proposal. I could see how both economic systems might work, and that's why I was confused. I still agreed with Obama on most issues.
Obama has the full support of younger Americans. He can be viewed as our President, someone who we connect with. How will I meet the challenge that Obama stated? First by actually getting out and voting for senate and house races. Many people feel like these aren't that important, but they make things so much easier on the President if his party is in control. As for the future, I think this election has paved the way for the opportunities many people have seen in the past.
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