No, You Can't Vote!

I remember when I was 18. It happened to also be a Presidential election year, and I was finally going to be able to cast my vote and to feel like my vote counted for something. I registered to vote and waited until the day came so that I could finally be heard. Once that day arrived, I drove myself down to the local community center and cast my vote for President of the United States. What a proud moment it was for me! I was an adult, my voice could now be heard, and I had the power to vote for or against any candidate that I chose to.

Fast forward 4 years and another election year is upon us and once again, I was proud to be able to cast my vote and be heard. I had moved out by this time and was now living on my own, so I called up the election center to see where I needed to go to vote. The voice on the other end of the phone asked for my name so that he could look me up. I told him and a few moments went by as he fumbled through some paperwork. Eventually he came back and said, "You aren't eligible to vote."

"How can that be?" I responded.

"It's too late, you can't vote." he told me.

"What do you mean it's too late?" I said. "The election is over a month away, and I'm still registered."

"Did you vote last time?" he asked.

"Yes, and my legal residence is still the same. If I need to re register I will." I said.

"No, it's too late, you can't vote." He said more firmly now.

Unfortunately my naive ass believed him, and I didn't vote that year. I don't have any type of a criminal record or anything else that would make me ineligible to vote, so the only thing I can think of was that he saw that I was registered in a different party then he was, and he didn't want me to vote against his favorite candidate. This little episode left me with a sour feeling over all. I was just trying to do the right thing. I just wanted to vote and let my voice be heard. Unfortunately that voice was silenced by the stranger on the other end of the phone.

Please don't let those voices silence you.