Can you remember where you were on election day in 2004? Or in 2000? Maybe that’s not a fair question if you can’t remember what you had for breakfast. But chances are you’ll remember where you were today. Many of us woke up with a feeling of excitement and anticipation beyond anything we’ve felt before.
Today is a culmination of so many things beyond a historical Presidential contest between two candidates. It is the denouement of a race that saw the first real female contender. It is the conclusion of a presidency, which for many could not come soon enough. For me, it is the close of a era during which I felt completely powerless as the world seemed to spiral out of control: from 9/11 to the war in Iraq to corporate and government betrayals to inconvenient truths to punishing oil prices to a terrifying financial crisis. Unfortunately this last event seems to have no end, and its urgency only adds to the gravity of this election.
But today I finally feel I have a voice, and clearly so do many other Americans, as the polls are flooded with voters (see photos of voters lined up to vote in my neighborhood on the UWS at PS9/PS334). American University’s Center for the Study of the American Electorate estimates that 73.5% of eligible Americans are registered to vote, gains that could result in as many as 135 million Americans turning out, or 65% of eligible voters. This could translate to the highest turnout since Taft was elected in 1908. (Having served during the 2004 election, with a 60% turnout, my heart goes out to those working the polls today.)
Indeed, it will be almost as thrilling to see the voter turnout numbers as it will be to see who wins. To my mind, this is equally as important–that we have an electorate that cares enough to try and change what they see happening around them and sees voting as one way to accomplish this.
At the same time, it’s just as important that all of us who voted today get up tomorrow and continue to look for ways we can make a difference. We can’t rely on our elected officials to fix our broken system. On the contrary, we must become increasingly vigilant and educate ourselves, while doing our part as individuals to make decisions that are financially sound and healthy for us, our families, our neighbors and our earth.
So while today marks the end of many things that have transformed us as individuals and as a nation since the turn of the century, it is also a chance for a new beginning. We can start by keeping the spirit of this election alive every day, voting with our voices and actions, guided by our values and our hearts.
