Vote!

Topic of the month for NaBloPoMo is "Vote". As an American living outside the US, voting this year will be an entirely different experience than it was 4 years ago!

My last Presidential vote was cast in a tiny volunteer fire department building, with a pen and a paper ballot, sitting at a table with partitions that no one seemed to use. The woman who handed me the ballot and asked if it was the first time I'd voted (it was), smiled, and made a comment about how great it was to see young people coming out to give that good man another 4 years for the sake of our country. This was rural Alabama after all, so her comment came as no surprise. I smiled back and didn't have the heart to tell her I was one of those dreaded Democrats and there was no way in hell I'd willingly give that "good man" another 4 years to screw over our country. But believe me, I thoroughly enjoyed sitting there and casting one of the only votes for Kerry that probably came from that little polling place!

We all know how the election turned out, but I still remember that proud feeling I had as I placed my ballot in the box and stepped out into the early November rain. It makes think of all the new voters that have been registered this year through all the organisations working to ensure that everyone has a say and every vote is counted.

Today early voting starts in 8 states in the US, and absentee voters from around the world will also be voting this month(including me). Some states will close their voter registration soon (if they haven't already), while others allow registering up to the day of the election.

Have you registered to vote this year? If not, check out what your state requirements are and if still permitted, I encourage you to register and make your vote count! Don't know if you're registered or not? This site will hook you up with the info you need to find out if you are. Overseas? Try this site and be sure to check out the special shipping deals FedEx is offering for mailing your ballot to the US, in some places (like New Zealand) it's even free!