Almost makes me wish we were staying until the end of November

The mood was positively electric when Shane and I walked into Simley High School last night.  Despite the chaos of a record number of people (hell yeah, MN!) trying to sort out their precincts and classroom numbers, the excitement and optimism in the air was palpable.  My political junkie side took more than a few hits; it was delicious.

We made our way to a 2^nd floor room to cast our votes, only to find they had completely run out of ballots!  So we wrote our nominations on purple scraps of paper, folded them in half and stuffed them in a brown paper envelope (nearly overflowing with impromptu “ballots” already).  Then I took a good look around the room - surrounded by neighbors, recognizing a number of local representatives, listening as talk of delegates began - and appreciated the simple fact that I got to be a part of it all.

I love voting.  I love researching my candidates, I love forming my political opinions and I love having regular opportunities to let my voice be heard (even if it’s just a small part of the overall chorus).  And if you took the time to attend your caucus last night: thank you.  Thank you for caring, for being bold enough to make a choice and for participating in what is our greatest privilege as citizens of a democratic country.

(Oh, and if you were wondering, I voted Obama.)