My opinion matters

It has been 3 years since I have lived in the states. But I am still a citizen. I am still very invested in what goes on in my home country. So, when it comes time to help choose the future direction of our government, I take it very seriously.

Hailing from Washington State, we are fortunate to have mail in ballots. Since my 18th birthday, I have voted in every election by absentee ballot.

In the past, I have had my ballots forwarded to me via the postal system. This is both nerve wracking and expensive. I always fret that my ballot isn’t going to reach me in time and pay through the nose to get it to me before the deadline (for the primaries I paid over $60 to have it delivered in less than 7 days). Since I can look at the voters pamphlet online, I am ready as soon as that ballot appears.

After paying so much to participate in the August 4th election, I decided to finally look into my options. Since how you vote is determined by where you live/where you are registered to vote, I looked up the voting options for those in King County, Washington State. I was excited to learn there was an online option for those in the service and anyone living abroad.

I had to fill out a form and explain my reason for wanting an electronic ballot, changing how I am registered to vote. Although I filled out the form electronically, I still had to print it out to sign it. While I had the option to mail the forms in, I chose to scan them and email them back. Two days later, I received an email back from King County Elections stating they were processing my request and a hard copy was not required (meaning they could easily read my forms).

Then the waiting game began. Just as millions of Americans anxiously wait by their mailboxes for their ballots, I diligently kept checking my email. What if it got sent to junk mail and I didn’t see it? What if submitting my form on September 22, I was too late to participate in this election with an electronic ballot?

I shouldn’t have feared. On October 14, I received an email with instructions for voting electronically. I was so excited that I immediately filled out my ballot: approving and rejecting measures, as well as filling out the circle next to my preferred governmental representatives.

Once again, I had to print everything out to sign it. I chose to scan it and send it via email instead of mailing the form back. Now I can check the status of my ballot online as early as next week. Of course, anyone (at least in King County) can do this last step. I love going on there and seeing how many times I’ve voted over the years.

When my son came home from school, we had a chat about how mommy is an American citizen regardless of where I live. As an American, I have the right to vote and it is very important for me to do so. I need to make sure that the people I love are being cared for, even if I’m not there. We talked about the differences between governors and presidents, and why we want those people to share our values. Listening to my seven year old tell me about things that are important to him, that he would want to make sure a president also valued, was inspiring.

I’m so thankful I can vote, no matter where I am on Election Day. Knowing that I made my voice and opinions heard is not just important to me, but to my son’s future as well.