Today I’m grateful for the right to vote.

11.5.2024

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I dropped off my mail-in ballot this morning before work. It was about 6:40 a.m. and there were at least 150 people in line. Thankfully I got to walk right in since my ballot was complete, but it was kind of inspiring to see so many people there waiting for the opportunity to cast their vote. It reminded me that voting is a big deal.

I started a new behavior incentive today in my Kindergarten class, and I had the kids vote on what their reward would be. We had ballots and a ballot box, and Ms. Candice and I ran a pretty epic simulated election. We played it up big, and the kids took their voting responsibilities very seriously. As we counted the ballots to determine the ‘popcorn vs. popsicle’ winner, the kids hung on every counted vote. They were definitely into it. I hope they always remember that voting is a big deal.

As I type this, the results of the presidential election are still undetermined. I’m headed to bed shortly, so I guess I’ll find out who won in the morning. Regardless of the outcome, I’m still proud to have voted today. I’m thankful for the right to do so and will always take this responsibility seriously.

Also, for anyone wondering about the outcome of the ‘popsicle vs. popcorn’ race ... in a shocking turn of events, the vote ended in a tie. Breaking from proper form, we’re going to forgo a run-off and Ms. Wiebel is going to pony up with both a popcorn and popsicle reward.