Sport or Not? Voting

The long-awaited national event has arrived: Election Day. 

Whether it’s your first, third or tenth time voting, walking into your polling location to fill in those little boxes is a gratifying achievement. 

First you walk in, and most likely, you are met with quite a lengthy line. Despite the crowd in front, you join the back of the queue and wait. And wait. And wait some more. Finally, you are greeted by the poll worker, checking you in and describing the ins and outs of the ballot. They hand you the paper and point you to the nearest open booth. 

Now, it’s time for the main event. Rows of tiny rectangular boxes stare up at you, with the parties of politicians neatly arranged on the side. Time to put those bubbling skills to use. Gently placing the pen in each desired box, you fill in the entire rectangle until completely darkened, a fatiguing task for your hand. You take a deep breath and move from the federal offices, to the state offices, to the judiciary section. Your hand begins to tire while sweat starts to bead across your forehead as you fill in the last box.

But wait, there’s a back. Proposition time. 

After taking a break to shake out your wrist, it’s time to vote yes or vote no. Again, you meticulously fill out the rectangles, one by one until you’re done with your entire ballot. 

After a deep sigh of relief, you get up and turn in your papers to the workers. On the way out, you grab a complimentary sticker to flaunt your fulfilled civic duty. Time to go home, watch the electoral map and wait for the results to come.