Every Single Time

It seems like everywhere I go on social media, people are encouraging me to vote. My friends, local public  servants, even the newspaper:

Here’s what you need to know as early voting begins in Howard County, Sherry Greenfield, Baltimore Sun

They don’t need to worry about me. I received my ballot by mail, completed it, and placed it in the drop box at the Board of Elections on Monday. 

How about you? This isn’t an election you want to sit out. Decisions will be made from the United States Senate all the way to Howard County Board of Education and your voice should be a part of that. For Heaven’s sake, don’t assume that your one vote doesn’t matter. 

Image from Good Housekeeping

I find that the driving political themes these days, from the national races to the most local, boil down to this: 

• Encouraging participation in the political process and in voting vs restricting it
• Extending civil rights to all vs elevating a select few and censuring the others
• Advocating for everyone vs favoring “people like us”
• Sharing vs hoarding
• Defending intellectual freedom vs extinguishing dissent
• Protecting bodily autonomy vs legislating control and punishment 

At a certain point I realized that every election was an important election because if I wasn’t out there voting for what I believe to be essential American values, I wasn’t fulling my responsibility to uphold them. 

Every single election. 

Every single time. 

Some of the very biggest issues, the ones that matter to you A LOT, are debated and decided in the state legislature or the County Council. Policies that will have a HUGE impact on your children, grandchildren, and all our community’s young people, will be formulated by members of the Board of Education. 

If you need inspiration, that Good Housekeeping article has a ton of relevant quotes that will get you out of the house and voting in no time. 

Early voting begins today and runs through November 3rd. The hours are 7 am to 8 pm. Here are the locations for early voting:

Gary J. Arthur Community Center

2400 Md-97, Cooksville, MD 21723

Meadowbrook Athletic Complex

5001 Meadowbrook Ln, Ellicott City, MD 21043

Bain 50+ Center

5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia, MD 21044

St John Baptist Church

9055 Tamar Dr, Columbia, MD 21045

North Laurel Community Center

9411 Whiskey Bottom Rd, Laurel, MD 20723 

Looking for a drop box to return your mail-in ballot? Here they are!

Gary J. Arthur Community Center

West Friendship Volunteer Fire Department

George Howard Building

Meadowbrook Athletic Complex

Bain 50+ Center

Howard County Police Department - Scaggsville

St John Baptist Church

Howard County Board of Elections

North Laurel Community Center

Elkridge 50+ Center

If you like to vote on Election Day itself, it’s Tuesday, November 8th. Make sure you know where your polling place is before you go.

So, you’re absolutely going to vote, right? And then you’re going to be brave enough to bring it up in casual conversation: at the grocery check-out, in the doctor’s office, getting your car serviced, in the group chat. It’s easier than you think.

I bought a special treat for myself to celebrate voting!

Thanks for rescheduling my appointment so I’d be able to vote today.

I’m so glad I could get the battery replaced. I wouldn’t want to break down on the way to the polls!

Of course we’ll be at the school play! We’re going to grab dinner, vote, and be in our seats by curtain time.

Something to ponder: we are incredibly fortunate to live in a county that makes it so easy to vote. That didn’t happen by chance. There’s a reason that it is the way it is. If you want to keep it that way, you need to vote for the people who encourage participation in the political process and in voting and NOT the people who work to restrict it. 

One last thing: if you think you didn’t register in time and can’t vote? You can! From the Howard County League of Women Voters:

Did you know that you can still register to vote in #Maryland?  

Maryland allows SAME DAY REGISTRATION at any Early Voting Center. Be sure to have proof of residency and your license or social security number in order to register. After registering, you will be able to vote!

Be prepared to cast your ballot! Learn more about the candidates and ballot measures in your races at www.lwvmd.org/2022_general_election_voters_guides

I don’t do endorsements here but I certainly will share my point of view if you reach out to me through the blog.

What’s your funniest or most inspiring voting story? Share it:

Village Green/Town² Comments

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Today’s Columbia Community Care Restaurant Week location is The Silver Diner.