What it was like being a first time voter in the 2016 election

November 8, 2016 we held the election for the 45th President of the United States. To many, it was just another election year, besides the fact that the candidates were slightly unorthodox, but to others it was their first experience with the electoral system.

Voting can be confusing the first time. The first time people vote, they are usually at the beginning of their political awakening. Having to weigh right and wrong in regard to what is best for the country is a lot of stress on anyone, especially if they are an eighteen year old who is uneducated on the topics and nominees at hand.

However, regardless of the stress, voting is an experience to be remembered, and never taken for granted.

Walking into the polling location for the first time, you look around at all of the volunteers ready to help you exercise your right to vote. They send you to check in and receive a ballot; a piece of history rests in the hands of you, the voter. Upon entering the polling booth you cannot help but be thankful. Being able to vote is a gift. The adversity some Americans faced in order to get the right to vote is not to be forgotten. Every vote a woman or person of color casts is a little part of history in action, and in this election, voters seemed to be addressing this history directly.

By voting for Clinton, you chose to stand with someone who may not have made the most ethical decisions, but is experienced and well versed in politics; the only stand out thing about her is the fact that she would have become the first woman president, something not everyone was ready for. By voting for Trump, you made the decision to stand with someone with multiple sexual assault accusations and no experience; however, he is not the typical politician, therefore to those sick of the system he is incredibly appealing as a candidate.

Regardless of each person’s individual decision, in some way everyone who voted contributed a historical moment.

But, looking past the historical significance of the moment, it becomes clear that this is a monumental moment in every American’s life, because it marks a transition into adulthood in the country. While filling out the ballot, a feeling of responsibility sinks in. The future of my country, of my state rests in my hands.

A feeling of guilt washes over for not knowing the details of the judges and some propositions. The fear that your vote will some how have the power to swing the vote astray on a topic relatively unknown to you is prominent. From that moment on, every election you are expected to express your opinion and speak for the country.

However, underneath all these slightly more serious emotions is pride. Pride in the country, and in oneself. Upon exiting the polling booth and handing the ballot to a volunteer, you feel a swell of excitement. As you stick your ballot into the machine to be counted, the reality of the situation hits. After years of not having a say in the actions taken for the country, your voice is ready to be heard. With a swoosh and a click the ballot is gone, and all you are left with is your receipt and a sticker.

With a big smile, you proudly wear the sticker that says “I Voted.” You did your civic duty and became a true American.

At you sit at the end of the night waiting for those results, you hope that your candidate will win. Never in your life have you felt such a passion for anything having to do with politics. Even if you are not a political person in daily life, the idea of casting your vote and your voice not being represented in the result is exasperating. And when your candidate does not win, you are reduced to tears. You cry for yourself as well as your country. And when your candidate does when, your heart swells with joy, like a proud parent.

Your first choice candidate may not always win, but voting is about more than just the process, it is about casting your vote toward the future of the country. For first time voters in the 2016 election, it is important to remember that this election is an unusual one. The behavior of the two candidates has led to our democracy becoming a joke.

This presidential race is not a good representation of how elections are supposed to go, and new voters need to keep that in mind. Donald Trump, a man with no political experience, won the election this year. With his radical ideals and outspokenness, he is apparently what America wants.

Continue to vote even if your candidate did not win this year. As a first time voter, I myself felt discouraged, but first time voters need to realize that our political system is not a joke; millennials are the future of this nation.

So make every election as special as the first by making your voice heard every election.