One vote. One Electoral Vote.
Joline Godfrey
Sept 2024
Two years ago my candidate won a local election by one vote. I came perilously close to NOT voting in that election and the closeness of that action haunts me.
Now I tell my story to cabdrivers and hairdressers, friends and relatives, colleagues and clients. I am a one woman “Get Out the Vote’ campaign. And as we approach an election in which the difference of ONE ELECTORAL VOTE could determine the outcome of the presidential election, my sense of urgency ratchets up. This is what happened in April of 2022.
Knowing I would be away during an election in my small Maine town, I was careful to register to vote by absentee ballot. The ballot arrived in California in plenty of time and it sat on my desk, waiting to to be filled in and sent back to Maine. I didn’t forget it. Rather I looked at it every day and each day promised myself to take care of it the next day. Then I went to the next item on my to do list.
Suddenly I was out of time. It was a Friday morning and the ballot HAD to arrive by Monday to be counted. Kicking myself for procrastinating, I went to the local Business Center prepared to send the ballot via express mail.
“No problem, Joline,” the guy behind the counter said to me. “That will be $94.” My first reaction was, “That's crazy.” I stood for a long minute debating with myself about spending almost $100 to mail that ballot.
Finally my better angel won the argument. That money was the tax I imposed on myself for procrastination. I paid the $94 to get my ballot to Maine on time. A few days later the election results were posted and one contest jumped out at me:
School Board Position #3: Alison Fongemie - 113. Dianne Elizabeth Rekow - 114
Rekow was the candidate I voted for.
ONE VOTE. I will remember this as a lesson in democratic power. And I will ALWAYS remember the power of one vote.
There is no more important duty of citizenship than to express your voice by voting. But efforts to suppress votes and prevent legitimate voters from exercising the right to vote have gotten very aggressive.
Please do not procrastinate, do not ‘forget.’ Make sure you are registered, Vote. Remind others to register and vote.This year, if our presidential election comes down to one—or a few--electoral votes, make sure you know you have done everything possible to get your vote counted—and that you have been active in encouraging others to honor those who have died and are dying for the right to vote.
Vote with joy. Vote with gratitude, Vote with hope. Please vote.
https://x.com/hamiltonmusical/status/1835710238210613557?s=42