Voting – NCSH Superintendent’s Notes, Nov. 2, 2016

By Ernie Fowler – Nashville CHSD #99

efowler@nashville-k12.org

Finally, November 8 is just about here and we can take a brief break from the political season.

It seems as though campaigning has been going on forever! We are now down to the point where it is time to make a decision as to the direction that our country should go.

The only poll that counts for anything comes at the end of the day on Tuesday.

I hear folks say “my vote doesn’t count” so why bother. I guess I’ve always been a bit of an optimist in my decision to vote.

I cast my ballot like I have the final say in who will be President and who will hold all other offices. I step into that secret little cubby hole, I ponder what I know about the candidates, then I make my mark like I just hired them for a job.

I step out of the booth and face America like I alone have influenced the direction of the nation. If my presidential candidate wins and the country goes well, I can take partial credit for the choice.

If my candidate loses and the nation suffers, I get to say “I told you so”. If my candidate wins and the nation suffers, well nobody has to know who I supported!

I used to arrive at the polling place right at 6am. I wanted to be the first to cast my vote in my precinct. I figured, at that point, my candidate had a 1-0 lead.

I still like to arrive early but I’m not as obsessed with being first. I always like to vote before going to school. In doing so, I get to proudly wear my “I voted” sticker so the students can see that I exercised my right as a citizen to be heard.

When students ask who I voted for, my response is “who I felt was the best candidate”.

I would never want to be accused of swaying young minds for either a Democrat or a Republican! It isn’t my job as an educator to persuade either way. I see political leanings as a personal matter.

I encourage everyone to vote this coming Tuesday.

I look at the candidates and see which ones line up more closely with my values and beliefs. I’ve formed clear ideas about what is right and what is wrong largely due to the guidance of one Book and one place that I regularly find myself on a specific day of the week.

My vote will go to the person who aligns themselves with the meaning behind a symbol that carries more weight to me than an elephant or a donkey.

Every person has a choice in this election. I’ll be awake early on Tuesday morning…..see ya at the polls!

Voting