How I voted to a round of applause: Elections 2012

Getting my ballot turned out to be more of a challenge than I'd anticipated: turns out that absentee ballot registration is only valid for one election, not for an entire calendar year, in Pennsylvania. When I'd gotten my primary ballot last spring, I'd felt reassured that my registration and absentee ballot application were all set, and it hadn't even crossed my mind that I might need to re-register. By the time October rolled around and I still hadn't received my November elections ballot, I began to worry. Sadly, the Pennsylvania absentee voting contact was not responding to the email address to which is directed voters interested in obtaining an absentee ballot. By mid-October the clock was really ticking when my mom suggested I contact my local Congressman, Mike Fitzpatrick. As luck would have it, in less than twenty-four hours I received a response complete with absentee ballot application and I'd sent it off in the mail. Turns out that the French can be trusted to deliver on time: I received my absentee ballot just in time, on October 30.

Victory!! Just in the nick of time, I received my absentee ballot and got to make my voice heard.

Before I was old enough to vote, I always loved going into the voting booth with my mom and getting to mark off her candidates. And so, despite the bold warnings that I keep my ballot confidential, I may or may not have shared the democratic process with a certain international confidant. ;)

I dropped my ballot off at the embassy last Friday, the final day that the embassy was accepting with guaranteed election-day delivery to the US. The French guards applauded when I handed in my ballot. It was a momentous voting experience.

All that was left was to cross our fingers... and of course take advantage of the excuse for a party. Expats across Paris gathered in pubs for election results parties on Tuesday, November 6. I gathered with an All-Ivy + MIT group in the 16th Arrondissement, though CNN had little of note to share before I pooped out around midnight.

MIT alumni counting down to the election results

Though the prospect of work in the morning prevented me from staying up to see the results, I did awaken early to get the news first thing. And what news! Of course, the Parisians breathed about half a sigh of relief before promptly shrugging off the results as a given. But the Parisians are generally too cool to get overly riled up about (nearly) anything.

Of course, a special thanks goes out to my re-elected congressman for ensuring I got the chance to take part in the excitement of the election.