Testimonies
Deirdre W
Santa Cruz, California
“I never voted in a presidential election before this one. The ballot was a concrete reminder, not just rhetoric, that I have power in a democracy. I held the ballot and felt I was no longer a number or a second-class citizen. I voted by absentee ballot on the Saturday before the election. As I ran my pen back and forth over the small square space for the candidates I chose to vote for, I felt responsible and powerful; responsible as a member of our society and powerful to have a say in the process. I closed the envelope, removed the edges, and I flattened it very gently with a prayer for social and spiritual change in this world. As I ran my hands over the envelope, I truly felt the energy and weight of the small line of choice I made inside. I felt chills.”
Walter L
Baltimore, Maryland
I got up on November 4 with a sense of dread. I felt the same way on the morning I was released from prison after serving close to forty years for a crime I did not commit. I welcomed both mornings but had this sense that something would go wrong. As I dressed, all the while making sure that I had all the tolls for the day, camera, pen, pad, and of course reading glasses, I knew that this day would be even better than the day I walked out of that court room. Before heading to the polling booth, I stopped at my sister Carolyn’s home, where I stayed upon my release from prison. I had to pay my respects to the person who stood by me every step of the way. On my way to the polling place, it started to rain. I decided to walk anyways. I wanted to be reminded of what some folk had been through to make this day possible. When I cast my vote for the next President of the United States of America, it seemed that as a nation, we had finally arrived. I did not think this would happen in my lifetime. I had regained my freedom – and my right to vote – I felt I too had arrived.
Leroy C
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
“I dropped out of school, joined the army and went to war. I went back to school when I left the army but got into a lot of messes. I got caught up in drugs, dropped out and became a street person. It all caught up with me and I ended up in prison. I was angry at the world. I had no desire to vote. I felt like if no one was going to help me, why should I do anything for them? As I got older, I realized I needed to be a part of the solution, not the problem. I saw a flyer on how to get your rights restored and decided to fight to get my right to vote back. When you can’t do anything, you create a person who doesn’t have a character anymore. But once you vote, you change that. I have a voice again.”
Tayna F
Covington, Kentucky
I couldn’t sleep the night before because I was so anxious for 6:00 A.M. to get here. My heart started beating fast, my knees starting knocking. I truly thought somebody was going to tap me on my shoulder and tell me my name wasn’t on the list. I accompanied my 26-year-old son, Michael, to the polling place. It was his first time voting too. Michael had seen the despair in my eyes all the years I couldn’t vote and he decided early on to not participate in the voting process until he could experience it with me.
Linda S
New York, New York
I’ve been battling substance abuse for thirty years and have been in and out of prison all of my life. But I’ve been out, and clean, for more than four years. My life has completely changed. And on November 4th, with millions of Americans, I had a say about what happens in our country. There were tears in my eyes as I waited to vote. I felt like I was finally a productive member of society. I’ve never before felt like I could make a difference in terms of what happens around me. But I walked out of the polling place on Election Day feeling like I mattered, that I made a difference. I realized how far I’ve come. Amazing.
Marc R
New York, New York
I looked forward to voting partly because it was progress in my return to citizenship, and partly because this election was so important and exciting. I wanted to be a part of it. Voting is important. Many people believe that in the scheme of a national election, their vote is not important. Recent elections have shown otherwise. My older son is 18 years old and was also able to vote last November. We talked about voting, what it meant, the candidates, and whether or not he was going to vote. I think knowing that I was also voting made him feel like he was on the right track.
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