I did two things on Tuesday that I’ve never done before.

I registered to vote and I watched over an hour of the Presidential Debate.

***side note: In between these two phenomena was another anomaly that I’d never experienced before– an earthquake in Maine.  I feel I should apologize for this as I may have had something to do with it considering my sudden political movement.

So I made the first few steps toward being able to vote in a couple weeks.  I don’t like to readily admit this but: I am 27 years old and I have never voted–on anything.

When I first turned 18 I didn’t feel I knew enough about politics (nor did I want to make the effort) to register to vote.  This feeling has continued for the past nine years and was only enhanced when I moved to Europe in 2007.

So why the interest in voting now?  Well, for one, I am back in the United States and have grown up quite a bit.  And I’ve decided I want to become a more knowledgeable young woman.  I’m smart, strong, and independent, and now believe that knowing what’s going on in America should be important to me.

Of course, I’ve always wanted the lives of US citizens to be the best.  I believe in people’s well being and I have always assumed that is also the goal for everyone living here.

But in the past couple years there has been a louder call for equality on the marriage front.  Ever since being exposed to same sex relationships in college I’ve been a believer in their rights; a believer that love is love.  I’ve never been afraid to show my support but I’ve never actually voted for their rights either.

While I don’t want to get into my beliefs (right now, anyway), I just want to acknowledge them as my motivation to vote.  I have never voted because I always thought of the process as one for the President and one that is decided over many issues, issues I didn’t want to sift through.

But there are five referenda this year, maybe one of these are really important to you as a resident and tax payer in Maine.  Like me, maybe you don’t want to sort through all of the arguments and claims that the Presidential race has brought forth but maybe, like me, you’ll decide to vote for things closer to home.  I’m not sure one vote will make a difference, but after the votes are tallied I won’t have to wonder if the absence of mine did.