This is my first presidential election since I joined this department almost three years ago. It's pretty exciting to see such a level of passion and excitement over this election. Whoever wins, so many new registered voters, especially younger people, are committing acts of democracy.
I hope the passion stays with them beyond this historic day.
This election is very exciting to watch, seeing as I missed the voting age by a couple of months. No matter who wins history will be made and I think it's really cool to be a witness of it.
I turned 18 in 1984 just days after that presidential election. So the first one I got to vote in was the race between the elder Bush and Democrat Michael Dukakis.
Any thoughts on how we should channel our passion? Other than flooding the Bee letters page, of course?
I turned 18 in 1974 so my first eligible election would have been Carter/Ford in 1976. I didn't vote because I wasn't interested whatsoever. I know, pummel me for it. I was just too busy with running around having fun...and boy did I. Don't get me wrong, I worked hard to make pretty good money, but politics wasn't on my short list.
Check out the election map from '76 though.
Emi...can I ask who you would have voted for?
I was in Air Force boot camp during the 1992 election (G "Sans W" Bush + Clinton). Seeing as how the president was my commander-and-chief, I thought the military would take the election very seriously. I remember asking about the plan for election day, but they never gave us time to vote or told us about the absentee process. I was 18 and stupid and didn't know how to take care of things before I left for boot camp.
I was really bummed that I was not able to vote in my first election.
My first election was in 1984. I have voted republican in every election until Clinton's 2nd term. I voted for Clinton in his second term, because notwithstanding his shortcomings, I thought he was doing a decent job. I voted for "dubya" the first time. Not only did I not vote for him a second time, but I changed parties and have been so anti-republican I could spit.