Four years ago I spent part of my day at this same middle school caucusing with my neighbors to decide the winner of my precinct’s delegates. It was the first time in my many decades as a voter that I had the caucus experience. Walking in today and casting my vote was a lot quicker but almost anticlimactic given all the political noise I get in my social feeds. Can’t really say what the experience must be for those from the other political party confused by the caucus/primary debacle here in Nevada. Makes you wonder if they’re really fit to run things if they can’t agree on how to decide who their candidate is going to be… 

And as for my friends in the Forward Party, I agree that the system is in need of reform & repair and things like ranked choice voting would be an improvement. But with some political figures espousing authoritarianism, let’s get through this election cycle first before making those kinds of changes. 

It was probably during the midterms, when I said something about the importance of voting and one of the more hip kids in my class made a face like “why would I waste my time with that.” I can only imagine that that opinion was based on older siblings or maybe his parents, who are so disenfranchised and so used to being ignored that they would think that’s a fool’s errand to think that ones vote counts. That’s what happens when one loses hope and feels reduced to existing only for what small personal satisfaction because there is no community to support him and they’re just as likely to rip him off than to give him a hand. We need to do better keeping the dream of voting and political participation alive. 

Don’t forget to vote in your local primary. It’s the least thing you can do to sustain our democracy.