“You need to register to vote!”

I heard this line hundreds of times over the last few weeks. I already knew how important it was to vote– to protect the rights of so many. As the days passed and the Nov. 8 election day creeped closer, I had not yet registered or done enough research on candidates; but I knew two things: Vote ‘Yes’ to Prop 3 and vote against Tudor Dixon.

My detest for Tudor Dixon ran deep after seeing her irritating ads in the middle of any YouTube video I watched for almost eight months straight. “The Right-wing Queen,” we called her.

On voting day, I woke up late after a long night with friends. I didn’t know which candidates I wanted to vote for. I didn’t know much information about the propositions. I didn’t even know how to vote. But I was determined that by the end of the day, I was going to learn.

After doing about a minute of research, I headed out to register and vote. I had the new Drake and 21 Savage album bumping in my car while I sped to the polls. I was shaking with excitement, however inside of that there was a bit of nervousness.

As I arrived at the voting center, questions raced through my mind. Would I have everything I needed? Who did I want for senate? All I knew was I had to register and get my voice heard.

Walking in, I was encouraged by others to vote for a proposition that I had never even heard about. I was flooded with confusion as I approached the front of the line.

The wait took only 10 minutes but felt like an eternity. As I walked up to the help desk, I received my registration forms and began to fill them out. The document was filled with blanks to input personal information; fortunately, I had forced myself to remember it before leaving home.

After I registered, the officials handed me my ballot. As I unfolded the ballot, I was shocked by the length of the paper. I flipped it multiple times and went straight for prop three; I knew I had to vote yes. The paper gave me a similar feeling to the SAT: the way I sat down with the long sheet of paper was similar to the giant packet of work I had during that test.

I filled in almost every category. I was unsure if I had even done it correctly and honestly wasn’t 100 percent sure I made the right decision on some of the candidates but I was hopeful in what I knew.

After I handed in my ballot and I grabbed my ‘I Voted’ sticker a sense of accomplishment flew through me as I walked out that door. I made a change in my community and state within one day.

As I walked out, I was congratulated by an older lady who asked if this was my first time voting. I confirmed the statement and continued home with a sense of pride.