B-CU student shares his experience as a first-time voter

- by Sidney P. Brown

Usually I write about sports, but I decided to switch it up for once and tackle an even bigger story.

On Saturday, Oct. 24, I achieved an important milestone--voting in my first ever election!

I remember back in 2016 when I was only 15 years old...when I was too young to vote and wondering what the next four years would be like after Republican Donald Trump was declared the winner of the presidential election against the Democrat nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

It was considered one of the most pivotal elections ever before!

But it's not nearly as pivotal as this year's election. That was my thought process entering in the Fletcher Town Hall in North Carolina to officially cast my vote. Leading up to Saturday, I had been told by so many people how one vote could make a difference.

But, I honestly thought they were exaggerating.

However, when I went to fill out my ballot on Saturday, I knew it was strictly business. There was no turning back. Personally, I am absolutely disgusted with the current administration in office, so I definitely was confident in who I was voting for.

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic concerns, my voting center took the necessary precautions. The center had us do the elections on a touch screen, but not with our fingers. Instead, they gave us cotton swabs to tap the screen with.

I must admit, the process was very stressful for me. I prayed to God before I started making my selections. I was asking the assistants a lot of questions. I just wanted to get my first election right, you know? The whole process took me about 15 minutes total. It was actually a lot shorter than I thought it would be, but that was a good surprise, nevertheless.

Finally, I officially printed out my ballot and inserted it into the ballot box. It was over and I walked out of the room. I now can only hope that my vote and many others will create the change that this country needs. The last four years have been a mess, so hopefully my vote has as much power as advertised.

Moreover, regardless of who is in presidential office, that won't change the crazy nature of mankind. This country needs to turn to God immediately. If this country would do that, we would be in a much better situation.