The right to vote

I voted yesterday, did you?  Whether you did or didn't, it's over — at least til November, or in three weeks when the runoffs begin.  Let me start over by saying that I love having the right to vote.  When I turned eighteen, I went and registered to vote.  Okay, maybe it wasn't on that very day that I turned eighteen, but it was shortly after.  Yes, it puts your name in the hat for jury duty, but it also gives you a voice.  My voice, my vote, may be one of hundreds, thousands and even millions depending on the actual race, but it is my voice, my vote, that makes me feel like I have a say so in our county, state and nation.

If you live in Mississippi and if you voted, you were probably glued to facebook, twitter and even the TV to see the numbers come in.  And, in some races, the votes were so close — your vote, yes, yours and my vote could have made that happen, well, it did make that happen.  Were you happy with the results?  If not, did you vote to make your voice heard?    

I'll be the first to admit that I thought some races would go a little differently.  Which ones?  Well, that is my business.  And some that I thought would be a land slide are now in a runoff in three weeks.  Please, please remember that you need to go back to the poles to cast your vote for the runoff.  It is just as important as yesterday's vote.

And now, I'm probably going to step on some toes...
To the winners and to those who were defeated:  While I have enjoyed driving around looking at all the bright, colorful and sometimes rather LARGE political signs (I hope you hear the sarcasm), please remove them.  If you are in the runoff in three weeks, or will be in the November election — I understand leaving them erect.  However, to those who are no longer asking for our vote, please remove the signs.  A lot of time was spent putting them out, so please spend at least half of that time picking them back up.

Congratulations to the newly elected and re-elected officials.  May you be true to your campaign words during your term.