This past November, it was a big first for me and many other eighteen-year-olds as we hit the voting booths.

Voting is something that I have always looked forward to as another way to show my voice, as my interest in politics has always been a prominent part of my life.

The wonderful thing about voting is that it takes minimal effort to partake in: you do not have to go out and protest your opinion in the streets or directly contact those in politics to show your thoughts. All you have to do is make sure you are registered (which is not hard as many local agencies will mail voter registration forms to newly eligible voters), do prior research, and show up on election day to make your voice heard.

At the midterm elections, I had the option to vote for a U.S. Senator, a U.S. Representative, Pennsylvania Governor/Lieutenant Governor, a State Senator, and a State Representative.

When I arrived to vote, there were many aspects of my time at the polls that surprised me. For one, in the entryway of the Royersford Baptist Church on Lewis Road where I was voting, two candidates were there campaigning to those who entered.

Katie Muth, now PA Senator for District 44 was there as well as Nick Fountain, who was the Republican candidate for PA House for District 150. I did not realize that they were allowed to be there campaigning themselves, but they were as long as they stayed within a certain distance from the booths. It is a common political strategy for those running to try and stay as close as they can to the doors because many uneducated voters decide using name recognition. If a certain name is the last one they see before they go in to vote, those who are undecided are more likely to swing that way.

When I made it into the waiting room, the line was huge. My line was the longest of course. I however learned that the stereotype was true: older people show up the most to vote. Many of the people around me were on of the older generation, and I had the pleasure of talking with some of the people in front of me (we more complained about the long wait than just talked) and I also ran into some other people I knew who were out completing their civic duties.

After 45 minutes of waiting, I finally made it to the front of the line where they had me sign my name in a binder and checked my license since I was a first-time voter.

Then, a lady guided me to a booth where I casted my ballot. The way the booths work is the volunteer outside the booth presses a button on the outside that allows you to press the buttons of the people you would like to vote for on the inside. There is a button that you press to cast your ballot when you are all finished.

At the end of the day, the machines print out the lists of the votes and the people in charge have to deliver those where they need to go. This is to ensure that no hacking of the system is involved.

Even with all of the waiting involved, I definitely enjoyed my first time at the polls. I cannot wait to vote again, especially for the local elections that are coming up.