…and I voted today in the primary elections in what the media has predicted the lowest turnout in California history.

When I turned 18, I was so excited to vote. I remember voting for Al Gore and against proposition 22 (all because MTV said so). But then the world didn’t vote like me. And I wondered if that made me feel powerless. But I kept voting. For John Kerry. For everything else.

As I got older though, the magic disappeared. I didn’t understand the propositions, the measures, the state and city offices. I didn’t know how to decide. Everything seemed the same even though I do lean liberal. And I didn’t believe in any advertisements. How could I decide if I knew that the words said were manufactured to sway me on way or the other?

But today, because Chris was selected to be the Site Inspector, I decided that I had to do my civic duty. I walked to my polling place in a nearby school and voted. I didn’t know how to vote so I primarily voted by party lines and what the San Francisco Chronicle recommended. And then I walked out knowing my votes counted more than it normally would have. Simply because nobody was voting today.