‘It felt good to have a say.’ Even in this awful year, Lexingtonians find joy in voting.
There’s something about Election Day that brings out the best in people. They feel good about doing their civic duty, so good that everyone seems friendly and polite. Even in the midst of a hellish pandemic year, Nov. 3 was worth celebrating. A crystalline fall day. Cookies. The end of the most savage, desperate, endless campaign season in history. No more texts or emails or stupid commercials during our favorite shows. No matter who wins, we will get a break from that.
Even though she voted early, Sue McKaig celebrated the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, dressed all in white like suffragists of old. She and David Alan Fitts came out to the Senior Center polling station for the fun of it.
“It’s a celebration, seeing the turnout, and seeing all the young people out,” she said.
Azarrea Thomas celebrated her 18th birthday with her first vote at Dunbar Community Center. “It felt good to have a say,” said the Henry Clay High School senior. “I felt like as an American, I had to.”
Another first-time voter, Alec Elmore, a University of Kentucky student, celebrated his first presidential vote with a selfie. “It’s pretty cool,” he said. “Everybody should vote. This year is particularly important. It’s a waste of being American not to vote.”
Tayna Fogle, who works with Kentuckians for the Commonwealth and the Poor People’s Campaign, celebrated other first-time voters, former felons allowed to vote for the first time, thanks to an executive order from Gov. Andy Beshear that was estimated to affect as many as 100,000 people.
“These stories are just bringing tears to my eyes,” Fogle said.
Fogle and a coalition of volunteers were at Dunbar as “Election Protection,” a loosely knit volunteer group aimed at supporting voters in case they had to wait in long lines. They had plenty of water and snacks, including a major stash of cookies from a consortium of local chefs and bakeries, like Ouita Michel, Sunrise Bakery and Crank and Boom.
The national gun control group, Moms Demand Action, was also out in force to support voters. At times at Dunbar, there were more voter supporters than voters, including high school students with the Sunrise Movement. Volunteer Lynsey Sugarman said there was so much food at Dunbar they decided to head to some other polling stations.
In the afternoon, Dunbar voters got celebrated with live music from musician Lee Carroll, part of Joy to the Polls, a national group aimed at making people feel safe and happy while they vote. “There’s a lot of anxiety around this election, so we’re bringing the gifts of artists to the electorate,” said local coordinator Nieta Wigginton.
Of course, there’s a reason we need all these supporters and observers and live music, and that’s threats of violence and intimidation in a bitterly divided nation. That bitterness may continue into Wednesday or beyond as various results are contested, and accusations of fraud fly back and forth.
But on Tuesday, in Lexington, Ky., for a few hours, it was too early for winners or losers. No reports of intimidation. Our joy or despondency was still to come. We talked to people in line (behind masks), happily handed over our ballots, listened to voters’ stories, ate cookies, and felt good about the day. In 2020, we have to take celebration where we can.
