Nov 2, 2024

I Should've Voted.

I Should've Voted.
Photo by Mick Haupt / Unsplash

By Kaila Colbin

This essay was originally written as a LinkedIn post by Kaila.


The year: 2000. The election: U.S. President. The candidates: Albert Arnold Gore Jr. and George Walker Bush.

I live in Florida, but I’m on the road for a work trip, and I haven't voted. The absentee ballot is kind of a pain in the ass and — let’s be honest — my vote doesn’t matter, right?

It’s election night. I’m bar-hopping in the New Orleans French Quarter. We wander into the first bar where they’ve got CNN on TV, announcing the results state by state.

Breaking news: “CNN can confirm that Al Gore has won the state of Florida.”

"Whew," think I, a person who would have voted for Gore.

We finish our drinks, move onto the next bar. New breaking news: “Correction: it now appears George Bush has won Florida.”

"Darnit," think I. "Should’ve voted."