Election Day

Its election day, and while I'm pretty sure that this is a very off election year in most parts of the country, Virginia's election cycle is sufficiently out of sync with the rest of the nation to provide a full slate of offices up for grabs. All the seats in the state legislature are up for a vote today, with control of the state Senate potentially up for grabs. Most county positions are up for a vote, as well as the school board seats, so there was a fair bit to think about in the voting booth this morning.

I have been growing steadily more unhappy with the state of Virginia politics, and for once, the elections feel like they might have a chance of actually changing the direction of the State. I walked into the voting booth with a very different feeling than I have in recent years. For once, it felt like I could actually have an impact on the future, that my vote might actually mean something. I'm now anxious to see how the election plays out.

I've been reading that the outcome of this election might have an impact on next year's presidential race, in that it could signal whether the Virginia voters have shifted enough to make Virginia a potential swing state for the first time in decades. If that turns out to be the case, I'll be looking forward to next year's election, as my vote for president might actually mean something for the first time in my life.