It’s Election Day.

I still remember 2016 so clearly. I woke up early, grabbed coffee from Market down the street and walked to the elementary school a few blocks away. The lines were out the door. There was a lot of energy. I waited in the line for my block, chatted for a second with the people working the desk and got my ballot. I remember standing in the booth with tears in my eyes because for the first time in my life, I was filling in a bubble for a woman to be president.

We all know what happened after that.

For the last year, I have read more books about topics I didn’t understand, marched, protested, called members of government, signed petitions, subscribed to a newspaper and had countless conversations with like minded people and people that have very different opinions than mine.

Every day, the news is exhausting, depressing and horrifying to some degree. It has gotten to the point that when a town is trending on Twitter, I immediately assume there has been a mass shooting. How is this real? How can we have these problems over and over again and nothing changes?

Today is Election Day. I’ve researched every candidate on the ballot. I learned all about the ranking that happens on the Minneapolis ballot. I have my top 3 candidates for mayor, for Parks & Rec board and city council. I’ve never been more excited about local government. I’m ashamed that I used to ignore those races because I didn’t take the time to understand and make good choices.

I will vote today because it’s an action that I can take to help make change and get my voice heard. Your voice is loudest within your own community so if you don’t use it there, you’re missing your greatest opportunity.

I will vote today because I really believe that parks in the city are important to community and education.

I will vote today because I believe that the mayors and small governments in this country can keep their commitments to the Paris Agreement and I believe that they should.

I will vote today because we need to continue the conversations about the police force and how they work with the community in Minneapolis.

I will vote today because I want my voice heard. I care about education, the environment, equality and continuing conversations that need to happen.

I will vote today because I’ve spent the last year feeling so many things and I refuse to be quiet.

Hope you get out and rock the vote today. Be heard. Get more info here.