Voting is one of the biggest freedoms we have as citizens of the United States and this past election I was able to vote for the first time.

Previously, I had avoided most talks about politics, political ads and arguments about the candidates so I went into this election season mostly uninformed.

The first step I took in the voting process, long before I selected choices on the ballot, was to do independent research on the major candidates running for office. I tried to find the candidates that most aligned with my world views and morals. I used sites such as the Associated Press and USA.gov which are known for their factual reporting.

I knew there would be bias in many of the articles and sites I used for my research. Candidates throwing other candidates under the bus and trying to paint their opposition in the worst light wasn’t hard to miss. I tried my best to filter out the opinions and only pay attention to the real facts.

The next step was to research the local elections for the town and county seats. My parents had sent me a detailed list of each candidate (BallotReady) and the issues each thought were important so I used that to guide my voting.

The final step in the process was actually voting. My mom, older sister and I decided to vote early because we wanted to avoid lines and my mom was going to be out of town on voting day and I didn’t want to go alone.

As far as timing, we decided to go at 9 AM to arrive after the early morning voters and before the after-coffee voters who wanted to sleep a little longer.

On Saturday, November 2, I dragged myself out of bed at 8:30 and we drove to the Cornelius town hall.

Upon arrival, I saw all the energy and enthusiasm of voting. We parked quickly and walked past a few people picketing the edge of the voting perimeter. I had to deny an offer for a particular party’s free  “voting guide” and then walked through the front doors to find nobody in line.

I was welcomed kindly by the Board of Elections greeter and directed to a voter ID table. I exchanged pleasantries with an older gentleman employee at the check in table before giving him my full name, address, and picture ID. After verifying my identity, he handed me a blank ballet with my information printed at the top and called an usher to walk me to the voting booth.

I knew the voting process would be private but was surprised at the simple design. The booths were set up simply on white folding tables in a U shape around the perimeter of the room. Each station was screened by a cardboard trifold to give voters privacy and to keep their votes confidential. My station was at the end of the table. Hidden behind the divider was a computer and printer.

The usher explained the process and told me to hit the start button to begin. She said once I finished and confirmed my selections, the ballot would print my choices on the same blank sheet of paper. I was given when I arrived. She then inserted my blank ballot into the machine before leaving me to make my decisions.

Selecting my choices took me a total of eight minutes.

As the first few candidates appeared, I remembered my research and made my choices.

Then it got a little confusing. Multiple seats had only one candidate and I didn’t know most of them so I ended up picking the name I liked the most.

The last two questions were rather long to read. As “Yes” or “No” questions, the first was a proposed constitutional amendment while the second was a lengthy bill regarding bonds to pay for parks and recreation. Going into the vote, I knew about the amendment up for approval but I was surprised by the bond bill. I took my time reading and contemplating my decision before selecting my choice.

After choosing and double checking my votes, I printed the ballot and brought it to the ballot tabulator – Mecklenberg County uses the ES&S DS200 model – where another kind employee asked if it was my first time voting. I answered yes and received a round of applause as I fed my ballot into the machine.

I then was given the famous “I Voted” sticker and stuck it to the chest of my hoodie.

My first voting experience was complete.

The whole process was much more involved than I first imagined, having to make more than just a pick for president, but I value my vote mattering. I get a say in not just national matters but also local representatives and bills.