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My first time to vote

So I got up at 7 a.m. this morning and headed to the polls. I registered to vote in Oxford after my mom got married and moved out of state. This was officially my first time to vote for the President of the United States. Last election, I was a few months short of being 18 years old. I arrived to the polls around 7:10 a.m. I did not know where Stone Recreation Center on Washington Ave. was, so my friend and I entered it into a GPS system. The GPS took us to a neighborhood right across the street from the Chamber of Commerce so we just figured that was it. Well, after standing in line for almost 30 minutes I decided to ask someone and make sure we were in the right place, and of course we were not! I was so frustrated. So we found the correct place to vote, which was literally just 200 yards down the street. Once we were there we waited about 45 more minutes. I did not have the opportunity to vote absentee because my permanent address is my address in Oxford, and I was never made aware of how we could vote early. I wish that I had known how to vote early or that it had been publicized more so that people could avoid the long lines at the polls. There were only 5 voting machines for a precinct set up for over 2,000 people I overheard a poll worker say. I am glad that I got to vote and have a voice in this nation's future. It is just a shame that it took so long. I am sure that the voter turnout will be higher this year than ever, but I also think that the long lines and unclear directions will keep some people away from the polls. But I hope not....everyone needs to get out and vote!

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