A Vote of Conscience

Gregory Wendell threw the voter guide onto the kitchen table and groaned. After reading it for the umpteenth time, he still wasn’t sure who to vote for. And today is election day. 

He thought back over the last few weeks. All the political ads, videos, articles, newscasts, and social media posts. Information overload. Or was it misinformation overload? Hard to tell.

Who is the best candidate? Who should I believe? How can I know for sure? “I’m just so exhausted with it all,” he despaired.

He had a gut instinct about who he liked best. Hard to put his finger on it, but this candidate seemed to be more positive about the future. Talked America up, said America is great, with great people, and a great future ahead.

The other candidate was more bombastic, more angry, and negative about the future. Talked of how America is past its greatness, is a failed nation with bad people — the “enemy within” — and has a bleak future ahead.

So much to sort out. Who has the best character? Who has the best track record of success? Who has the best vision for America moving forward?  

Most of his friends and family were supporting one candidate, but he wasn’t sure. In fact, he had many misgivings. Whenever he posted his thoughts on social media, people jumped all over him — correcting him, saying he was wrong. “How can everyone else be so right, and me be so wrong?” he wondered.

Still uncertain, Gregory put pen to paper and made a list of pros and cons for each candidate. When he was done, he reviewed the bullet points, and the choice was clear. He knew what to do. 

He drove to the polling location, and fifteen minutes later, entered the booth and closed the curtain. He filled in the first selection with the black ballpoint pen and reflected on the gravity of the moment. 

Just me alone with my conscience, he thought. My choice, my voice, my vote. No matter how I vote, it’s the right vote, because a vote of conscience is never wrong. It is democracy. It is the American way.