In my humble opinion...

When I turned 18, I remember rushing to apply for my absentee ballot so I'd be able to vote in the upcoming election that November. Back then, I viewed the political process as a privilege. Sad to say, nowadays, I'm often more concerned with the hierarchy in my own household than that of City Hall. And while I do care about some elections, for others, voting feels more like an obligation than an honor to take part in.

Either way, I always vote. You see, as you might have guessed by now, I usually have an opinion about most things. Election day gives me an excuse to use that personality trait for good. Plus, I'm a firm believer that you have no right to bicker about those running the country if you don't at least voice your opinion about who you think ought to be doing it.

Today, between two different carpools, several volunteer projects and physical therapy exercises, I squeezed in time to vote, even though as of last night, I had no idea who many of the candidates in my district were or what they stood for. I'm not proud of this. I went to college in Washington, DC, interned on Capitol Hill, worked at CNN and used to pride myself on the fact that I knew every detail of most politicians -- certainly those for whom I could cast a vote.

But times have changed and while I still make it a point to read the paper and browse a few major news websites each day, I don't always have time to conduct an depth review of the political news of the day. And frankly, dirty campaigning and annoying recorded phone calls have really turned me off from the whole political process.

So, last night, I went on the website of our local paper here in Atlanta, and painstakingly read bio after bio on all the candidates that pertained to me this election day. I compared their stances, experience and the overarching themes of their campaign so I would be able to make an informed decision today. I can't say my research was riveting or analytically complex, but it works for me.

So, while I realize that we're all busy, and I'd much rather be out doing something fun like shopping for shoes in my limited free time without kids, do yourself and your country a favor and make time to vote today. It's a once-a-year thing and whatever the polls show later on, you can be proud you let your voice be heard. And then, you'll have every right to bitch about the results you don't like, knowing you had nothing to do with them!