Well, I’ve done it. I’ve made one of the most important decisions of my lifetime. I’ve chosen the candidate that I feel is best suited to lead my country (not to mention my state, city, and local park). I’ve fulfilled my all-important civic duty. Let me tell you, I haven’t felt this good about myself since I saved that Los Angeles metro bus from exploding by driving it at 50 mph for a few hours. (Oh, you didn’t know Speed was a historical bio-pic? That’s odd.)

After stopping by my designated polling place at 8 a.m. to check in with young voters there, I was under the impression that I’d be able to shoot through the entire voting process in a matter of minutes – after all, during my initial visit, voters were walking in the door, only to be directed immediately to the polling machines, with nary a line in sight. I was certain that, when I returned to the polling place a bit before noon, I’d quickly be in-and-out the door, hurtling towards my next journalistic exploit, and a well-deserved double bacon cheeseburger at Five Guys.

Unfortunately for me (and my lunchtime plans of burger consumption), “a bit before noon” is when Huntingtonians apparently feel the most patriotic. Where no line had existed before, a queue of around thirty people had appeared. It took me about an hour to reach the voting machine – not an unbearable amount of time, as it allowed me to further ponder the local candidates I would be supporting with my vote. It also allowed me to re-learn some of the important life lessons posted on the walls of my former first-grade classroom. (Alligators are nocturnal? I swear to you, I was not aware of this before today.)

Joining me in my first voting experience in a general election was my brother, Travis (who had also accompanied me on my first time voting in a primary election). His company was much appreciated, as the conversations between us helped pass the time. His habit of picking up children’s books from nearby shelves and reading aloud from them, however, was not appreciated at all. There is a level of embarrassment one feels when one’s sibling is reading passages from How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food that is difficult to describe. (If you were curious, dinosaurs eat their food rather hastily, and with little regard for common dining etiquette.)

His jocularity went unappreciated by the poll workers – particularly when he, standing at his polling machine, removed a single quarter from his pocket, flipped in the air, and, after observing the outcome, entered his selection into the machine.

As far as my voting experience goes, it was fairly straightforward. I experienced no mishaps as far as getting in the door and making my selections. I wasn’t really caught aware by any choices on the ballot, nor did I at any time feel inconvenienced by the electoral process.

If you haven’t voted yet, and you’re registered, I strongly urge you to do so. Not only will it fill you with a warm sense of accomplishment, but it can also potentially fill you with free coffee from Starbucks – an offer extended to all voters today. While some may find this to be a disingenuous reason to hit the polls, I’m willing to take what I can get.