It’s My First Time Voting
By Eunkang Koh
In one of the classes I teach, we recently discussed the feminist movement and various other social movements in American history. The subject matter was not new to any of us, but it acted as a sobering reminder that not everyone enjoyed the right to vote throughout America’s past. Some of us, including myself, were overcome with emotion as we discussed how women and people of color had to fight for rights many of us take for granted today.
I was particularly affected by the conversation because, after many years of living and teaching in the United States on a green card, I had finally become a US citizen in November of 2019. In the coming presidential election, I would get to exercise my right to vote for the very first time.
I was nervous and giddy. During my time on US soil, I’d grown used to not participating in the democratic process, but acceptance of my circumstances gave way to an internal debate over applying for citizenship. To do so would mean giving up my South Korean citizenship, but I thought about what it meant to live and work in a country where I do not have a voice in the local, state, and federal governments. Legislators were working to enact policies and regulations affecting my everyday life, but I didn’t have a voice; I didn’t have a say. I realized how much the ability to vote could affect me. It was time to apply for citizenship. To take part in our democracy was the number one reason I decided to become an American citizen. That’s how much voting means to me.
Taking part in this election process has been an interesting journey. When I received my primary ballot, I had to do some research to get a sense of the candidates’ values, voting histories, and backgrounds. I have been working diligently to perform my duty successfully in the hope that qualified people will be elected to build a better Nevada and America. I studied candidates and policies, and made note of who I would vote for ahead of time. I voted in person on the first day of early voting because I wanted to experience every aspect of the voting process, even the waiting in line. I read my ballot twice to be sure I had voted for the right people and propositions on my list. When finished, I got my first “I voted” sticker. I emerged from the polling center with a smile on my face. I felt proud to be voting for the first time as a brand new citizen in one of the most important elections in American history. I thought of those who fought to provide me this opportunity, and silently thanked them for ensuring that every American would have the right to vote. Without their efforts, even American citizenship might not have afforded me the meaningful experience of taking part in my country’s democracy.
I am anxious to see the result of this election. Like everyone else, I hope my choices find their way to office. Whether the election will turn out the way I want or not, I will remember my first time voting with pride, hope, and, most meaningfully, gratitude.
Eunkang Koh received her B.F.A. from Hong-Ik University in Seoul, South Korea and her M.F.A. from California State University, Long Beach, California. She works in various media- printmaking, bookart, drawing, and installation to address social phenomena in our contemporary consumerist society. Koh has had significant solo exhibitions around the world and is Associate Professor teaching printmaking and drawing in the Art Department at the University of Nevada, Reno.