Early Voting

Little sweetheart, we're all terribly anxious about coming election. I won't go too long long about it here but your mom and dad are both very concerned and we're all just, honestly, stressing out. 

New York State started doing early voting a few years ago. I'd never done it before, I've just always gone to my regular polling place at the High School of Visual Arts up the street on Election Day itself. But I got something in the mail about early voting for my precinct being at Madison Square Garden. It was a bit daunting. I've not only not been in much of a crowd since the pandemic, I had barely been below W48th Street! But I walked down there yesterday afternoon. 

Early voting is from 10am-4pm. I got there about 2:30pm and the line was out on the street all the way back from the entrance at 7th Avenue to the back of Penn Station at the corner of W33rd and 8th. About 20 minutes in, a guy with a "I Voted" sticker came walking past us and said that this was the point where he had been in the line when he first arrived and that it was about one hour from here to check in and voting. As we got progressively closer, everyone was in good spirits and some poll workers even came around with free coffee for anyone that wanted a cup. 

Later, as we turned the corner onto 7th Avenue and could actually see the entrance, another came by with Kit-Kat bars for Halloween! From that point you could see that there was another line going around the block from the northside, from W34th, to meet this one here. It was an enormous amount of people, little sweetheart, but again, everyone was in great and friendly spirits. 

Once inside, it really didn't take long at all. And when I finished scanning my ballot, one of the workers raised her arms and said "Yay, you did it!". They gave me a "I Voted Early" sticker and I put it on my tee shirt walking home feeling somehow much calmer about everything. 

I just love this city, as I know you do, little sweetheart. And I feel like you are very close to me today. I told your mom and dad all about it and they were very happy too. 

Love you forever.