Stories about voting by the people, for the people
12 People Share Their Most Unforgettable Election Day Memories
Even though casting a ballot takes barely a few minutes, the experience has a way searing itself into your memory. First-time democracy participants and seasoned voters alike can find themselves surprised at the ballot box—and we’ve got the true stories from our readers to prove it!
So if you’re looking for some entertaining Election Day moments to counter the stress of the big day, you’re in the right place. We’ve chosen a few of our favorite stories for you to enjoy during election season and beyond.
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A convincing argument
“When my boyfriend and I were finally old enough to vote in our first presidential election, we spent months debating with one another about our chosen candidates. We were quite persuasive, as we discovered when we got home from the polls and learned that we’d both voted for the other’s initial choice.” —Sherry Fox, Appleton, WI
Casting a baseballot
“In 2020, Boston used Fenway Park as an open-air voting facility because of COVID-19. After casting my ballot, I was able to walk through the empty stands. I snapped a photo of my ‘I Voted’ sticker, with the legendary field and empty seats in the background. I don’t know if the stadium will be open for voting again, but I can say for now that I’m part of a rare group who had the opportunity.” —Elizabeth Gabriel, Boston, MA
A family affair
“As a girl, I always accompanied my mother to vote but had to wait outside the curtain. She was a private person, and I respected that. But I wanted to do it differently with my own children. Each election, we’d walk to the voting site together, and they’d come into the booth with me. One year, the poll worker smiled when we walked in and said, ‘I look forward to this every year.’ All three children are now grown and are responsible voters. And I get to bring my grandsons with me now when I vote.” —Laurie Sanderson, Syracuse, NY
An Election Day baby
“On Nov. 6, 1956, my mother cast her vote for president, then went to the hospital and gave birth to me. My husband, Tony, is four years my senior and remembers going into the voting booth with his mother during that same election. Now, decades later, he loves to say that he remembers the very day his wife was born.” —Amy Boland, Spring Valley, OH
Reach across the wedding aisle
“After moving from Minnesota to Virginia to marry the love of my life, I found out that we didn’t agree on everything. When I arrived at the voting site during the first election after we married, I announced, ‘I’m here to cancel out my husband’s vote.'” —Elaine Keller, Springfield, VA
Donkeys, elephants and cows
“I missed one Circle K club meeting as a student at College of the Ozarks—big mistake! My best friend nominated me for Barnwarming Queen, and I was elected in a unanimous vote. I competed in hay baling, cow milking and line dancing contests. I didn’t earn the crown (the cow wouldn’t cooperate), but I was named one of five Barnwarming Princesses. I made sure not to miss the meeting the next year—and nominated my friend.” —Glenda Ferguson, Paoli, IN
An inauguration everyone can celebrate
“Two weeks after my 18th birthday, a poll worker checked my ID, then asked, ‘Is this your first time voting?’ I smiled and shyly said it was. She shouted, ‘This is Katherine’s first time voting!’ The whole gym erupted in cheers. I was dumbstruck and thrilled that strangers were so enthusiastic about a young person voting for the first time. It makes me think of how important it is for everyone to vote and how many have sacrificed to secure everyone’s right to do so. And, of course, whenever a poll worker announces there’s a first-time voter in the room, I always cheer.” —Katherine Stiner, New Castle, DE
It’s apples and oranges
“To make sure we voted the way we intended, I made separate lists for my husband and me to bring to the polls. I heard him pull the paper from his pocket in the booth next to me, then say, ‘The grocery list?’ Horrified, I realized I’d given him the wrong list and quickly passed him the right one.” —Sherrie Murphee, Amarillo, TX
Politicians live in a fishbowl
“One of the items on the ballot for a Baltimore election was about an aquarium for the city. I thought the mayor wanted an aquarium in his office, and I voted yes. Imagine my surprise when one of the biggest aquariums in the country was built for all of Baltimore to enjoy.” —Pamela Melton, New Freedom, PA
Right ballot, wrong box
“Our local American Legion serves as a voting location. Out front is a repurposed mailbox where people can deposit retired U.S. flags for us to dispose of properly. The day before a primary election, I found six ballots had been deposited in our flag box by mistake. I took the ballots to the nearby polling location. So if anyone recognizes this story and realizesthat you were one of the people who cast your vote in the mailbox that year, know that your vote did still count.” —Joe Martin, Sherwood, OR
A vote of no confidence
“Baptist ministers are elected by the congregation, from a list of candidates put forth by the Pulpit Committee. Before I was presented as a candidate, I asked the committee chair what the group saw in me, figuring I could speak about those strengths before the vote. ‘I don’t know,’ he said. ‘I voted for the other guy.'” —Paul Bailey, Fayetteville, NY
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Originally Published in Reader's Digest
