Vermont's Independent Voice
Browse News
Browse Arts + Life
Browse Food + Drink
Browse Cannabis
Browse Music
Browse On Screen
Browse Events
Browse Classifieds
Browse Personals
When I went to Winooski to vote this morning, I stood in line near my neighbor, Nari Penson, an Obama supporter.
Nari got to the polls around 6:45 a.m. She was #9 in line. She took the day off work to vote, and then to drive voters to the polls.
"I always try to make sure I vote early on election day," she told me.
Nari's family is from Georgia; her parents live in Athens. She explained that years ago, when her grandmother went to vote in Fayette County, Georgia, she was not allowed into the building because she was black. "She stood on a box to vote through a window," Nari explained. "It was really humiliating, but she did it."
Nari's father, who is now 90 years old, had a similarly difficult experience trying to vote in Macon County, Alabama. "He had to get a federal judge to register him because the Macon County officials wouldn't do it," Nari said.
Both her parents called her repeatedly in the last few weeks to urge her to vote early, but she said she likes to wait until election day. It's exciting, she said. Nari is an elementary school teacher at a private school, and she's been encouraging people at school to vote today. "They'll be able to tell their children and grandchildren stories about how they were there for this historic election," she said.
Nari, who is 54, said she always thinks about her family's experiences when she votes. She was proud to be voting for an African-American candidate for president. "Today," she said, "this feels really special."
One or more images has been removed from this article. For further information, contact
web@sevendaysvt.com.
More By This Author
Speaking of Blurt
-
Blurt Is No More. Here's Where to Find New Seven Days Content
Sep 17, 2012 -
Alice Eats: The Mill Market & Deli
Sep 11, 2012 -
Grazing at King Arthur Flour's Airy New Digs
Sep 10, 2012 -
Movies You Missed 55: Making Plans for Léna
Sep 7, 2012 -
Quiz: Ben & Jerry's Flavor or Porn Flick?
Sep 6, 2012 - More »
Comments
Comments are closed.
Since 2014, Seven Days has allowed readers to comment on all stories posted on our website. While we’ve appreciated the suggestions and insights, the time has come to shut them down — at least temporarily.
While we champion free speech, facts are a matter of life and death during the coronavirus pandemic, and right now Seven Days is prioritizing the production of responsible journalism over moderating online debates between readers.
To criticize, correct or praise our reporting, please send us a letter to the editor. Or send us a tip. We’ll check it out and report the results.
Online comments may return when we have better tech tools for managing them. Thanks for reading.
