The Illinois primaries occurred on Tuesday, March 17. Despite the fear of the Coronavirus, I knew it was important to still go out and vote. I was nervous, not because it was my first time voting, but for all the people going out.

When I arrived, there weren’t many people, probably because I arrived at 6 p.m. It seemed normal, but also very quiet. I had gone to my polling place, which was Hope Lutheran Church, very sad not seeing people walking around. Something that I remembered quite vividly from when my sister used to go for her Girl Scouts’ meetings. People were always at the church hosting their meetings or just meeting with people who shared their beliefs. When I walked in, it was empty. No one to greet, no smiling faces.

While heading downstairs, to where they had everything to vote, it was awkward not grabbing the handle from the stairs, it was odd seeing people being distant. The woman who handed me my voting ballot wore a face mask. I was not surprised, but it was an eerie feeling that came over me. It made me think “should I be wearing a mask?” and “Am I taking the necessary precautions?” Still asking myself these questions and many others. 

Never thought that my first time voting would be this way, it is definitely something I am going to remember forever. However, I am glad to have seen people go out and vote and try their best to be sanitary in the process.