my first time voting was the primaries in 2006. So, this is my first presidential election. For the general election in 2006 I was at school in Indiana, and voted absentee, which was kind of nice because I actually had time to look up various judges and such on the internet and make an informed decision.

I was naturalized as a U.S. citizen just a few months before the 2002 election, and had always been very interested in politics (the myth that immigrants don't care about U.S. politics is a load of crap).

I was SO excited! I voted on campus after most of the evening classes had let out, so I waited on line for almost 2 hours to cast my vote. Everything was smooth sailing once I got into the actual room because my father had once showed me what a voting booth looked like and how it worked. It was a proud moment, definitely.

The first time I voted was in a provincial election (Yay Canada!). I think I was 19. Ever since then, I've voted in every election I was eligible to vote in except one municipal election where I didn't feel informed enough on the candidates.

happy birthday 19th amendment.... sounds like a great night for Iron Jawed Angels but thats just me.
I *tried* to vote in the 2004 elections but I was in Scranton (greatest city ever) so I tried to vote absentee but I never really found out if that worked. but my "first hand on lever" ballot was cast this spring for Hillary in the PA primaries, i cried, i was so excited, no one in my immediate family can vote so i felt like my vote was an extension of their unheard voices as well. VIVA LA DEMOCRACIA
September 9th District 16 in Queens will be my second vote ever... and for another great Woman! Senator Toby Ann Stavisky!!!

when women vote we rule.

My first election was the very disappointing 2004 presidential election. Boo-urns.

I turn 18 in January. Sad day. :(
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My first time voting was in 2004, when I was twenty; I voted on a touch-screen computer voting machine in Nashville, since I'm still registered as a Tennessee voter (and, although I live in New York, will remain so this election cycle, the better to get more Democrats elected). I voted for Kerry.

I've only voted twice since, both times by absentee ballot: I voted in the Congressional election in 2006, in which Harold Ford lost his very close Senate race to Bob Corker after the Tennessee Republicans pulled some racist hijinks in television ads, and in the Democratic primary this year, in which I voted for Clinton. Oh well!

My first time voting was in 2004, when I was twenty and back in Nashville for the Election Day four-day weekend Columbia gave from classes. I voted on a touch-screen computer voting machine in the grade school I briefly attended. (Although I live in New York, I'll remain registered in Tennessee this election cycle, the better to get more Democrats elected.) My mom stood just off the school grounds waving a Bush sign while I waited in line for both of us behind a ton of well-to-do old people who kept skipping ahead since they were too infirm to wait. I voted for Kerry -- as did 55% of Nashville, even though he lost the state by 14 percentage points.

I've only voted twice since, both times by absentee ballot: I voted in the Congressional election in 2006, in which Harold Ford lost his very close Senate race to Bob Corker after the Tennessee Republicans pulled some racist hijinks in television ads, and in the Democratic primary this year, in which I voted for Clinton. Oh well!

I was first eligible in 92. My mom took me to vote and she was so proud. I was very excited. I lived in a small town and my mom knew everyone. As we were walking in, she told them, "This is my daughter, voting for the first time!" I always vote, and I get infuriated when people (especially women!) don't vote. But my mom (and my grandma) are really good voting role models. I want to be one too.

I turned 18 in August of 2007, so my first political participation was a caucus (I'm typically good at spelling, but I have no idea how that word is spelled...) in Iowa right near the college I attend here in December of '07. This November will be my first actual election, and I'm very excited. I get discouraged when other women I know do not vote...but I guess in all reality, I would rather them not vote because they don't know enough about the candidates to make an informed decision, rather than just blindly cast a vote for whoever they pick using eenie-meanie-miney-mo.

I turned 18 in 2000, so my first voting experience were the primaries that year. I voted for McCain (in a state w/ open primaries) because I was so set on keeping Bush from getting the nomination. Yeah, that worked real well...

In November - first semester of college - my friends and I sat in a cafe on Bleecker all night, watching the news "just until they figure out who wins." Yeah, we finally left at about 4 a.m., sure that Gore would come out as the clear winner. *cry*

The 2004 election was the first one I was able to vote for. It was my senior year in highschool. I wore like five of those "I Voted" stickers, and much like Jessica, yelled at every senior I knew was 18 and eligable to vote. I was the only one in my class to actually vote.

I'm sitting in my first Women's Studies course right now giving an exam to my brilliant students, and I just wanted to say that in 1920 white women got the vote, but it wasn't until 1965 that black women could vote and 1968 for native american women. This is something we have been discussing at length in class this summer session. I just think that's important to remember- but yay for voting for everyone!

I was first eligible in 92. My mom took me to vote and she was so proud. I was very excited. I lived in a small town and my mom knew everyone. As we were walking in, she told them, "This is my daughter, voting for the first time!" I always vote, and I get infuriated when people (especially women!) don't vote. But my mom (and my grandma) are really good voting role models. I want to be one too.

I was first eligible in 92. My mom took me to vote and she was so proud. I was very excited. I lived in a small town and my mom knew everyone. As we were walking in, she told them, "This is my daughter, voting for the first time!" I always vote, and I get infuriated when people (especially women!) don't vote. But my mom (and my grandma) are really good voting role models. I want to be one too.

I voted for the first time in 2002. I turned 18 just a few days before election day, and as far as I was concerned going to the voting booth immediately after school was the best birthday present I could have. Especially since I got to cast my vote for Michigan's first female governor!

I'm moving this week, and one of the first things on my list of things to do once I'm settled in is register to vote in my new state!

I first voted, for Bill Clinton, in 1992. During orientation week at my college, he spoke at a nearby town, so EVERYONE who was able crammed into cars like clowns to meet him on the campaign trail. HUGE applause when he mentioned "Thanks to the students at WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY for coming tonight!" Then Al Gore spoke at the school gym a few weeks later.

I don't know of a single student at my college who didn't vote unless they were too young to do so.

Looking back, we were all SO excited and SO naive. I remember thinking something along the lines of, "Now that my generation can vote, we'll never have to have another Reagan or Bush (HA!) in office again." I thought there would be tons of progressive politicians in office for years to come. Still, it was fun to feel like we were on the cusp of a big change, having no or only faint memories of anyone other than Republicans in the Oval Office during our lifetimes.

I should have been able to vote in the mid-term elections in 1998, but moving to a new state messed that up for me. I was angry.

In 2000, I woke up early in the morning, printed directions to my local polling place, packed up my brand new baby girl, and drove to this tiny church on a gravel road in Illinois.... where I proceeded to vote for George W. Bush. I have regretted it ever since.

I was young and not as critical as I should have been and voted for the candidate that spoke a lot about family values, rather than the candidate that would actually would have done something to help families. Thankfully, I have not made that mistake since.

This year, just like in all other elections since then, I will take my daughter to the polls with me - and she will see me make a much better choice! Everybodyever and I will hopefully join our fellow Tennesseeans in giving Barack Obama a few more electoral votes.

I turned 18 in October of 2002, which was in the middle of a hard fought election season in Minnesota. Paul Wellstone was up for re-election and was running in a close race with Norm Coleman. Things were getting nasty and Coleman wasn't holding back in his attacks. I was crazy about Wellstone... Crazy about his green bus and the way his fist punched the air and his wild dark hair (which reminded me of my dads) and how confidant he made me feel about the world being a great place to fight for what you believed in. I was counting down the days until I could cast my first ballot ever for him.

And then it didn't happen. The plane crash was especially hard on my school since Marcia, his daughter, had also been one of our Spanish teachers. I think losing Wellstone was a really personal thing for a lot of Minnesotans, and it certainly was for me. (His memorial service was one of the more memorable events of my life and to this day I still feel the need to defend the grief that was on display that night to anyone who suggests that maybe it was a bit too political.)

I got up early to go and vote before school, on election day. I voted for Mondale and cried, later, when Coleman's victory was announced.

I really hope Franken wins.

Arg. EverybodyEver, please do not abuse your right to vote. If you are not a resident of Tennessee, you are not qualified to vote there. (and if you want your vote to count in NY..hurry up, because you have to register there at least 25 days before the election, i am pretty sure).

My first time voting was the 2004 elections. I voted absentee from my college. While I made an effort to research the candidates, I didn't do a very good job my first time around, but I certainly voted. This year will be my second time voting in a presidential election and I am super excited this year.

Now that I've moved on to grad school, one of the first things I did before I moved was to register to vote absentee. I keep telling my friends how important it is to vote but I'm afraid a lot of them aren't really interested, or don't seem interested in how important the election is. But whatever happens, I'll be voting for sure!

My first time voting was the 2004 elections. I voted absentee from my college. While I made an effort to research the candidates, I didn't do a very good job my first time around, but I certainly voted. This year will be my second time voting in a presidential election and I am super excited this year.

Now that I've moved on to grad school, one of the first things I did before I moved was to register to vote absentee. I keep telling my friends how important it is to vote but I'm afraid a lot of them aren't really interested, or don't seem interested in how important the election is. But whatever happens, I'll be voting for sure!

I turned 18 in 2000. I voted in November, I didn't really get the whole Primary deal then -- no one ever took the time to explain the election process to me.

I had just moved from my hometown to Tampa and I had to get up early, print out the directions and find my way to the Precinct. I was so excited! I wore my "I Voted" sticker ALL DAY (I never wear stickers all day).

My first election was the 2002 midterm elections at the age of 19. It was also my first year of college. I live in Oregon, and we have vote by mail, which isn't nearly as exciting as going to a booth, but it was still cool nonetheless. I remember voting for Democratic Governor Ted Kulongowski, who is still our governor. I voted for Kerry in 2004. The only time in my life I have not been registered to vote was a temporary lapse of living in Oklahoma for ten months in 2005/2006. I didn't bother because I was lazy and it wasn't an election year. I re-registered as soon as I got home though, as we had some ballots up for vote in May in 2006.

I turned 18 in 2005, one year too late for the last election. This is not the first time I've voted (I voted for a local alderman in Chicago) but this is my first presidential election. I didn't vote in the primaries, but I knew it wouldn't have made much difference since Obama was destined to win Illinois.

So at first I was excited for Hillary, then bummed when she lost, and then I was ready to get back on and support Obama completely, but because of some of his recent actions I've decided to vote independent this year. And I'm really kind of glad that in my first presidential election I'm not just choosing a side, I'm speaking my mind.

Wow, I'm old. I first voted in 1988, my birthday was just a few days too late in 1984 to register for the Presidential election. I was in college in Indiana and we had to line up at the nearby elementary school for hours to cast our ballots. I voted for Dukakis, or I should say I voted against Bush, sine I hardly remember anything about Dukakis. Guess I don't need to tell anyone how that turned out....

My first election was the California state primary this June, since I just turned 18 in February--one day after the presidential primary. I was very proud to fill in the bubbles for every single office on the paper ballot and watch eagle-eyed as the pollworker slipped the ballot into the box. I look forward to the presidential election in November, and to voting "no" on California's Proposition 8.