First Election as an American Citizen
Juan stiffened, “I’m a citizen now.”
“Oh?” Hector replied, looking mildly surprised. “You don’t have a PPE ballot. Did you sign up for the Active Early Voting List when you registered?”
Juan forgot that he’d intended to register to vote. Between the shooting and the holidays, the mundane civic duty had completely slipped his mind. “Uh…”
Hector smirked knowingly. “Don’t worry, friend. I’ve got you covered.” He produced the computer tablet he was holding. “It’s almost too late to sign you up for the primaries, but If I can have just a few minutes of your time, I can get you all set up. You’d like that, right?” Hector beckoned Juan to continue up the driveway and then followed him into Juan’s house.
Walking through the front door into his living room, the two men were greeted by the savory aroma of pozole, a traditional soup made with hominy. Tonight, Maria made it with chicken and topped it with radishes, avocados, and a little lime juice. “This is Hector,” Juan announced.
“Hmm?” Maria looked up from where she was grilling tortillas. "Welcome!" she said, "Sit down, and I'll get you something to eat."
Hector quickly set up his tablet on the living room table. “Now, Señor Torres, what is your first name?”
“Juan.” In the back of his mind, Juan wondered how Hector knew his last name. He must have read the addresses on my mail. He was still angry about that, but somehow this strange man had made himself a guest in his house. Juan had to treat him courteously.
“Juan Torres. Great.” Hector typed away rapidly. “I’ve got your address right here.” He didn’t ask Juan many questions but seemed to know already how to answer the questions that flashed briefly on the screen.
“Whatcha doing?” Juan tried looking over Hector’s shoulder to see what he was working on.
Hector turned slightly in his chair, angling the tablet’s screen so Juan could see it better. “There you go,” he said cheerfully. “All we need to do now is select the party you want to join. Let’s just go ahead and put you down here as a Democrat…”
“Wait a minute,” Juan said. He'd become exasperated by the whirlwind of activity that he didn’t really understand. “I didn’t say I was joining any party.”
The creases around Hector’s eyes deepened with worry. “Juan,” he used Juan’s first name as if they were old friends now. “The deadline for voter registration is in just a few days. If you don’t choose a party now, you won’t be able to vote in the primaries. That’s when each party chooses who will run for President.”
“I know what the primaries are,” Juan grumbled. Although privately, he had to admit that he wasn’t entirely sure what the process was for voting in them.
With a sigh, Hector dropped his hands into his lap. “Listen, my friend,” his concern seemed genuine. “I understand this is your first election as an American citizen. But we can’t mess around this year. There’s too much at stake.”
“Why’s this so important?” Juan tried to convey some of the uneasiness and distrust he felt, but even to his own ears his words sounded somehow lost, and slightly confused.
Hector gave him a sad smile, "Because if Trump wins this election, it will set our people back twenty years. C’mon, let me register you with the Democratic party.”
Why Should Juan Register as a Democrat?
Choose Option 1: Biden Will Stay Strong on Immigration
Choose Option 2: Trump Will be Tried in Court