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Monday, November 7, 2016

I'm keeping my kindergartner home on election day.

This election year is incredibly important. But, this election also makes me sick.

We have a kindergartner who attends school at a public polling place, and the idea of sending her to school on November 8th, makes me incredibly nervous.

I actually fear for her safety.

While I may have been president of the "helicopter moms association" in 2011/2012, I now have two kids... So, I'm pretty sure I've evolved from that "first-time mom" phase. However, the fact that our daughter's school principal cancelled this year's "Kids Vote" event, due to concerns about the way students were talking in nasty and vulgar ways in the lunchroom about the presidential candidates... That has me worried.

The fact that our 5-year-old will be subjected to angry people (on both sides) that come to cast their vote at her school... That has me worried.

What will she hear? What will she see?

This is a historic election year. It's also a very heated election. I don't want the nasty words, and possible nasty actions of people, spilling onto her. Especially in a place where she is supposed to feel safe.

Schools around the country are canceled tomorrow, due to the increased potential of election-day violence. People are angry. And, it's not just people in America.

This has me worried.

The world is watching us tomorrow. And while this year's election is monumental, if polling places become violent (verbally or physically), I want our daughter to be safe with me... Asking her parents questions, if she has them.

Yes, I'm angry that our 5-year-old's school is a public polling place for this heated election (we've been assured that this is the final year the school will be a public polling place). But, if I'm angry, I can only imagine the kind of hateful, angry, and potentially violent people she would be subjected to tomorrow, as voters come to her school to cast their vote.

This has me worried.

Call me a "helicopter mom", but I assure you... I'm not alone. As a mother, I am choosing to do everything in my power to make my voice heard, make my vote count, as well as keep my daughter as safe as I can on November 8th, 2016.

Don't let fear stop you from making your voice heard. I won't. Every vote counts, and your voice matters now more than ever.


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