In the time I've lived in Virginia, I've voted in two elections, and each one has tested my views about the democratic process in America.

Since I turned 18, I've never missed a vote. I've voted in national, state and local elections, every one. I believe in the process. I believe that it is our duty as citizens to take the right to vote seriously, and to cast a ballot with as much information as we can gain behind our fingers as we push down the lever.

The amount of information I've gleaned about candidates has certainly increased over the years, as has my overall political knowledge. When you live with someone whose brain contains an inordinate amount of political knowledge, not to mention savvy, you can't help but pick up a few things.

November 2004 and November 2005 were the first times I've ever considered not voting in an election. It was the first time my beliefs about the democratic process were challenged by the choices of candidates. Moving to the conservative south was a huge political departure for me. I've always lived in a heavily Democratic state. Even though I don't align myself with the Democratic party, I could always find a candidate whose views on issues I deemed important aligned with my own. Tony has written extensively about the candidates of this election in Virginia, including his views on them, so I won't be redundant by repeating the main points. You can read his entry - he covers everything much more comprehensively and concisely than I could have.

On my way home from the voting booth tonight, I was talking with Tony on the phone about this year's election. We both joked about moving out of Virginia, given the fact that casting a ballot today amounts to little more than choosing the lesser of two evils. In that joke, though, was a double scoop of truth. As I drove away from the polls, I was left with a nagging feeling that I hadn't done the right thing by voting. Why am I voting for individuals who, when given the power to govern me, challenge or threaten the civil liberties I believe in and hold dear?

And if my choices for the highest elected officials in my state are leaving me feeling like I don't want to participate in the democratic process, why am I living in this state at all?