Unless you live under a rock, you probably know that here in Oklahoma we have a primary election coming up. There are ads EVERYWHERE right now, and it's hard to tell who is telling the truth. And one of the most important races is the race for state superintendent. While I have no real ties to the education system currently, I believe education is incredibly important and I want to vote on the right candidate for the job. (I'm still not sure who that is yet, but I'm pretty sure I know who it is NOT.)

But yesterday morning I realized that I had no idea where I was supposed to go to vote. More importantly, I realized that I had no idea if my name had been changed with the Election Board and if that would affect my ability to vote! (It's been awhile since I last voted.)

Yeah, haven't voted since the presidential election...

So I went to the Oklahoma State Election Board website and used their Search Tool. It's actually a pretty cool little device that pulls up your registration file and tells you all kinds of important facts like your voter ID number, party affiliation, and what districts you live in. It can be confusing to look at the maps to figure out which Congressional district you're in, so this was totally helpful! The search tool also tells you where you go to vote, where your local election board is located, and if you look within two weeks of an election, it provides a link to a sample ballot.

When I used the search tool, I discovered I'm still registered under my old name (I kind of hate the phrase maiden name so I try to avoid it). So I called my local election board to find out if I could still vote.

According to the very helpful man who answered the phone, if your name has changed but hasn't been updated in the voter registration system, you need to bring your voter registration card with your original name. If you're anything like me, then you may have no idea where the card is! So this nice man emailed me a temporary card that I can use to vote next week. He also told me they will have applications on hand at the local precinct so while I am there, I can fill out a new form to change my name so it will be up-to-date.

So now I know when, where, and how to vote. If you don't know where to go, or if you're even registered, go find out! If you aren't registered, unfortunately you won't be able to vote in this election. But fill out the form and you'll be ready to go for the next one!

Now I guess it's time to start researching the candidates! Do you have any strong opinions, particularly about the state superintendent race?

To me, Memorial Day has always meant cookouts, three day weekends, and the first dip in the pool. It meant getting to wear white again, playing with my cousins in the yard, and school being over. To many, Memorial Day means the first lake weekend of the season, or a trip to the beach. Or maybe to you, Memorial Day is the weekend to score deals on mattresses or washing machine (apparently home appliances are always on sale this weekend).

But most of us don't think of Memorial Day for what it is meant to be: a holiday to remember those who died serving in the US military.

I know, that's sobering to think about. Especially for those of you who may have had one too many Bloody Marys with brunch. But y'all, this holiday is about these men and women. The ones who gave their lives so we could drink too many drinks on the beach and spend a weekend with our loved ones eating burgers. And there are many, many of these men and women buried all over the world.

The grave of Theodore Roosevelt Jr, who is buried in Normandy, France

For those of you who don't know, here is a brief history of Memorial Day. It is (obviously) an American holiday and was originally known as Decoration Day. It began just after the Civil War and was initially created to honor only those who served in the Civil War. As years passed by (and the US got itself into more wars) the holiday began to recognize all those lives lost in any military engagement. Memorial Day didn't become an official federal holiday in 1971; at that time it was decided to celebrate the last Monday in May (so federal employees could have a three day weekend) instead of May 30th as it was done in the previous hundred years. And of course, we all know it now unofficially it marks the beginning of summer.

For those of us who have no real ties to anyone in the military, it's easy for us to just look at this weekend as a nice little break from work. And there's nothing wrong with spending our Memorial weekends at the lake or having a cookout with friends and family this weekend. But we should all try to remember the real reason for the holiday too. We should remember the men and women who died for our country. We should remember those out there serving right now. We should never forget that our freedom didn't come free.

Do You Know Where to Vote?

Memorial Day: It's Not Just a 3 Day Weekend