As Illinois’ primary election day crashed to an uncertain conclusion last night, there was no denying the elephant in the room:

Most registered voters in the Land of Lincoln didn’t vote.

Holly, a Canton mother of two, was one of around 25 percent of registered voters to turn out yesterday.

Elections are empowering for Holly. She encourages her friends to get educated on the issues and candidates.This campaign season, Holly passionately supported her local Congressman, Rep. Phil Hare (D-Rock Island), who she says has been instrumental in trying to pass the ABLE Act. She posted a "get out the vote" message to her Facebook page and sent an email to her friends.

“He (Rep. Hare) really understands what we’re going through and he’s done so much in the world of Fragile X,” said Holly, whose two children have Fragile X syndrome. “If we want to make a difference in government offices, I need to be sure to cast my vote so someone can be in a position to make that difference."

Despite the cold and cloudy weather in her hometown of Canton, nothing keeps Holly from the polls on Election Day. She dropped her kids off at school yesterday and went straight to her polling place, which she described as “pretty slow.” She proudly donned an “I voted” sticker throughout the day.

“It’s a priority and it's a lot like advocacy," she said. “It makes me feel that I’m making a difference, doing my part and that my voice is being heard.”

To those who forgot to vote in this week's primary, Holly points out that the general election is just a few months away on Nov. 2.

“Don’t let that chance slip by again," she said. "If you want change, you have to cast your vote, you have to make the effort to make your voice count."

Like she says, your vote is your voice.

What about you - Did you watch the Illinois returns? How was your voting experience? Please email us at info@lifemyway.org and tell us why mobilizes you to get out and vote. We’ll publish your response on the blog!

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