write-in candidate

November 5, 2012 at 6:00 am · Filed under stories and tagged: candidate, crush, democracy, election, friends, school, student council

< by Jill >

By 7th grade, I had lost six student-council elections.

Each time, I thought I had a real shot at getting elected. I had a solid friend base and total confidence that my fellow tweens could rise above social politics and elect the best candidate, not the one with the most Abercrombie sweaters.

At 3 p.m. on the day after each election, the intercoms would crackle to life with the voice of the principal. “I will now announce the new student-council representatives.” Inevitably, the election went to the popular, the pretty, and the powerful. Not the buck-toothed (not the Jill).

Undeterred, I rested my faith in the student body in the fall of 1998, believing that this time they’d get it right. After all, I had recently acquired braces.

Voting took place during 6th period, and for me this was Mr. Hewitt’s math class. Being an excellent teacher, Mr. Hewitt seated me next to Sean, my crush. After receiving his ballot, Sean stretched a palm toward me and asked, “Un lapiz?” So I obliged and handed him my favorite mechanical pencil.

After I cast my ballot, I caught Sean penciling a name in the write-in box. My heart sunk.

The next day at 3 p.m., the intercoms crackled to life. The principal read the names:

Jessica D

Megan R-G

Hillary F

Jill K

My heart exploded and shot up into my ears, throbbing so loud I could hardly orient myself. As I looked around, I caught Sean’s eyes. He winked and said, “I circled your name AND wrote it in the box!”

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