![[Photo of a gavel and the Constitution]](https://www.deankwilson.com/Blog_images/gavel_and_Constitution.jpg)
| Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. |
| —Romans 13:1 |
All across the United States today, people will go to the polls and choose the President and other leaders. This year, of course, many have already voted by mail. As one who for many years—because of my disability—have voted by Absentee Ballot, I understand the privilege of casting one’s ballot by mail. This year, later in the day, I will drive to the designated polling place, unload my powered wheelchair, and enter the Perry Hi-Way Hose Company building to cast my ballot in the election.
After voting by mail for nearly twenty years, you may wonder why I am showing up in person to vote this year. I suppose I am choosing to do this partly in protest against the way that some states are handling the expanded efforts to encourage people to vote by mail. I am keenly aware of the potential for manipulating the outcome of the election that voting by mail affords. I am also quite untrustworthy of the hyperpartisanship that has overtaken our political process. I want to make absolutely certain that my vote counts.
I have friends, Christian friends, who have thrown their hands up in the air and stated that they won’t vote because neither candidate for President seem worthy. I can understand their frustration, even though as an avowed Conservative I have been quite satisfied with the more conservative policies that have come out of Washington in the last four years—certainly not fiscally, but in every other way.
More so, the reason why I will vote later today stems from the Scripture verse found at the beginning of this blog post. In this verse, the Apostle Paul reminds his readers, who happen to reside at the seat of power for the Roman government, that we Christians have a responsibility to submit to governing authorities. Admittedly, it is easier to accept this verse if one agrees with what those authorities are doing. I had a particularly difficulty time living the reality of this verse during the eight years of the previous administration because of my strong Conservative views.
If you have already voted by mail, or if you will go to your designated polling place today to cast your ballot, I invite you to join with me in doing so recognizing that this opportunity comes from God. He is the one who establishes authorities over us. That we have the privilege of helping to choose who will lead us is a great honor that our wonderful nation has given us because God has so established it.
