Bike the Vote

By Bruce Cohen - October 29, 2014

Yesterday I capitalized on the beautiful, warm October weather and went for a fantastic ride.  I headed west from my home, rode into the rolling hills of Howard County farmland, saw the changing leaves, and looped back by the library with purpose.  This ride wasn’t just for pleasure.  No, the purpose of this ride was to exercise my civic duty, and on my way home from my ride I rode by the sign waving candidates and volunteers, marched myself into the library in my bike shorts and Bike Maryland jersey, and voted.

Early voting is incredibly easy and I strongly recommend that Marylanders take advantage of the convenience.  It took me no more than ten minutes to get in, vote, grab my sticker, and head back out the door.  They had a full arsenal of voting machines and many volunteers on hand to walk you through the process as smoothly as possible.  In and out in ten minutes when I easily spend more time than that planning a route for a ride.

However you decide to vote we encourage you to take your bike there.  Swing by your local early voting location on your Thursday group ride.  Show the candidates and volunteers pressed up against the “No Electioneering Passed this Point” signs that you are a biker and that you vote.  Remind them that there is yet another reason to give us the infrastructure and safe conditions that we demand (and deserve): we pay attention and we vote.  Sense a theme?  Votes matter to elected officials; show them that yours is delivered by bike.