I turned 21 on April 1, 1970. I don’t remember actually registering to vote, but I do remember that I knew voting was a very important privilege. I have voted in every election, local, regional, state and national since I qualified for the privilege.

The research I have done to inform myself in writing this essay has proved interesting, demoralizing and uplifting. And, for myself, dismaying in learning about events that were not included in my history classes. Further, and personally dismaying, was to understand how much I have taken for granted about my privilege to vote.

While taking that privilege seriously enough to inform myself as much as possible about issues by reading voters’ pamphlets, watching debates and attending forums, I did not take the privilege seriously enough to learn and understand the fraught history of its existence. For that, I am thankful to have been invited to share my thoughts at this centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

It has provided me the opportunity to research, learn about and be more thankful for this privilege.

For example, my mother was born in Puerto Rico in 1919. Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States. Residents were granted U.S. citizenship in 1917, so my mother was born a U.S. citizen. However, only literate women were granted the right to vote in 1929; but, in 1935, this limitation was lifted.

Even now, however, the citizens of Puerto Rico do not have any voting representation in the U.S. Congress. Puerto Rico is “allowed” one nonvoting resident commissioner in the House of Representatives. Puerto Rico’s residents and citizens cannot vote for the U.S. president. Do you think that makes a difference today? Thankfully, my mother’s family moved to Louisiana in the 1930s.

I was born in Washington, D.C. Women in D.C. were not able to vote after the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920, but neither were men. It took another constitutional amendment, the 23rd Amendment, ratified in 1961, for D.C. residents to win the right to vote for president and vice president.

In 1973, Congress passed a Home Rule Act for D.C., which established an elected but nonvoting delegate in the House of Representatives. Congress still has the power to impose laws on Washington, D.C., or to veto any laws passed by the D.C. Council. A constitutional amendment establishing full representation in Congress for Washington, D.C., passed in 1978 but was not ratified by enough states. Proposals for D.C. statehood have so far failed to pass Congress. What’s that saying, taxation without representation?

As an adult, I’ve been a resident of Washington state and Oregon. In Oregon, voters defeated measures to enfranchise women as voters five times between 1884 and 1910. In 1912, women in Oregon finally won the vote. Oregon was the 25th state to ratify the 19th Amendment in January 1920. The only woman serving in the Oregon Legislature had introduced the ratification measure.

In Washington, women finally won the right to vote, after many wins and losses through the previous years, in November 1910. Washington, with a goodly number of women in the Legislature, was the 35th state to ratify the 19th Amendment in March 1920.

Because I traveled often for my job, I began utilizing absentee ballots for voting in the 1980s. I loved the convenience and the clarity it provided me. So, I was happy to learn of Oregon’s mail-in balloting, successfully in place for more than 25 years, when I moved here in 2002.

Congress passed the Voting Rights Act Amendments of 1970 requiring all states to register citizens between the ages of 18 and 21 as voters. Amazingly, it was Oregon, under Gov. Tom McCall , that led the states that objected to lowering the voting age and filed suit on the grounds that the act was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of the respondent, U.S. Attorney General John Mitchell. Isn’t it interesting to learn history?

When I worked at Tongue Point Job Corps Center, one of the responsibilities I was honored to have was to explain to students the importance of registering to vote and then exercising that right by educating oneself about the candidates and issues and then voting. I spoke to students weekly during their orientation and conducted a voter registration drive every year. Those whose residences were in other states registered for absentee ballots; so, I learned about the registration process for most states in the country. I was amazed to learn how many states conducted their registration process online.

People tend to not believe that their one little vote makes a difference. As someone who has run for elected office, I can provide a very personal example that every vote counts. The first time I ran for Seaside City Council, the “other guy” got one more vote than I did. A recount occurred, with the same result. He won the Ward 2 seat by one vote. Yes! Every vote counts!

I’m not sure how many young women are aware of the struggles encountered by so many brave women to provide females the ability to have a voice in the processes of government. Personally, I will offer up thankful thoughts for their foresight, resistance, protests, activism and resilience every time I vote from now on.