Getting the chance to make your voice heard at the polls is an experience most never forget, but the priceless reaction from a woman who was overcome with emotion after voting for the first time in the Alabama Senate special election is tugging at the hearts of the nation.
As thousands made their way to their respective polling locations in Alabama to make their vote count in what was undoubtedly one of the most crucial elections of our time on Tuesday, 33-year-old Nuris Bigelow was proud to be one in the number. In a video that has since gone viral on social media, Bigelow is seen wiping tears from her eyes while sharing how it felt to be able to vote for the first time.
“My eyes just burnin’, aint nobody crying,” she joked while answering a question about how it feels to have participated in her first election. “I’m glad that I was able to vote, my vote counts. One more makes a difference.”
Reporter Kira Lerner, who shared the video on Twitter, later revealed that Bigelow had just recently had her voting rights restored after serving time in jail.
According to ThinkProgress, the woman was able to register to vote with the help of voting rights advocate and pastor, Kenneth Glasgow. Glasgow is Revered Al Sharpton’s half-brother and works continuously to help people with criminal records regain their rights after returning home.