94-Year-Old Travels More Than 300 Miles To Cast Ballot

Distance is but a number for Mildred Madison when she exercised her right to vote and traveled more than 300 miles just to cast her ballot.

Originally from Detroit, Michigan, the 94-year-old Madison has been living with his son, Julian, in Zion, Illinois since September of last year. Travel restrictions caused by COVID-19 also made her stay with her son and requested for her ballot to be sent to Illinois.

But when she didn’t receive her ballot, Madison decided to take a little road trip.

“I said I had better go back to Detroit and make sure that I vote. I’m glad I did because I haven’t seen a ballot yet,” Madison told CNN, adding that she wasn’t taking “any chances” despite the fact that there’s still a chance her ballot might reach the mail.

With a firm decision, Madison, who wore a black face mask with the word “Vote” printed on it, sat in her wheelchair and traveled around 330 miles. She and her son set off for Detroit on Oct. 12 around 6:30 a.m. and made it to the polling station just before noon.

Madison said she wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to vote and described the practice to be “most important,” ABC 7 New York reported.

“Vote because your life depends on it, not only for you but for your children and their children,” Madison added.

The drive from Illinois to Detroit took about 330 miles each way. Madison and her son did it all in one day just so she could vote.

Madison said she has been voting in every election for the last 72 years.

“I made it and voted for the people I wanted to vote for and I hope they win. But I felt satisfied that I was not going to miss voting,” Madison told CNN.

She also “engrained” to her grandchildren the importance of voting and to be “politically active,” said Julian.

According to Fox 2 Detroit, Madison’s daughter, Sharon said her mother knows “the importance” of voting “from both sides” considering that she was a former elected official.

Madison served as a member of the city council while she was living in Cleveland and sat on the state board of education. She was also elected as president of the League of Women Voters in Cleveland and Detroit and at one time, ran for office herself.

“When I found out my councilman was not doing what he was supposed to do, I ran against him and I become a council-person,” Madison told Fox 8 Live.