Life's Journey Brings 71-Year-Old Man To Polls On Scooter Adorned In Political Signs

HERNDON, VA — When Alexander Burke was 18 and too young to vote, he was drafted to fight in the Vietnam War.

"I was in the U.S. Army," he told Patch. "It wasn't free of charge. I was sent to two years in prison. I was a draft dodger."

On the spur of the moment, Burke skipped town and headed to Miami, where he planned to go to night school.

"I was two weeks away from going to school," he said. "I wanted to go to school, but the FBI arrested me."

Burke finally got a chance to cast his first ballot a few years later when he turned 21. Since then, he's never missed an opportunity to exercise his right to vote.

"I have always voted in elections, in our local elections, in our state elections, and, of course, the president of the United States, too," he said. "It's important for the American people to exercise the right to vote. It's very, very important."

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On Tuesday afternoon, the 71-year-old Harbor House resident was riding his scooter along Elden Street. He was headed to the polls to vote in the Democratic Party primary election.

Over the last couple of weeks, Burke has ridden his scooter around town to help raise awareness of Tuesday's primary. He's even decked out his scooter with flags and signs of the candidates he supports.

"I want to use this to get the word out here," he said. "People have responded, well over 50 people. I only had one person give me a hard time. But hey, it's freedom of speech. Nobody's going to agree with you 100 percent. You have to have something to say."