In her quest to cast a ballot, Gladys Kloewer has become intimately familiar with the “runaround,” a frustrating exercise in futility made famous by unbending employees who illogically refuse, under any circumstances, to deviate from their routine.

Although the United States became Gladys’ surrogate home almost 11 years ago, the Filipina citizen was denied dual citizenship. The reason? An oversight that went uncorrected.

Gladys could legally live and work in the U.S., but she was denied one right that did not sit well with her: suffrage. Unwilling to sit on the sidelines during one of the most heated and intriguing election years in history, the Jones Accounting Associates employee and her mother hit the books, passing the U.S. Citizen Test, an exam that would have many Americans sweating seeds.

Kathy Jones “loaned” her hardworking, diligent employee on a temporary basis to the accounting department of the Island County Auditor’s Office in mid-April. The department staff watched Gladys’ unwavering dedication in awe as she juggled a new job while raising her three small children and adeptly leaping through each hoop hurled by Immigration.

“She was devoted to getting this done and getting it done this year,” said Auditor Sheilah Crider.

Gladys took the Oath of Citizenship on May 12. But not before the diminutive woman flexed her muscles in the face of even more overt unfairness.

“Several people repeatedly told her she couldn’t use her maiden and married names,” Crider said. “She actually appealed to the director and was allowed to use the familial name. She explained that the maiden name becomes the middle name. It is her family custom. She never backed down and she was victorious.”

Persistence and optimism culminated May 16 when Gladys officially registered to vote. The excitement in the department was palpable as she made her way up to the elections division of the Auditor’s Office.

“Gladys was able to register within her own department, in our elections division,” Crider said with a huge smile. “It was as though it was meant to be. It was amazing watching this evolve. She has the warmest personality and she is an exceptional worker. She is a professional in every sense of the word.”

“I am so excited today to be registering to vote for the first time,” Gladys said. “Until you have citizenship, you cannot vote. It is very important to me and to my mother to vote this year.”

By studying for the exam, the proud U.S. citizen was given a crash-course in American government, whetting her appetite for more information. Come election time, she will not be playing pin-the-tail on the ballot. She will have extensive research in arsenal.

“It gave me an entirely new perspective on how important my one right really is,” she said. “I plan to learn as much as possible about each of the candidates as I prepare to vote in August.”

As for the presidential election, she is keeping an open mind and examining the qualifications of each candidate and determining who will best lead the country with “the most viable solution.”

“It’s tough sorting through the information, but I’m weighing it all, searching for the values I feel are most important,” she said, adding that her politically learned father is fanatical about acquiring the most recent, accurate information. Gladys also keeps herself informed on politics, understanding that decisions made now will affect her children and her children’s children. The importance of voting cannot be overstated.

“As a family we have discussed the importance of this year a great deal,” she said. “I was following the presidential election before I obtained citizenship. My goal was to become a citizen this year and register to vote in this presidential election. I made it! I am so very proud to do so.”

Gladys’ journey to earn a right freely given to native U.S. citizens serves as a reminder that Democracy, although not always applied flawlessly, or even adequately, can be an amazing principle.

“It was such a monumental year for her,” Crider said. “And for some reason we were able to be just a minute part of that. My admiration for her is over the moon.”