Sure, lines to vote in D.C. and Virginia today stretched to more than two hours long in some places. But many Americans went through much more to make sure their voices were heard this Election Day.

Will Ethridge, a 25-year-old serving in the Peace Corps in Materi, Benin, rode for three hours in a bush taxi to cast his vote. Not only was the bush-taxi crammed with people, he said, but a cow was tied to the vehicle’s roof.

But native Michigander Will made the trek anyway — and exhorted others to make the presumably much easier journeys to their local polling stations.

“’Government by the people’ is a privilege, not a right. Treat it as such,” he noted in a Facebook post.

Will Ethridge is the cousin of the author.