Vote Like Humanity Depends On It…Because It Does

The U.S. midterm election is next Tuesday, November 3. In many states, early voting is already underway. To say that this is a critical election is an understatement. Humanity is on the ballot.

Over the years, I have become increasingly interested in politics and how it shapes our nation, the world, and our everyday lives. I am not sure exactly when that shift happened. Maybe it is something that comes with getting older. Maybe it was after Trump was first elected in 2016, when the blatant racism and hate that followed made me question how much progress we’d really made after eight years of Obama. I used to pay much more attention to presidential elections than to midterm and local elections. But I’ve come to realize that voting in midterms is just as important, if not more so (I’m not saying choose one over the other, so please, vote every chance you get!). Midterm elections also often include races at the state and local levels, and the people elected to those offices shape policies that directly affect our communities. All elections have consequences, and those consequences don’t disappear if we choose not to participate.

We can’t forget that the right to vote was not always available to everyone. Women organized and fought for generations for suffrage, leading to the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. But that victory did not mean all women could freely exercise that right, particularly Black women. And while the 15th Amendment prohibited denying voting rights based on race in 1870, Black Americans continued to face discriminatory barriers, intimidation, and violence at the polls. People marched, fought, and in some cases lost their lives to secure voting rights for Black Americans. It wasn’t until 1965, just 61 years ago, that the Voting Rights Act was passed to address many of those barriers. And just this year, the Supreme Court significantly weakened a key provision of the Voting Rights Act. And even today, we are still seeing efforts to restrict access to the ballot.   

The right to vote was hard-won and should never be taken for granted. That doesn’t mean voting will solve every problem. However, if you choose not to vote, others will still vote and help determine who has the power to make decisions that affect your livelihood and the lives of others. And the people they elect may not have your best interests in mind. Voting doesn’t guarantee the outcome we want, but some elections are decided by just a handful of votes. So when people say, “every vote counts,” they’re right. Even when our preferred candidates don’t win, our votes still reflect what we stand for.

If this post makes it seem like The Winters Group is taking a side, we absolutely are. The Winters Group has always stood for humanity, dignity, respect, fairness, diversity, and justice. We remain deeply concerned by the actions and rhetoric of the current administration, which continue to undermine these values—from attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion, to the erosion of civil rights protections, to inhumane immigration enforcement, to the blatant anti-Black racism, misogyny, Islamophobia, and transphobia. Much of what has been at the heart of our work for decades is being swiftly challenged, eroded, and stripped away. We need a change.

I hope you will join me in voting for humanity in this election. If you haven’t cast your ballot yet, here are a few things I recommend before you do:

• Do your research. Don’t rely solely on the ads you see on TV or what your family and friends tell you about a candidate. Find out for yourself. Consider how a candidate’s policies might impact not only you but also your community and people whose experiences may differ from yours. Which candidates are committed to protecting the dignity, rights, and well-being of all people?
• Check your registration status. Before heading to the polls, make sure your voter registration is up to date. If you or someone you know is not registered, some states allow registration on Election Day (check here to see if your state is one of them).
• Make a plan to vote. And encourage others to do the same. Help others find the information they need to make informed decisions, and offer to take people to the polls if you can.
• Know your rights and options. Know your voting rights, including what happens if you’re still in line when the polls close (check out ACLU.org for more information). And don’t forget about accessibility. Check what voting accommodations are available in your area, including curbside voting where offered.

And whatever happens on November 3, our responsibility to humanity doesn’t end at the ballot box. Let’s get into good trouble together.