Happy Election Day! I feel kind of traumatized after last year's election, and I've felt uneasy all day as if I'm reliving the nightmare all over again... but it does feel really good to have performed a concrete action today, actively participating in the democracy and feeling some semblance of a normal functioning government in the midst of all this chaos.
If you haven't voted yet today, please go out and do it before the polls close! There are tons of local elections today (I just voted for town council, school board, and state assembly in NJ) and every single one of them matters. In addition, there are two governor's races today in my home state of New Jersey and in Virginia. These are SUPER important in a lot of ways. For one thing, if you cast your ballot for the democrats (Murphy in NJ and Northam in VA) it will send a very clear, decisive message that we are rejecting Trump and his agenda. If Republican senators and congressman see that the voters are going heavily Democratic in this election, they will be less likely to support Trump's outrageous policies like the Muslim ban, repealing access to affordable healthcare, increasing taxes on the middle class so that the rich can get a tax cut, or withdrawing from the Paris climate accord. If they think that their jobs are at stake, they won't be as quick to vote lockstep with Trump's heartless agenda.
But most importantly, who you elect as governor affects day-to-day life in your state. If you want a governor who will fight for the working class, for women's rights, for environmental safety, for better schools, for minorities' rights, for better access to health care, you want to elect a Democrat. It will also help to have these Democrats in office in 2020 when the next Congressional redistricting occurs. Every ten years, when the census is taken, Congress redraws the districts to reflect the changing population. But lately Republicans have been doing this thing called
gerrymandering, where they unfairly draw the maps to favor Republicans. In 2014, Republicans won 52% of congressional votes but they ended up with 57% of the seats in the house. That's because of gerrymandering. If we want a fair electoral system, it begins with electing Democratic governors to oversee the redistricting and make sure that we nip this in the bud before it gets even worse.
If you're not sure where your polling place is, you can look it up
right here. And if you're not sure how late the polls are open in your state, you can see a map of poll closing times
right here. If you already voted, remind your friends and family to vote! If somebody you know needs a ride to the polls, offer to take them. If you have the rest of the afternoon free, drop by your local campaign headquarters and offer to volunteer. Post on social media and remind people to vote.
Every single little thing you do can make a difference --- but the most important thing is voting. So if you haven't yet, stop reading this and go vote! :)
