Special treat for you guys today! One of my dearest friends, Katie, wrote today's post. She is a constant source of inspiration for me - from her personal style (like this pink suit!) and demeanor, to her whit and whimsy, to how she views the world - and better yet, what she does to help make it a better place, and so much more. Because of all that, and that she has worked in government at both the state and federal level for more than a decade, and now works in D.C. for a nonprofit focusing on education policy, I thought she was the perfect person for a voting pep talk. :)
Oh, and her fabulous style (more of that at the bottom).
I recently read a comment by a blogger I follow, who said she doesn’t share her political views on her platform because: “I don’t feel this should be a factor in why people choose to like me or not.” While I disagree with her premise, I respect her decision to choose to share the content she wishes. Megan and I have been talking over the last couple of weeks about how to use this space, and she asked me to share some thoughts with you about why we hope you consider exercising your right to vote next week (Tuesday, November 6th) - regardless of the vote you cast.
Oh, and her fabulous style (more of that at the bottom).
I recently read a comment by a blogger I follow, who said she doesn’t share her political views on her platform because: “I don’t feel this should be a factor in why people choose to like me or not.” While I disagree with her premise, I respect her decision to choose to share the content she wishes. Megan and I have been talking over the last couple of weeks about how to use this space, and she asked me to share some thoughts with you about why we hope you consider exercising your right to vote next week (Tuesday, November 6th) - regardless of the vote you cast.
Since the birth of our country, voting has been an action that the powerful have tried to manipulate in a myriad of ways - from outright bans for certain segments of the population (ahem women, minorities) to Jim Crow laws, party machines, and modern day voter suppression efforts. If so many people are interested in taking this right away it must mean that voting is important! Decisions made by our elected policymakers at every level of government affect every aspect of our lives, whether you like it or not. I’m sure each of us has at least one issue that we care deeply about - whether it is better education for our kids, safer roads so you can bike to work, equal pay so that your daughters have the same earning potential as your sons, public safety to protect women from sexual assault, affordable health care so that your family doesn’t face bankruptcy as our parents age or a family member experiences unexpected illness. And elected officials are making decisions on these issues each and every day.
And, as US Citizen without representation in Congress (shout out to my fellow District of Columbia residents!), I am truly jealous of your (those in the 50 states within this country) ability to make your voice heard on November 6th. Though many try to make voting hard, there are some easy steps you can take to get involved.
- Make a plan to vote. Do you know where your polling place is? Do you know the hours of voting? Do you have early voting in your area?
- Tell your boss/work that you need to take some time away to vote! Can’t get away? There is still time to cast your vote early.
- Do some googling on the candidates. Which offices are on the ballot? Who are the candidates? What are their policy positions? The internet has made this very easy to figure out, and quickly!
- Just do it. Vote!
It seems pretty straightforward, right? (If you answered yes to that question - yay! But please be mindful that many of our neighbors voting still isn’t an easy process - maybe check in with your friends and family to see if there is anything you can do to help them stay enfranchised.) Our elected officials are a reflection of our values and priorities, and a chance to make your voice heard. I hope you will take time this election season to exercise your right to vote and shape the values and priorities of your community going forward. Every vote matters.
Not sure where to start googling? TheSkimm has created a No Excuses campaign with information for elections across the country and Rock the Vote is always a great resource for voting information. And who knows - maybe in the next election your name will be on the ballot, too! ;)
Shop Her Look:
