It's Time to Vote!
It’s time to vote in the United States! This is one wild and crazy election cycle we are living through. I want to encourage everyone to get out and vote, do NOT skip this election.
Check your voter registration if you have any doubts. If you aren’t registered, can you register in your state on the day you vote? Check your local county government website for details.
Time is running short for early voting. But if it is available and you still can, that might help avoid lines on Election Day, Tuesday, November 5. You can still drop off a ballot mailed to you into an official ballot drop box. If you are voting on Election Day, in many states you are legally allowed to leave work and go to vote. Bring your ID.
Let’s talk for a minute about WHY we are voting. This is really personal and different for everyone. This post represents my own views, and not any other organization. I am voting for our future- our children and our environment. I am voting for candidates that I think will do the best job of fighting climate change, among many other important topics. I am voting because I want to prevent the worst climate scenarios, and help build a healthy, positive, supportive country.
What are you voting for? Let me know!
Climate change has not been talked about very much in the lead up to this election. Keep in mind that at a minimum, Kamala Harris would continue to implement the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that she helped pass during Biden’s presidency. From the IRA Guidebook page, this legislation is “the most significant action Congress has taken on clean energy and climate change in the nation’s history.”
Donald Trump has repeatedly called climate change a hoax. He would attempt to repeal portions of the IRA or limit spending for climate programs and clean energy projects while increasing America’s fossil fuel production.
It seems likely that Harris isn’t talking about climate because she knows it can be a divisive issue. In comparison to Trump, she is clearly the greener choice, so is a better pick for those concerned about climate change. If that’s you, don’t delay or sit out this election, it’s going to be very close! It’s time to vote for leaders who will take our future in the face of climate change seriously.
Here are links comparing Harris and Trump’s views and plans related to climate-
PBS- Where Harris and Trump stand on climate change policies
Remember, if you identify as conservative but are worried about where Trump has dragged the Republican Party, you can pick and choose on your ballot. You can vote for Harris for president, but also vote for Republicans that you respect in other areas. That’s a-ok! No one but you needs to know how you voted unless you want to share that.
I like to vote with the Colorado ballot that I received in the mail. I can sit at home with my state informational booklet handy. This gives info about each issue on the ballot, both for and against. If you are instead going to vote in person, read through the information ahead of time.
If possible, do research on local candidates. Candidates that have plans to deal with climate issues, take the environment seriously, and believe scientific data are much more prepared to handle these topics than those candidates who don’t take climate change seriously. State and local leaders can also do a lot for environmental issues, so be sure you are choosing candidates down the whole ballot, not just the president.
Help young adults or first time voters in your circle navigate the process. Be sure they know where and when to vote on Election Day.
Make sure your young kids see that you vote, or know that it’s important to you. This way, you will be demonstrating how democracy works for the next generation.
If you feel disenfranchised by the Electoral College, I understand, it really frustrates me. But voting now, even if you feel that your vote won’t count because you live in a region dominated by different views, DOES matter. If the popular vote and the results of the Electoral College are different again, this will hopefully continue to inspire an overhaul of our antiquated system. Both George W. Bush in 2000 and Donald Trump in 2016 won the Electoral College but lost the popular vote. I hope this year has a clear winner, but it’s so close right now that things may get messy. Get out and vote and make sure you use your power!
The artwork in this post was created by me, and you are welcome to share it. The opinions are my own.