What is your voting plan? Or, how my plan is to follow Michelle Obama into hell

This week marks the 100th year anniversary of the 19th Amendment in the United States of America.

For only 100 years, women (and to be clear not all women, because, history, and that's a topic for another post) whom were citizens in the United States of America gained the right to vote:

The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Only fitting that Michelle Obama should sport a VOTE necklace during her empassioned virtual Democratic National Convention address last night. (Also, yes, I did order a knockoff VOTE necklace, this one donating $5 USD to the League of Women Voters NYC.)

Voting during COVID19

Voting in a normal year is always fraught with issues, from disinterest and apathy to the normal run of the mill attack on civil liberties. However, add in 2020 and we are seeing an entire new threshold of issues:

Collectively, these challenges add an even finer point to why voting matter -- if we don't show up, what else will we lose?

Making a voting plan

It is exhausting and overwhelming to discuss things in 2020.

But, you are not alone. We all are here. Trying to figure out how to move forward.

One way we can move forward towards Election 2020 is to prepare, plan, and be ready.

Details vary state to state and states are scrambling to clarify what date a mail in ballot can be accepted.

Plan your vote

So, how are you planning to vote?

If you don't have an answer, don't worry. That's why we are going to prepare a voting plan.

In 2016, of the more than 120 million votes cast only some 107,000 votes in three states effectively decided the election. This math is beyond problematic. Why we continue to have an electoral college which disproportionately gives states with less population more voting power (cough: Senate) is an oddity in the simplest of terms. In order to take on strucutral inequities, we need to take action to install a competent Executive body that believes, in no particular order: the value of all but particularly those whom have suffered harm so unjustly for so long, science, truth, decency, and above all in us.

So, let's make this voting plan.

Here's three questions I want you answer for yourself.

  1. How will you vote?
  2. How will you confirm you have voted?
  3. If that fails, what will your backup be?

Some of y'all already answered me.

And here's where I need your help. It's not enough to plan only for yourself. You need to find ways to hold yourself accountable. As well as others in your circles.

Steps I've taken:

  1. Confirmed I'm registered by mail to vote
  2. Confirmed I have PTO for November 3 2020
  3. Confirmed where my nearest voting precict is in the case my ballot is late

You've got homework

Go and ask five folks in your network. That's your homework. Do it. If not for me, then for Michelle Obama.

She deserves better. I do. And yes, so do you.

Need more news?

I started a crowdsourced daily digest over at What To Do Today Election 2020 with daily news, events, call to action, and whatever else we need. Subscribe! Read it! Suggest content!



Tags: Voting, Election-2020