ARE YOU READY TO VOTE?!
How do you ever really know if you’re “ready” to vote?
I’ve heard a lot of young women say “I don’t know enough to vote” or even worse, “I’m not smart enough to vote.” This makes me cringe and want to cry at the same time! I mean, how beautiful is it that women WANT to be properly prepared to exercise their right to vote?! But how SAD it is that they won’t take the time to GET prepared! Trust me, it doesn’t take as long as you think.
A lot of women struggled for a long time to secure women’s right to vote in the US. And there are still women in other parts of the world fighting for their right to have a voice in their government. What does voting really get us? If you’ve done it before, it can seem a little anti-climactic… Like OK SO THAT’S IT?! How do I even know it gets counted?! But when you think about it, how shitty would it be if these slimy politicians got to do whatever the EFF they wanted…. That would SUCK right?? Well, that’s what you let them do when don’t vote!!! You let them get away with shitty shit!
So I put together a quick & easy guide to preparing yourself to vote. A lot of the resources can be found RIGHT here on the site (and later in the week I will be diving deeper into EVERYTHING you can do on SBA…) but others you kinda have to go find for yourselves.
- MAKE SURE YOU’RE REGISTERED.
If you’re not, that’s ok! But that’s the first step. On the side bar of this site, you will see a green button (or at the top of the home page) that says “register to vote.” If you click on that, it will take you to “rock the vote” where you can type in your info and see if you’re registered.
If you know you’re NOT registered, or registered in the wrong spot (hellllooo millennials, we move a LOT!) no sweat – go to the same green button and rock the vote will also help you register.
- GET THE WHEN/ WHERE/ WHO/ WHAT.
FIND OUT:
- WHEN the next election/ vote on legislation is
- WHERE you go to vote
- And WHO/ WHAT you are voting on
Then start some research on that issue/ person running. They make their info EASY to find on purpose – people running for office want you to know about them so you’ll go vote! Try following some on social media to start and familiarizing yourself with their stance on issues that mean the most to you. If it’s new legislation up for votes (like raising taxes, legalizing pot, you name it!) find out what it’s all about!
- STAY INFORMED.
This is an on-going project. Election boards have twitter, facebook, and sometimes even Instagram accounts. If you spend a lot of time on social media, it can be the easiest way to make sure you’re staying in the loop. If you’re more of an email person, you can sign up for their email subscriptions and get info sent RIGHT to your inbox J And don’t be afraid to ask them questions!!! That’s WHAT THEY’RE THERE FOR! No one is going to treat you like you’re stupid for getting informed.
But following the election boards is the most key because from there you can research the individual people/ legislation that are up for votes. ANOTHER great way to stay informed… Subscribe to See by Antigone email alerts!!! By subscribing, you’ll get an email every time there is a new post with just the title & a blurb about the post.
- GET INVOLVED.
Staying informed gets SO much easier when you GET INVOLVED! That way, you’re surrounding yourself with people who know their stuff! And that will rub off on you. Here are some ideas of where to start getting involved:
- Sally’s List or your state’s equivalent – Most states have a version of this group, plus there is a national version called Emily’s List. Basically, it is a non-partisan (so think NO party bickering!) group that helps women run for office! So since it is women-only, it can be a comfortable place to start as a young woman. The more experienced baby boomers will LOVE to see you there and will help welcome you in, trust me! Then you can learn about the amazing, brave women running for office in your state & what issues they’re championing.
- An issue that means a lot to you – Think about what makes your heart pound! Maybe it’s animal rights, or LGBT issues, or helping kids out of poverty! Well I promise there is a group out there helping to pass legislation to help with that issue. Go find them & start volunteering!
- Find a political group for young professionals (or college kids if you’re in college!). There are tons of seminars as well (like “Pipeline to Politics” here in OKC on Jan. 25th) that will help acquaint you with the local political landscape. I find that local politics can be WAY more fun than national politics because it’s a lot more focused in on actual issues rather than rhetoric… like “we need a stop light on this street” vs. epic debates on abortion etc… Both are VERY important but local is a little less exhausting!
- Do you personally know someone running for office? Like a family friend or neighbor? Offer to help walk neighborhoods with them! They can always use the company and that way you can hear them speak about their campaign firsthand!
As a last resort – message ME! It would MAKE MY DAY to help get you involved with politics, even in a small way. The more involved women are, the better the world will be – that is my true belief! I know we all spend a ton of time voicing our opinion on social media and marching… But very few millennial women ACTUALLY VOTE! Which is a tad depressing to me as there are so many important issues at stake these days.
So take the steps above, grab some girlfriends and head to the polls together! Grab drinks after & toast to the fact that we live in an amazing country that gives us voices & choices.
Xx
Antigone