In the wake of an historic election season (that’s still ongoing for a few very consequential races!), three Nerdy Girls share where they were, what they noticed, and how they felt on the days they chose to vote.
Last week, America saw its highest voter turnout rate in a midterm year since 1914. First-time voters, minoritized voters, and hesitant, single-issue voters all came out in unprecedented numbers (and early!) to fight for healthier neighborhoods, towns, cities, and states.
And that fight was not in vain! Not only did we secure our nation’s first Indigenous woman Governor (Deb Haaland), our first Black woman Governor (Keisha Lance Bottoms), and six transgender and nonbinary lawmakers in our state legislatures (Bentley Hudgins, Joanna Whaley, Allison Montgomery, Jaelynn Scott, Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherord, and Quinnie Perez), but We the People have elected at least 25 new doctors and scientists into Congress. Many of those elected anchored their campaigns in visions of stronger community health promotion, reproductive health equity, and social welfare as preventative care, while others focused on a variety of health-adjacent issues.
One thing’s for certain: When basic decency and humanity are on the ballot, we’ve proven ourselves fully capable of showing up. And as we hold our elected officials accountable to making good on their promises, we need to keep this very same energy.
In the wake of this historic election season (that’s still ongoing for a few very consequential races!), three Nerdy Girls share where they were, what they noticed, and how they felt on the days they chose to vote:
Amanda (Illinois): Brought out a first-time voter and made democratic participation a family affair!
Ilana (Vermont): Usually I go on election day and bring my son with me. I’ve been bringing him with me to vote since he was a baby, so he gets used to it and hopefully looks forward to it. I remember going with my mom as a small child – at that time in Connecticut, there were voting booths with heavy red curtains and large mechanical levers to pull to choose your candidates!
Featured images: Alternative voting options: A ballot box in the parking lot and snapshots of early voting at the town clerk’s office, which is what I did this year.
Kenzie (Indiana): One week before Election Day, my mom, sister, and I donned our sorority gear and headed to our nearest polling site on the Eastside of Indianapolis! We stood in line for just over an hour, during which time we made fast friends with a few neighbors and formed a “study group” to muse about the likelihood of breaking the statehouse’s supermajority and determining which candidates for our public school board had the interests of our diverse student population closest to heart.
This is the fourth time that I’ve voted in my life, and the first time that I’ve felt both genuinely informed and hopeful. To anyone who may feel that midterm and municipal elections aren’t consequential — or that using their voice won’t change anything — I understand how painful the pace of politics can feel.
But I can also feel the tides turning as more of us demand a better quality of life for ourselves and the generations to come. And these tides are only turning because we’re the water-benders! May we never forget the true extent of our power.
Our journey toward a “more perfect union” continues, now with greater momentum and more promising public involvement than ever.
Stay safe, stay well, and stay empowered!
Those Nerdy Girls
Link to Original Facebook Post
