VOTE November 6, or before.
Register now if you haven’t, and vote.
However frail our democracy, however far short our system falls of our ideals, the vote is one important tool we can wield to shape the future of our country. It’s an imperfect tool, but it matters. This fall, it matters a lot.
The Oregon deadline is October 16; in Washington, October 8 (or Oct. 29 for new voters in person).
The world is not black and white, with a little bit of gray in between. The absence of a perfect candidate, or a perfect measure, or a perfect anything is no excuse for turning your back. A vast rainbow of colors and shades and hues spans the distance between the perfection of utopia and the nightmare of dystopia. Those colors and hues matter greatly.
And yes: the differences between ballot measures and candidates are never as clear or as great as we might wish. Vote anyway. The choices we’re presented will not yield perfect outcomes. True. The changes are too slow, dangerously incremental. Yes, true again. Still, vote anyway.
That said, the ballot isn’t a magic bullet. We have to stay engaged in making our cities and states, our country and our world a better place. The forever project of creating better systems – and a more just, equitable, beautiful, sustainable, and hopeful future – means that in whatever way is right for us, we need to keep our hearts and minds in the game, no matter what.
On many fronts – the deepening divides of race, religion, gender, ethnicity, income inequality, unequal access to justice, education, and opportunity, and the escalating crises of environmental destruction, species extinction, and climate change – we are in a dangerous time. The world is approaching a precipice. But we don’t have to just watch and wail, or descend into violence. The collective power of voting can pull us back from the edge – it can literally buy us time. So vote.
Marking your ballot matters, even in a painfully imbalanced system like ours. Men and women all over the globe have fought and died for countless generations to demand and secure for themselves and their children the right to a voice, a say in how we are governed. We can’t dare squander their lives. Don’t squander that blood-won right. Pay attention and vote.
Living Earth Ballot Talk
Friday, Nov. 2, 7:00 pm
4312 SE Stark, Portland
Living Earth’s Nov. 2 First Friday gathering will be a Community Ballot Talk. Not with pitches by candidates or lobbyists. This is for us, just folks in the community asking questions and sharing information, concerns, values, and visions about ballot measures and candidates. Questions? Contact us!
And register, already!
Vote.gov provides links to information for in-state and absentee voting in every state, or check with your county Registrar of Voters. If you aren’t already registered or if you’ve moved, do it now.
Your life matters for a million reasons, and so does your vote. The changes we make in our cities and towns, states, and Congress on November 6 can tilt the axis toward greater peace, justice, compassion, and connection in our communities and our world. Don’t let cynicism and despair steal your voice.
Turn on.Tune in. And VOTE!