Vote 2020!

My great grandmother Flo was a suffragette. I’m told that men hit her with brooms as she marched for the right to vote. One threw a brick that struck her head. And yet she persisted.

This year the phrase “the most important election in our lifetime” has been popping up almost everywhere I look. And while this election is absolutely vital, I also think every election is important.

By all means please register and vote in this presidential election. But also I implore you to vote in all elections that you can. Minor elections may seem unimportant but they have small ripple effects that over time, and combined with others, can create huge waves of change.

Politics start in your home and in your neighborhood. I encourage you to get involved in your local community. You could join your local neighborhood association. Josh and I have and recently had the opportunity to hear our local state senator speak and got our questions answered by the current Portland mayor candidates.

And please take jury duty. Getting out of jury duty is an old joke that conveys an ugly truth. Many people prefer to complain about politics rather than participate. Yet jury duty is a direct way to make political change. (Read a definition of jury nullification here.)

Need more information on how to register or where to vote? Portland bookstore Two Rivers put together a resource guide. (Oregon info is first, generalized info second.)

Election 2020 – Resources for Voting and Getting Involved