Opinion: The next thing to do after voting

Last Tuesday, I got an email from Cardinal and Pine’s senior editor Billy Ball with the subject line “the best thing we do in NC starts Thursday.” His email was about early voting; like Billy, I vote early every year, wear the sticker, and since I’ve had kids, take them with me so they understand the importance of voting (they usually get a sticker too).

After voting, I think the second most important thing we can do this year is tell other people in our lives why they also must vote. Earlier this month,  my husband’s uncle Alan, who lives in Brevard, sent everyone in the family an email titled “November 5th.” He wrote that as a senior member of the family, he thought it was important to send everyone a message.

He kept it simple—so short it could be a text:

Three points:
* Never in my 74 years have I experienced a time when freedom in America was at risk as it is now.
* Our family emigrated to this country with very little. My parents survived the Great Depression, World Wars and always believed the US would provide if their descendants worked hard, acquired education, and practiced faith.
* We each have an obligation to register and to vote. The choice is yours, but I feel the danger of a racist autocracy is very real.
Please vote for Hope.

He added this P.S.:

Those who have lost faith in the government’s ability to help, only need to experience what we are experiencing in North Carolina now. Relief helicopters are delivering food, water, and supplies to our county in response to Helene’s destruction of bridges, roads, and communication. America at its best.

After reading Alan’s bracing message, I thought immediately about how I could write a similar email to my family members in North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, California, and Texas. Alan wrote about his family’s immigrant background, and particularly the faith in America that his parents had when they came here from Scotland. 

I could say that I never thought my daughters would have fewer rights than I did, and that my fierce protection of their futures will get me to the polls. Or that as a teacher, I’m appalled that my state has a person who calls public schools “indoctrination centers” running for Superintendent of Public Instruction. Or that as a North Carolinian, I am hurting for our friends in the Western part of the state and determined to elect leaders who believe in climate change.

Because I like a template, here’s how I’d structure such an email:

Hi there family, 

I’m writing a quick email because [give reason why voting this year is so important.] I voted early, and it was [fun! Quick! Insert description here after voting!].

Here’s why I voted the way that I did:

-Point one 

-Point two

-Point three

Hope to see you soon! 

Love,

Belle

I think we all have something to add to this conversation, and I’d be happy to get more emails like the one Alan sent. Even if I’ve already cast my ballot, it’s energizing to hear from other people who care as much as I do about protecting our democracy and the rights of our family, friends, and neighbors.

If you’re writing to folks in NC, you can share Cardinal and Pine’s handy voting guide. For more general information, you can point them to Vote411, a nonpartisan site sponsored by the League of Women Voters that helps you check your voter registration, gather information about what’s on your ballot, and even see how your local candidates answered standardized questions. 

Like most people living in a swing state, I get a lot of emails and texts from campaigns—increasing daily as we get closer to November 5. Some have photos, some are in all caps. I delete most of them. But I opened the one from Alan—and I wrote back.