Wendy Gladney
Upland, CA — The mid-term elections are right around the corner and there is a lot happening in our country and around the world right now. Depending on whom you talk to, people are concerned, frustrated, hopeful, disappointed, angry, confused or perhaps a combination of all the above. I understand those feelings. There are things happening in government, in our communities, and throughout the world that can leave us wondering what can I possibly do about any of this? The answer is simple: Start with what is in your control. One of the most important things we can do as American citizens is to exercise our right to vote.
Here in California, our next statewide election is the General Election on November 3, 2026. I am not writing this column to tell you whom to vote for or how to vote on any issue. I am writing because I want to encourage you to become informed, make your own decisions, and then make sure your voice is heard. We cannot complain about what is happening in our government while refusing to participate in the process available to us. Democracy requires participation. That means doing our homework. Learn about the candidates. Do not simply rely on a commercial, social media post, political party, friend, family member, or even your favorite television personality, to tell you what to think. Research candidates’ positions and records. Read your voter information guide. Learn what the propositions and measures on your ballot actually say and consider the arguments for and against them.
California’s Secretary of State provides an Official Voter Information Guide as a nonpartisan resource to help voters understand what is before them. Use the resources available to you. For me, voting also carries a deeply personal meaning. I am a descendant of people who were once enslaved in this country. I come from ancestors who lived through generations when Black Americans were denied full access to the ballot even after the 15th Amendment was ratified in 1870. Poll taxes, literacy tests, intimidation, violence and other discriminatory practices were used to prevent Black citizens from exercising their rights. The struggle continued through the Civil Rights Movement and ultimately helped lead to passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. People marched. People were beaten. People were jailed. Some lost their lives. I cannot think about voting without remembering that history. I also think about the women who came before me. The 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920, prohibited denying the right to vote on the basis of sex after generations of women organized, marched, petitioned and protested for that right. Their struggle reminds me that the opportunity I have today was not always available to women in this country. Therefore, because of their sacrifice we cannot take voting for granted.
Maybe you are discouraged. Maybe you do not like either candidate in a particular race. Maybe you believe politicians do not listen. Maybe you are frustrated with the current federal administration, Congress, state government or your local elected officials. Those feelings are yours to have. But discouragement does not have to become disengagement.
You can make a difference when you educate yourself and vote. You can have respectful conversations with people who see things differently. You can encourage someone else to participate. And you can help remove barriers for someone who wants to vote. Maybe an older neighbor needs transportation to a voting location. Maybe a young person voting for the first time needs help finding reliable, nonpartisan information about what is on the ballot. Perhaps someone needs help figuring out where or how to vote. We can help one another participate without telling one another how to vote. Voting alone will not solve every problem facing our country. Civic responsibility does not begin and end at the ballot box. We also must stay informed, serve our communities, hold elected officials accountable, volunteer, advocate for issues we care about, and be willing to listen to one another. As The Purpose Partner, I often talk about moving from being stuck to taking purposeful action. The same principle applies here. We can spend all our energy stewing over what we do not like, or we can decide to do something constructive with the power we have.
Wendy is the Purpose Partner helping women go from Crossroads to Confidence, from Shaken to Unshakable, from Purpose to Power. To learn more visit WendyGladney.com and ForgivingForLiving.org.
