November 3, 2026, is fast approaching. Be sure to mark your calendar and do the one thing every citizen can do—vote. It’s not only our right; it’s our responsibility. The only way we can say we have a government by and for the people is if we, the people, exercise our right to vote.
In the 2024 general election, 89 million people (36%) sat out the election, according to the University of Florida Election Lab, which calculates possible voters by the number of adults who would qualify if registered to vote, “minus ineligible noncitizens and felons.” That means only 64% of eligible voters cast a ballot.
If you are among the 64% who voted in 2024, intend to vote in November, and feel your vote matters, even if your favorite candidate didn’t get elected, you can stop reading now. This message is for the 36% who checked out early, or an additional 20% who plan to sit out the midterms. Fairvote.org reports, “Voter turnout in the United States is much lower than in other countries, hovering around 60% in presidential elections and 40% in midterm election years.”
If you’re not registered, what are you waiting for? Many states require up to 30 days before Election Day to register. Find out what’s required for your state here. If you need to register, you can do it online here. If you have a friend or relative who you know isn’t voting, have a conversation, offer to help, or drive them to the polls. We cannot hope to increase our representation if we don’t participate in choosing those representatives.
Many of our posts discuss the lack of representation for women. The House of Representatives cannot exceed 435 members, by law. Of the current membership, 129 women serve in the House (including 4 non-voting Delegates) and 27 of the 100 Senators are women—together about 28% of Congress.
Of course, a representative doesn’t have to be a woman to support what women care about, but few men recognize childcare, maternal health care, parental leave, women’s health care, or even education as issues that concern everyone. Women still assume most of the responsibility for the household and care for the children, in addition to pursuing careers. As reported in our blog, “Women in Politics,” about the 114th Congress, congresswomen reported that their male counterparts asked them to take on such issues, which they perceived as “women’s issues.”
Clearly, the real women’s issue is making the Equal Rights Amendment the law of the land. The word “sex” appears nowhere in the Constitution, and “women” were omitted entirely until the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920. But accessing those rights didn’t end there. “Decades of struggle to include African Americans and other minority women in the promise of voting rights remained. Many women remained unable to vote long into the 20th century because of discriminatory state voting laws.”
The struggle isn’t over. Several forces are rising up to discourage—and even eliminate—eligible voters. Many states are currently attempting to change laws to prevent certain populations from voting; some jurisdictions are closing poll locations, still others require specific forms of ID, which can make it harder for women whose names changed when they married. It’s important to check beforehand. Is your registration current? Do you have the acceptable ID for your state? Where do you plan to vote? Or if you’re voting early, do you know when and what’s required?
If you are still among those who think your vote doesn’t count, think again. The United States of America belongs to the people. The role of our elected officials is to serve the people. It is our government, and it’s our tax dollars they spend. They work for us. You can fire them—or hire new ones— with your vote on November 3.