Every Election Matters: Get Informed, Get Registered, and Show Up

Here we are on Election Day 2025. Hard to believe how different the country feels from just a year ago. I knew things would get rough if Trump won, but I still thought our institutions were stronger than this. I thought there were limits to what we’d allow to happen here. How naïve.

Many people got pulled in by rhetoric and fear. They believed the lies instead of looking around at what was actually true. We had just come through a global pandemic, inflation was under control, and the economy was getting stronger. But fear is louder than facts. Some people believed the lies, thinking it would somehow work out better for them. Many stayed home, convinced their vote didn’t matter because all politicians are the same. And so here we are.

What we’re living through right now looks a lot like the 1920s: the rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer, and the people in power pretending not to notice. The promises to help “everyday Americans” have turned out to be empty. The focus is on wealth and control, not community or care.

The Real Work is Happening in Nonprofits

And while our government fails to meet even basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare, nonprofits are once again stepping up.

Every day, I see incredible people in nonprofits showing up and doing the work that keeps this country from falling apart. They’re making sure families have food. They’re helping people get medical care and find safe housing. They’re holding the line while politicians hold press conferences.

These aren’t “radical” organizations. They’re run by people who care deeply about their neighbors and communities. Many of them work for barely enough to get by, yet they keep showing up because they know what’s at stake.

It shouldn’t be this way. In a country as wealthy as ours, no one should be hungry or homeless. We have the resources to do better. What we don’t have is leadership that puts people before profit.

What We Can Still Do

Here’s the good news: there are more of us than there are of them. The ultra-wealthy might have money and microphones, but we have numbers, and we still have the power of our votes.

To use that power, we have to stop fighting each other and remember what actually connects us. The folks at the top want us divided and distracted. They want us angry at each other instead of asking why working families can’t afford rent or healthcare.

So don’t sit this one out. Get informed. Get registered. And vote in every election, not just the big ones.

Local elections matter more than most people realize. School boards decide what our kids learn. City councils set housing policies. State legislators often become national leaders. It all adds up.

We can’t undo what happened last November, but we can make smarter, more informed choices now.

So today, do three things:

1. Get informed. Know what the candidates actually stand for.
2. Vote. Every election, every time.
3. Support your local nonprofits. They’re doing the real work of caring for people while our leaders play politics.

If we want a country that reflects our values—decency, compassion, equality—it’s up to us to build it together.