Based on the early voting numbers we’ve been seeing so far this year, we know one thing and it’s that enthusiasm is high on both sides. If you were ready to go on Day 1 of early voting because you were so excited to cast your ballot, we totally get it. We love voting too. 

But if you still have a ballot sitting at home that you haven’t had a chance to take a look at, or know you’ll get around to voting in person at some point, just not today, we get that too. We take voting seriously, and especially in a state like California, there’s a lot to vote on – ballot measures you’ve seen ads for all year and candidates for offices you’ve never even heard of. You want to feel prepared, and you might need a little help to do it. 

Well, we have some good news for you: You don’t need to come to the party empty-handed on November 8. We’re here to help you B.Y.O.B.

Next, check out all of the positions and ballot measures that you’ll be voting on.

Learn about what each elected office does, who the candidates are, and even some of their issue positions. We also break down the jargon for ballot measures and give a simple explanation of what yes and no votes mean. That’s the WHO and the WHAT.

Once you’ve figured out the who and what of voting, Make a Plan for the WHERE and WHEN. In the very same tool, you can check out the address & hours of your polling place or early vote site or even get set up with a vote by mail ballot.  You can even opt-in to get a reminder to make sure you actually follow through with your voting plan, if you need that extra nudge (you know who you are.) 

After you research your ballot and make a plan, it’s time to remind the people in your life to do the same. Forward them this email to make sure they BYOB (nothing worse than that one friend who doesn’t BYOB) or share these handy dandy graphics on social media. Bonus, you get to show off your cool civic participation to all of your Instagram followers. Click to share on Instagram or Twitter:

We’ve handled the who, what, when, and where of voting. The only thing that remains is the WHY.

And here it is: These midterms may well be an inflection point in American history. One of our two major political parties (hint: it rhymes with schmepublican) is dead set on enacting their extremist agenda, and they don’t care if it requires destroying our democracy in the process. They’ve tried to overthrow a free and fair election once before, and they’re doing their darndest to make sure they don’t fail on the second attempt. If Republicans win big enough and in the right places in 2022, the 2024 presidential election will be over before it’s even begun. 

There are a lot of WHYs—reproductive freedom, building a just economy where we can all thrive, preventing climate apocalypse—but the overarching WHY is making sure we have the power to fight for those things again in 2 years, 4 years, and beyond. 

Thank you for doing your part. 

-Vote Save America 

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