I Skipped 16 Years of Voting

I voted in my first midterm election in 2018.

I was 36 years old.

For the first 16 years I was eligible to vote, I sat the midterms out.

I didn't pay attention.

I didn't understand how much they mattered.

I thought someone else would take care of it.

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I've learned a lot since then.

Including this:

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Democracy is not something we achieve once.

It's something we consent to with our actions every single day.

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And everything begins at home.

With ourselves.

Our families.

Our friends.

Our communities.

I believe that when each of us takes care of ourselves—and the people around us—we create a seismic shift in the way our country and world operate.

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The things we're fighting for out there

become the way we're living in here.

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Yesterday, I sat down for 22 minutes to share my experience, what I've learned and why civic participation matters so deeply to me.

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I see you.

I support you.

I have your back.

VOTE!

In solidarity,

Erin