By Toniah Nachelle Leavell
Let’s be honest. A lot of people are tired.
Tired of working full-time and still struggling to make ends meet. Tired of watching rent increase while paychecks stay the same. Tired of having to choose between groceries, gas, childcare, and keeping the lights on. Tired of wondering whether the next unexpected expense will be the thing that throws the entire household off track.
We’re tired of watching our communities change without always having a voice in the decisions being made. We’re tired of being told to be patient, to work harder, to wait our turn, and to somehow make a way out of situations we didn’t create.
And for some of us, the exhaustion goes beyond finances.
We’re tired of questioning whether our rights will be protected. Tired of watching Black history become a political talking point. Tired of LGBTQ+ people having to defend their right to exist openly and safely. Tired of young people being told that we’re the future while being excluded from conversations happening right now.
We’re tired.
And tomorrow, November 3, is Election Day.
I don’t want to give you another lecture about why voting matters. I want you to think about what it means when the people most affected by decisions are absent from the rooms where those decisions are made.
Because the decisions being made in government don’t exist separately from our everyday lives.
They show up in the cost of housing, the quality of our schools, access to healthcare, wages, public transportation, neighborhood development, public safety, reproductive freedom, and the protections afforded to our families and communities.
Whether we pay attention to politics or not, politics has a way of showing up at our front doors.
And that’s precisely why our participation matters.
To the young people: Stop letting people convince you that your voice doesn’t matter.
You are not too young to care about the direction of your community. You are not too inexperienced to have an opinion about your future. And you certainly aren’t too young to recognize when the world you’re inheriting doesn’t reflect the opportunities you’ve been promised.
You deserve more than being invited to take pictures at civic events. You deserve a seat at the table, a voice in the conversation, and the opportunity to participate in shaping the policies that will affect your adulthood.
Don’t let anyone convince you that your participation is insignificant simply because you haven’t been doing this for decades.
To my Black community: Our voices have always mattered.
We know what it means to have to fight for access, representation, and the opportunity to participate in decisions about our own lives.
Our ancestors organized, marched, registered voters, challenged discriminatory systems, and put their lives on the line for rights that many people now take for granted.
We don’t honor that history by simply remembering it. We honor it by exercising the opportunities they fought to secure.
Our communities deserve investment. Our children deserve opportunity. Our businesses deserve support. Our neighborhoods deserve resources. And our concerns deserve to be heard beyond election season.
To our LGBTQ+ community: You belong in every conversation about our future.
You should not have to separate your identity from your citizenship. You should not have to wonder whether the people making decisions about your life recognize your humanity.
Your family matters. Your safety matters. Your healthcare matters. Your ability to live, work, love, and exist without discrimination matters.
You deserve to participate in the decisions that affect you, and your voice belongs in the democratic process.
And to everybody who is just trying to survive:
I see you, too.
Maybe you don’t follow political news. Maybe you don’t know the names of every elected official. Maybe you’ve stopped paying attention because every election seems to come with big promises and very little that feels different in your everyday life.
Maybe you’ve voted before and felt disappointed. Maybe you’ve never voted because nobody ever made you feel like your participation mattered.
I’m not here to shame you.
But I am asking you not to mistake exhaustion for powerlessness.
You deserve a government that is accountable to the people it serves. You deserve to ask questions, demand answers, and expect more from the people entrusted with public responsibility.
And you deserve to be part of deciding what that looks like.
So, what are we asking you to do?
We’re asking you to show up.
Not for a political party. Not because somebody told you to. Not because your favorite influencer posted a voting graphic.
Show up because your life, your family, your neighborhood, and your future are worth participating for.
If you haven’t voted early, make a plan to vote tomorrow.
If you aren’t sure where to go, check your polling location before leaving home. If you have questions about your eligibility or what you need to bring, consult the official election resources. If you know somebody who needs a ride, help them explore available transportation options. If you have friends who are eligible but haven’t made a plan, encourage them to participate.
And please, don’t assume that because someone looks like you, lives near you, or shares your experiences, they’ve already made a plan to vote. Have the conversation.
A CALL TO ACTION:
Check your polling location at proudvoter.org.
Review your ballot and make informed decisions.
Confirm polling hours and identification requirements.
Make time to vote.
Encourage at least one other eligible person to participate.
Share reliable election information with your family, friends, and community.
And remember: Voting is not the only form of civic engagement. Organizing, attending public meetings, contacting elected officials, supporting community initiatives, and holding leadership accountable are all part of the work. Our participation cannot begin and end at the ballot box.
Our communities are worth showing up for.
We cannot continue asking why our communities are overlooked if we never make ourselves part of the conversations shaping them. We cannot demand representation without participating in the processes that help determine who represents us. And we cannot build the future we want while convincing ourselves that our voices don’t matter.
Tomorrow is an opportunity to participate. After tomorrow, the work continues.
You don’t have to be a political expert. You don’t have to have everything figured out. You don’t have to agree with everyone around you.
But you do deserve to have a voice.
For the young people. For the Black community. For our LGBTQ+ family. For the working class. For the people doing everything right and still struggling to get ahead. For the people who want better for their children than what they had.
Show up for yourself. Show up for your community. Show up because you deserve to be part of deciding what happens next.
Tomorrow, let’s make our voices count.
