OPINION | Voting, volunteering strengthen democracy

I volunteered to work on a campaign for the first time this year. It was challenging. It was exhausting. It was like having a second job. And it was the most rewarding experience I’ve had in years.

Voting is the most important thing we can do for our democracy. Every election cycle there are the “What If” stories about how an election could have gone another way if only a few more people had bothered to vote. About how citizens could have representatives who look like them, share their values, and want to actually represent them if only they had exercised their franchise. People across this country have decisions made for them by elected officials who openly disdain them because enough eligible people did not vote. And yet, voting is also the least of what we should do.

Campaigns need money, absolutely, but without the passion of the volunteers who give their time to run them, there would be nothing to which to donate. The next time there is an election, at any level of government, I encourage everyone to find a candidate who represents their values, someone they respect, and offer their time for however that campaign can best use it.

For me that meant being Steve Martin’s treasurer, and whatever else I could do that needed to be done. I met everyone and made so many new friends. Citizens of West Hollywood who have been on the ground fighting for years for things that matter to me. People who through their dedication and hard work have saved a park I enjoy, buildings I appreciate, help elect candidates I’ve enthusiastically voted for, and more. I went everywhere. Walked West Hollywood neighborhoods I’d only ever really driven through. I attended fora, debates, social events, and we were kindly invited into the homes of many people who hosted meet-and-greets where neighbors gathered to participate in democracy right on their own street. My husband and I were inspired to host one ourselves, an all-Vegan event where I even saw an old college friend for the first time in decades. He, too, had made the move from the other side of the continent to live in a city founded for people like us.

I got to use my pushy skills learned through training at a talent agency, and through years in sales and representation, to reach out to complete strangers who might be able to help. It did not always go as planned, there were lows to be sure, but it was never not rewarding.

The election did not go our way. But there are certainly bright spots in the results.

American democracy is in danger. The base of one of the two major parties in this country is openly hostile to it and are calling for its end. Do not make the mistake of thinking that the participation in its survival at any level doesn’t count. It may seem silly but doing the little that I did in our own city made me feel connected to it all. I played a little part in preserving what so many of my family members literally bled for. My great grandfather fought for the Union in the Civil War. My grandfather was gassed in WWI. I had uncles who fought in that war too, and others who served in WWII. One never came home. I see a direct line from their sacrifices to my right to vote and my ability to find in a candidate someone I like, trust, respect, and believe in, and not just do my civic duty and vote for them but do my very best to get them elected.

Senator Warnock said something recently that really spoke to me. He said, “A vote is a kind of prayer for the type of world we desire.” I certainly don’t pray, but voting has always been a kind of worship to me. The closest I will ever come to a having a religious experience is when I check that box to vote. This election, that feeling lasted months because I was given the opportunity to work on Steve’s campaign.

Now that the election is over it is our duty as citizens to make sure that those who were elected know how you feel about everything impacting our city and our democracy. If you supported them, or fought against them, make sure they hear your voice. Make them do the right thing. We might be on the opposite sides of those issues, but I will respect your passionate advocacy for the things you truly feel will make West Hollywood a better place to live. And when the next election comes around, I strongly encourage you get to get involved. Find a candidate you give a damn about and do all you can to make sure their campaign is a success.

And to all of the candidates, and I think I met you all, thank you for making American democracy work. Even if I didn’t support you, thanks for running. As tired as I was because of the little I did, I don’t know how you all did it. But I know it had to be done.