Your Vote Matters MORE THAN YOU THINK! 

Hello Indivisible Citizens of Catawba Valley,

It’s another Take Action Tuesday from the ICCV Legislative Committee. Congress and the North Carolina General Assembly are on recess. This week, we would like to focus on the importance of YOUR VOTE in this election. 

I often hear people saying things like, “I’m not really interested in politics.” Or the ever popular, “I don’t have time and it doesn’t matter anyway.” I realize that we are preaching to the choir here, that most of our readers are informed, intelligent, regular voters. I think most of us are dissatisfied with the status quo. I don’t feel like I need to convince YOU of the importance of voting. But – our group is a small minority. How do we help those who are afraid, disengaged, disenfranchised, or feeling hopeless? Our democracy is under attack from within. If we value representative government that benefits the people, not billionaires and big corporations, we must participate in electing new leaders. 

As of today, there are 376 individuals on this e-mail list. There are a multitude of other people who read Take Action Tuesday on Facebook or on the website https://www.indivisibleccv.org/

If each person speaks to just 3 people about the importance of voting, particularly encouraging those who are uncertain whether they will vote this year, and if each of those people speaks to 3 other people, we can greatly increase voter turnout. Obviously, this will not be our ONLY Get Out the Vote effort this cycle, but it’s a start, and it’s an easy ask for this week. We’ve done the research for you and provided some talking points in HOW TO DO IT below. 

HOW TO DO IT: 

Choose 3-5 people you know who you want to encourage to vote in the midterm elections. This can be family members, friends, coworkers, others with whom you interact as you go about your daily life. Ask them how they’re doing or if they’re worried about the future. Commiserate about affordability, the war, corruption, whatever seems to be top of their minds. Listen to their concerns. Remind them that we have very important midterm elections coming up, and that every single vote matters. Offer to go with them to vote and then go for coffee or something afterwards. Make voting a fun event! 

No, this is not a presidential election, but there are MANY important races all the way down the ballot. We are electing a Senator, Congressmen, state senators and representatives, judges, county commissioners, school board members, and many others. While the down ballot races may not be as exciting, they are just as important. The decisions most affecting our daily lives are made at the local level. In addition, there are also proposed NC Constitutional Amendments on the ballot. The wording on the ballot will make these proposed amendments seem like something that a reasonable person would support. We will discuss them in more detail in a future alert, but be aware that the wording is intentional, and that the amendments are not beneficial to North Carolinians. 

WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT:

According to Freedom Trainers, in 2024, 89 million eligible voters did not vote. That is more votes than either candidate received. “If ‘none of the above’ were a candidate, they would have won — which is why we have to reach out to these potential voters.” p. 9

https://freedomtrainers.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Election-Defense-Scenarios.pdf

U. S. Vote Foundation tells us that the midterm elections give voters the opportunity to rebalance power, either by electing congresspeople who align with the President’s agenda, or those who approach government from a different position. In the 2022 midterms, turnout was just over 50%. Turnout in 2024 for the Presidential election was around 64%. 

https://www.usvotefoundation.org/when-are-2026-midterm-elections-and-what-their-purpose

Several experts point to statements by the president and others in power that indicate the United States decline into a form of autocracy, calling the situation reversible, but certainly an authoritarian government. https://www.npr.org/2026/02/16/nx-s1-5705955/us-autocracy-concerns-grow

James Gardner, distinguished Professor of Law at SUNY, wrote of the effects of low voter turnout on perceptions of democratic legitimacy. He differentiates between voluntary low turnout, in which individuals choose not to vote, and increasing obstacles to voting, such as closure of early voting sites, transportation issues, and more. In addition, he asserts that obstacles to voting that are particularly widespread or are directed at specific groups of voters increase the threat to the legitimacy of the election. The converse must also be true, that high turnout makes it harder to question the legitimacy of an election. This is why we must do everything we can to get those who may have difficulty voting to the polls. https://www.buffalo.edu/ubnow/stories/2020/06/gardner-democratic-legitimacy.html

As we have said before, this may be the most consequential election of our lifetime. Here is a new quote to help motivate us to work harder than we have ever worked to ensure that everyone who is eligible to vote can vote. 

The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by human beings for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison people because they are different from others.

-President Lyndon B. Johnson

Our primary focus will continue to be on elections between now and election day. If there is a particular election-related issue you would like us to research and address, please email us at iccvlegislation@gmail.com

Thank you for everything you do to protect our democracy! 

ICCV Legislative Committee                                                                                                               

“With Liberty and Justice for ALL”