Writer: Siena Iwasaki Milbauer
2022 is a midterm year, which means important elections are being held on national, state, and local levels. Here in Minnesota, we’re electing our Governor and Lieutenant Governor, our Secretary of State, our Representatives to the U.S. House of Representatives, and many State Senators, State Representatives, and other local officials. With primary elections coming up August 9, and the general election on November 8, it’s time to start scanning candidate platforms (AAOP will be here to help with that, with a Voter Guide available shortly!) and making your voting plan.
But…
America has never fully lived up to its promise of liberty and equality for all, but it feels like that dream has taken even more hits than usual recently. We’re dealing with a gun violence crisis, attacks on LGBTQ+ rights, the fall of Roe v. Wade, an ongoing pandemic, heightened immigration discrimination, a continued wave of hate crimes against Asian community members, a public safety system that is actively harming marginalized communities, especially Black and Brown communities, and that’s not even a comprehensive list.
In the midst of this overwhelming flood of crises, our elected officials and democratic systems have too often failed to step up to the plate. Even as many elected officials continue to work locally and nationally to represent our communities with integrity, some of the people we have given our valuable votes to in the past have let us down. And the system itself, especially branches of it like the Supreme Court and our punitive approach to public safety, are undeniably broken, perpetuating hurt when they are supposed to support and protect our communities.
All this can mean that as we approach this year’s election, we might be feeling a little disenchanted. We might be asking ourselves: Does my vote really matter? Is it really worth it to go vote? If I’m fed up with this broken system, and I don’t want to live in it anymore, is voting really going to help me change anything?
The answer is “yes,” “yes,” and “yes!” Voting isn’t something we do in spite of our lack of faith in our current systems, it’s something we do precisely because we want and need a change. Voting is the first step in our revolution.
Your voice counts, and voting is one of the strongest ways to prove it. Voting allows you to express your opinions in a powerful and permanent way. Voting is why the Keep St. Paul Home campaign successfully passed in 2021, placing a 3% rent increase cap annually for renters! Voting is why, also in 2021, Minneapolis elected its first City Council that is majority people of color! & voting is why Duluth City Council Member Asrin Awal, Minneapolis City Council Member Andrea Jenkins, Hennepin County District 2 Commissioner Irene Fernando, State Representative Fue Lee, State Representative Esther Agbaje, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar, Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan, and so many more became Minnesota “firsts,” stepping into positions of leadership on behalf of our communities that once seemed unimaginable.
Particularly as Asian youth, our votes are worth it not just for ourselves, but for our broader communities. Many members of our Asian Minnesotan communities, especially recent immigrants, are not allowed to vote. This makes the votes of those who are able to head to the polls even more meaningful; we vote as individuals to make a change so that one day, every member of our communities will be able to vote.
Voting is also a source of influence far beyond election day; your representatives take the people who vote for or against them seriously, which means being a voter makes your voice as a community advocate louder. Additionally, voting is a great window into more sustained forms of civic engagement. Learning about different candidates and their policies, ballot initiatives and their repercussions, and even experiencing the voting process itself; all of this can be an incredible jumping off point for a rewarding relationship with organizing and community engagement.
Voting isn’t the one-size-fits-all cure for our ailing democracy, but it is step one in harnessing our individual and collective power to make real change. Voting amplifies our voice as individuals and communities, gives us the chance to elect representatives who actually represent our interests, and allows us to push forward real reforms particularly on the local level.
To build the systemic, sustainable, and far-reaching revolution our communities want and need, it’s going to take a million tiny steps to power a few huge leaps.
Voting is one of those steps, a crucial one, and one we can each take. Starting at the ballot box, continuing into the streets of our communities and halls of our buildings of power, together we have the ability to build a society that is truly worthy of us and our communities. And it all starts with one vote: your vote.
Register to vote in the General Elections!
Please note: Online registration for Primary Elections is over, but you can still register to vote in-person (whether voting early or on the day of the Primary Elections)!
Learn how to navigate the Secretary of State’s website to find all your voting information!