Of all the emotions we could experience on Election Day, the last ones we should feel are anxiety, fear, trepidation, and worry. Election Day should make us eager to go to the polls with anticipation and hope, knowing that we are exercising our Constitutional right to elect the leaders we see fit to serve us and to craft laws that make our lives better.

Instead, this year’s election campaigns have brought out some of the worst aspects of American history and culture—fearmongering, hatred, racism, anti-Semitism, transphobia, Islamophobia, sexism, and threats of unrest. One can’t help but also experience a feeling of déjà vu: Weren’t we here just four years ago, when similar sentiments leading up to the 2020 election prompted concerns about what was to come?

No matter where we sit on the political spectrum, many of us have been exhausted, if not traumatized, by this year’s November 5 General Election process. We can’t help but wonder what the future holds for our community, state, and country.

We at United Way of King County are not exempt from these sentiments. We can’t help but wonder what the election’s outcome will mean for the communities we serve and advocate for, particularly communities of color that have endured generations of systemic racism embedded into our political, judicial, economic, and housing systems.

No one elected official or no group of ballot initiatives—pass or fail—will change that. No matter who takes office in January, the polarization that has gripped our nation for years will not end. We will see either an effort to perpetuate this status quo or a revamped energy to change it.

We at United Way know that progress toward a more equitable future is a marathon, not a sprint.” As a 501(C)3 nonprofit, we are non-partisan and cannot tell you whom to vote for.

But here’s what we can tell you:

• We ascribe to the words of Martin Luther King, Jr.: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” At United Way, we work side by side with communities to build an equitable future for everyone, and we do this through services, partnerships, and advocacy. But we know that these are not enough. We encourage people to vote and make their voices heard through public hearings and letters to their lawmakers—as we do via local media, such as Op-Eds and editorials.
• We adhere to the words of poet Suzy Kassem: “Strong people stand up for themselves, but stronger people stand up for others.” We are unashamed and unapologetic in standing up for communities who have been victims of systemic racism and economic oppression. Racial equity guides our work as we call on one of the wealthiest counties in the nation to be more intentional about making sure no child here goes hungry or no family gets evicted.
• We’re inspired by the words of author and scientist Robin Wall Kimmerer: “Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily, and I must return the gift.” A polarized nation need not be a perilous nation. Despite the divisiveness we see, we still believe in the goodness of the human spirit. We don’t press forward with fear but with courage in knowing that our work is the right thing to do, and in a world with more abundance than scarcity, it is possible for everyone to have more than enough.

If you are entering this electoral process with anxiety or fear, please know that this community, the United Way community, supports you in overcoming that anxiety and fear.

If you have already voted in this election, we commend you.

If you are registered to vote and have not done so, please do. Don’t allow this opportunity to make your voice heard pass you by. Our votes are not just for us. They are for those who don’t have their voices in our democracy, the young people who are not old enough to vote, and immigrants and refugees who are not eligible to cast a ballot but who need a voice.

We urge you not to give in to the fears and worries that have marked our election process. Our past has taught us that we can face whatever tomorrow brings if we work together. No matter who takes the Oath of Office in January, let us pledge right now to be civically engaged, to hold our leaders accountable, and to stand for those in our communities who put their hopes in us.