With one week before November’s General Election, I’m proud to say I’ve already cast my ballot. Because I live and vote in Washington state, my voting process was simple and easy—no gauntlet of people holding up placards encouraging you to vote for the candidate of their choice (Maryland), no so-called poll watchers taking camera snapshots of me or my car’s license plate (Arizona), and no people hovering around me as I approach the ballot box (Florida).

In fact, the only interaction I had as I approached the drop box at Rainier Community Center in Seattle was with a woman who had also come to cast her ballot.

 “Hello, sister,” I said to her. “It’s an important time. I want to get my vote in.”

“Yes, I’m with you, brother,” she replied enthusiastically. “I’m getting my vote in!”

I lifted the flap to open the drop box slot and inserted my ballot, and she followed with hers.

As we departed, I said, “Take good care, and let’s pray for the best results.”

I do not know how our two ballots will factor in who wins the race for president, governor, city council, school board, or the four statewide ballot initiatives. But in a way, I already feel a sense of victory. We have not been defeated by the vitriol and verbiage that has plagued our election process. We have not been deterred by the forecast of unrest should the election results don’t go the way some believe they should.

Amid the polarization, hate, indifference, and intimidation that has seeped into many facets of our society, we still believe that voting still matters. Our society functions best when all residents are actively involved in policy formulation, active in electing the leaders who represent us and holding those leaders accountable. Our elections are an incredible opportunity for us all to be seen and heard in terms of our expectations of those who represent us in local, state, regional, and national government.

It is my hope that the United Way community—staff, donors, stakeholders, and community partners—can appreciate the ease and efficiency of casting ballots in our state and then go out and do so. I hope they are leaning toward action—even if it means helping those in our communities who are uncertain about the voting process or who need assistance or support in voting.

While there is appropriately much focus on our nation’s presidential election, we know that state, regional, and local elections will determine the direction of our region for the next four years and beyond. Regardless of the presidential election outcome, we will elect a new governor and an attorney general for the first time in more than 10 years. We will decide who will lead our schools and preside over our courts.

 We must make our voices heard on ballot initiatives that directly impact communities of color—where there is inequity in access to resources and public services. We must also make our voices heard on initiatives that impact protection against the harmful effects of climate change.

We acknowledge that this is a high-stakes election. There is anxiety about the election process nationwide. And we recognize the fear. But the law is on our side. Hope is on our side. And as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

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.  Know that you will be supported when you take action to vote and as we all continue to hold our elected leaders accountable to their responsibilities and their oaths.

But it all begins with exercising our constitutional right to select those leaders. Vote—it’s that simple.