I don’t have a cute post for y’all today. No tips on how to make your work from home space better. No new recipe for you to try. No Amazon favorite purchases (though one will be coming soon). Today’s blog post is about something near and dear to my heart; and if you’re in the US it should be something close to yours too.
We’re at the tail end of the 2020 Census. If you follow me on Instagram you’ve probably seen me talking about this for months, honestly since last year and it’s because it’s THAT important. The deadline has been extended this year and we have until September 30 to fill out the form that will help not only show a clearer picture of population in areas but determine how much aid will be distributed to said areas. Schools, roads, healthcare, and more are affected by the census and it’s something that’s only done every 10 years so please make sure you head to www.my2020census.gov and fill it out if you haven’t already. Even if you haven’t received a mailer with your personal code, you can avoid an enumerator showing up at your door by filling out the Census online. It takes 5-10 minutes, but the effects last an entire decade. Do your part!
And since we’re talking about doing your part, I can’t encourage you enough to make sure you’re registered to vote and go vote! Whether you’re mailing in your ballot (request those now by the way), voting early in-person like I typically do, or voting on election day you need to get out and make sure your voice is heard. The presidential run might be a popular topic this year, but we’re electing more than that. There are so many Senate seats up for grab, and I don’t know about y’all but we have local stuff on our ballots too. County Judges, Railroad Commissioners, State Supreme Court Justices, Court of Appeals Judges, District Judges, County Attorneys, County Clerks, Sheriffs, and more! My sample ballot is 2 PDF pages long! But I’ve already saved it so I can do my research into these candidates and vote intelligently. Straight tickets are no longer a thing in Texas, but I don’t think I’ve ever voted a straight-ticket ballot. The candidate who’s platform aligns closest with what I want is who I vote for, whether it be on the local or national level.
So much more than a president is being chosen this year. A new federal Supreme Court Justice needs to be nominated and sworn in, human rights are at stake, ending disproportionate and cruel prison sentences are at stake, racial and economic discrimination are at stake, and so much. Please get out and do your part! Vote early, mail in your ballot if you have the option to do that, or if you’re like my cousin go out and vote on election day. Bring your mask, wash your hands and sanitize often and vote. Your vote definitely matters and don’t let anyone tell you differently.