We’re in the final stretch with less than one week until polls close and the future of our representation for the next two to six years is decided. Of all the different ways we can be politically involved in this country, voting is absolutely the most important!

All too often, we hear voting discussed in divisive ways, but I agree with Sharon Salzberg’s perspective that “[v]oting is the expression of our commitment to ourselves, one another, this country, and this world.” I hope that, as you research and weigh the choices on your ballot, that commitment will be one of your most important considerations. In addition to our excellent candidates, please consider those we endorsed: Evan McMullin for US Senate and Candace Jacobson as a write-in candidate for Utah County Clerk.

We are fortunate to live in a state where voting is so easy! I still recall standing in line for hours with small children beside me, trying to keep them fed, happy, and quiet (without electronics!) so that I could perform this important civic duty. Now they’re voting and it’s from the comfort of our kitchen table. Vote-by-mail, in-person voting (both early and on election day), and same-day voter registration are all concrete steps our state has taken to make it convenient to vote. Drive-up ballot boxes even save taxpayer money (find the one closest to you at vote.utah.gov), but you can also deposit your ballot in any USPS mail-drop location. This is something Utah has definitely done right!

If you haven’t received your ballot yet, it’s not too late! You can check your voter registration status at votesearch.utah.gov and verify you’re registered to vote. If you aren’t, you can go in person on election day, register to vote, and cast a provisional ballot. (You can find your polling location at votesearch.utah.gov.) If you are registered to vote but don’t have your ballot, you can check its status at votesearch.utah.gov or call your county clerk.

And after the last ballot is cast and polls close, I hope you’ll join us for our Election Night Watch Party at the Utah Capitol Rotunda! There, we will honor our candidates and all their hard work this year and celebrate their successes with them. (More information is below.) This will be our first election watch party in four years, since the 2020 one was canceled due to COVID-19, and we plan to make it a night to remember!

Thank you to everyone who has helped us move the needle this election cycle, whether it was donating, putting out a yard sign, walking in a parade, or just telling your friends that they have a real alternative this year. Together, we are making Utah even better!