5 Ways to Make a Difference During an Election (Even If You're Busy)

In another life, I think I could have been a professional campaign organizer.

There’s something I love about the art of political campaigns and the strategic decision-making involved. The polling, the data, the analysis of what people say they want versus what they actually vote for. Even the grind of knocking on doors and getting people to vote has some appeal to me.

But, like many of you, I absolutely do not have time for that.

It is not what I am going to choose to do with this life.

Which brings up a conflict for me each election season:

Given my time, money, and energy constraints, how do I meaningfully engage and work to make a difference in and for my communities?

It's a question I hear often from teachers, nurses, therapists, nonprofit workers, healthcare professionals, and others whose days are already spent caring for others. Many want to stay engaged, but don't have the capacity to volunteer every weekend or follow every political story.

If you’re reading this, my bet is this question feels familiar to you as well.

So this week, I want to share five ways of answering this question specifically for those of us who are:

1. facing real time and energy constraints,

2. already exhausted by the campaign season,

3. but want to take action, however small, that makes an impact.

Because we have agency – even during election seasons, when it's easy to feel like we don't. It’s often just a question of what actions we take.

So think of this list as my take on what we can actually do to shape effective change when it comes to electoral politics.

Feeling stretched thin?

If you care deeply about your work, your community, or the state of the world, it's easy to end up carrying more than any one person can hold.

This Starter Kit is a gentle, go-at-your-own-pace guide designed to help you:

• Clarify what you want to take responsibility for – and what you don't
• Take meaningful action without trying to do everything
• Build habits that make care sustainable

Otherwise, it’s easy to keep reading, keep caring…and still feel stuck.

Start here 🎉

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Why Civic Engagement Is More Than Voting

Before we get into it, a quick note on voting: Many of us have been taught that voting is the primary or most important way to engage in democracy as citizens. I disagree.

The most vital way we engage in democracy is how we engage in community.

Elections matter. But healthy democracies are sustained by relationships between neighbors, local organizations, schools, workplaces, and communities long before ballots are cast.

It’s through things like the four acts of communal resilience that we strengthen a democratic culture that can uphold a democracy. And when we do this, voting is no longer an “individual civic responsibility;” it is an outcome of how connected we are as a community.

If we build communal resilience in our communities outside of election seasons, more people will feel connected, knowledgable, and empowered to vote during election seasons.

But seeing as we’re now in an election season, the list below focuses on voting and how we can make an electoral impact over the next three months.

It doesn’t contain the only ways to participate in democracy, but these are some of the most practical options for people balancing work, caregiving, parenting, and everyday responsibilities.

1. Volunteer on a specific, local campaign

⬆️ Time | ⬇️ Money | ⬆️ Energy

Over the next few months, we’re going to hear a lot about campaigns for the U.S. House and Senate.

In fact, when we think about “midterms,” these are the races most of us are thinking about. And they are extremely important…but, unless you live in one of the battleground states, they also aren’t where you can make the most impact.

(And for those of us living outside these states: we’re getting clearer and clearer signs that writing postcards don’t do much in these types of high-attention elections. 😞)

So instead of focusing on these massively funded races (in the last midterms, more than $10 billion was spent on them), political strategist and organizer Amanda Litman says:

“Go local. The best way to make an impact is to be a big fish in a small pond.”

Here’s the quick 1-2-3-4 on how to do this:

1. Find a local candidate or campaign (Use Google or look one up through Run For Something or the Progressive Voters Guide)

2. Visit their website, search for them in the news, make sure they share your values, and sign up to volunteer.

3. Take a deep breath. Decide on what you’re willing to do – and not do – for the campaign (you can use the Support + Stretch Matrix for this.)

4. Put it on your calendar, take another seven deep breaths, and do the thing 🙂 (And I highly recommend inviting a friend for both camaraderie and gentle accountability.)

2. Donate to a low-money campaign

⬇️ Time | ⬆️Money | ⬇️ Energy

What do campaigns actually use money for?

In general, the big buckets are something like this:

• Communicating to voters and getting out the vote

• Paying staff and on-the-ground organizers

• Maintaining technology + data systems

And while more money doesn’t actually mean a campaign will win, especially in local races, it certainly helps a candidate stay competitive and reach more folks. And small campaigns often feel every donation because they have fewer people giving.

So instead of adding your $15 or $100 to races that already have millions flowing into them, try donating to a low-money one you care about: local judges, school board candidates, potential city council members. Your money will make more of an impact in a small race than a large one.

Again from Amanda Litman: “By giving locally, you’re literally investing in your home. You’re building power where you live.”

3. Invite folks into an intentional conversation

⬆️ Time | ↔️ Money | ⬆️ Energy

Personally, I think this is the most important thing we can do. But it’s also time-intensive, sometimes-scary, requires social battery and energy, and maybe even a few dollars.

But if you’re up for it, here are a few variations of what it might look like:

• Ask a friend to chat about how they’re navigating the political environment, along with the tasks of everyday life right now

• With family, commit to asking a question like: “How are you processing the news right now?”

• Invite 3-5 friends to dinner (or drinks) to talk about local issues

• Host a block party to build connection with neighbors

Doing this doesn’t lead directly to electoral impact, but the more we talk within our communities about local issues and what’s going on in the world, the more aware and engaged folks will be – and that makes voting easier.

(And I’ll return to what I said earlier: The most vital way we engage in democracy is how we engage in community.)

4. Ask friends if they’ve voted (and offer to help!)

⬇️ Time | ⬇️ Money | ⬇️ Energy

This is an easy one – and one of my favorites!

After ballots get sent out, just text your friends and ask if they’ve voted! Sometimes people don't need persuasion as much as encouragement. A simple reminder from someone they trust can make voting feel more approachable.

You can even offer to help if you feel comfortable with it.

Something like:

Heyo! I just wanted to reach out and ask if you’ve voted yet. I got my ballot last week and filled it in last night. Some of the races are a bit confusing, so if you need help figuring out who stands for what, I’m happy to give my take – just in case it’s helpful! 🙂

And if your friends or family are local, you can always host a voting get-together! (Our friend Sam comes over each election cycle and we fill out our ballots together, talking about the options as we go.)

5. Post and share about local issues

↔️ Time | ⬇️ Money | ↔️ Energy

I always feel iffy about this one, but I still think it’s important.

Posting and sharing online about who you’re voting for and why can be extremely helpful for others, especially friends and family. It’s an act of awareness-building, of informing people quickly about who stands for what and why you’re supporting them.

This can be as easy as posting a quick Instagram Story or Facebook post with some notes:

“I’m voting for _________ because they support XYZ. The other option, __________, doesn’t.”

One of the biggest barriers to voting is knowledge. If a person doesn’t feel like they know what they’re voting for, they’re less likely to vote. In most cases, exhausted, overwhelmed friends don’t need a professional degree in political science or to scour the internet for all the details of every race.

They need someone they trust to give them some honest information and get them started in a direction.

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All this to say, nothing we do is guaranteed to make an impact on the elections. But we can absolutely do what we can, where we can, how we can.

Amanda Litman reminds us:

You are not a campaign. And while you might have similarly limited resources, your job is not to be the most effective. You simply need to do the best you can.

She recommends falling back on two key reminders:

1. Doing something is better than doing nothing.

2. Doing something with other people is better than doing something alone.

What you choose to do should be aligned with 1) who you are, 2) the values you want to embody, and 3) the future you want you and your community to experience.

This election season will be long, tiring, and important. And we’ll need each other and plenty of care to move through it. Let me know if there are other ideas you have for engaging.

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