Lessons learned
I woke up this morning, thankful for the outcome of the election in Kansas — in a few of the races, but also scared for the direction that my State has taken, because I live on the Missouri side of the metro area. Over the past few weeks, I have devoted every free hour to working on turn-out in the election and I have learned a few things in the process.
First, I have learned that my engagement in democracy should not be limited to 3-4 weeks a year when the urgency of an election is looming.
Second, I have met some great people who were working on the election, and met people at their doors and had good conversations about government, even with people who are not supporting my candidates. I got to walk neighborhoods in my town that I didn’t know existed, and enjoy the beautiful fall foliage. I am grateful for the opportunity to participate in the democratic process.
Third, I have learned that many houses do NOT have visible house numbers. If this applies to your house, make sure that you upgrade your house numbers so that emergency professionals can find you, if needed. If you think that those numbers painted on the curb are good enough, remember that those numbers cannot be seen when leaves, cars or snow cover them up.
Finally, I have learned that voter turn-out is only as good as the registration process. It did me no good to encourage willing voters to get to the polls, if they missed the registration deadline.
We need an improvement in our election laws that encourages registration, provides for early voting, and makes it easier to access the process for elderly, disabled, and people who are in the beginning process of learning English.
I hope that you will consider working on the election process, learning more about it and participating, as we gear up for the next one.
