ONLY DAYS BEFORE the mid-term elections, the big blue bus rolled into Faribault in a DFL-led Get Out the Vote effort. I was among those who gathered to listen to candidates talk not only about their goals, but also about the importance of this election. There’s no denying this election is especially important given the current federal leadership in this country and the very real threats to our democracy.
As I listened to Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon share that his office is preparing for possible election interference by the federal government, reality hit. Hard. Yes, I’ve heard this, read this, intellectually understood this. But still, to hear this spoken aloud by the man in charge of elections in Minnesota took me back to the January 6 insurrection and the current threats by a President hell-bent on suppressing/manipulating voting, even bribing Americans with the promise of $5,000 payments if Republicans retain control of Congress. Really? Buying votes? Not mine.
I struggle to understand how anyone can support any candidate aligned with the President. So, yes, I am voting blue. Right down the ballot.
I am concerned about the rising costs of everything from fuel to healthcare to groceries. I am concerned about tariffs. I am concerned about the unnecessary war in Iran. I am concerned about the United States’ damaged relationships on a global scale. I am concerned about an immigration enforcement program that has targeted not the worst of the worse, but also those who are here legally. I am concerned about Americans shot to death on the streets of Minneapolis by agents of their own government. I am concerned about the blatant racism and hatred spewed by our President and echoed by too many of his own party. I am concerned about the name-calling, the lies, the deception, the calls for violence. I am concerned about efforts to suppress free speech and freedom of the press. I am concerned about those who are losing their healthcare or unable to afford health insurance. I am concerned about those who live on the margins, who need our help, our compassion, our support. I am concerned about…the list is seemingly endless.
Perhaps I care too much. But I’ve always been someone to stand up for what is right and good and decent. I champion for those who are bullied, probably because I was bullied as a middle school student and even as an adult.
I refuse to remain silent, becoming somewhat of a political activist in the past year, if you call protesting weekly and planting my corner yard with DFL campaign signs political activism. My vote is also my voice.
Here are some motivating quotes on voting that resonate with me:
Voting is the foundation stone of political action.—Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democracy.—U.S. Representative John Lewis.
We cannot be silent when our rights and our democracy are under attack. The way we win is by standing together—and by making our voices heard in every election.—Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey
Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.—President Abraham Lincoln.
Your vote matters. Even if you disagree with me. Vote.
© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
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