U.S. citizens age 18 and older have the right to vote.

Voting is always important; this year is exceptional. Come November, voters will have the opportunity to change the current power structure, both at the federal and state levels. Tuesday, November 3, 2026, is a midterm election between the presidential years of 2024 and 2028. Although 2026 is a non-presidential year, it is particularly important for us to vote for candidates who support our CSJ values:

• Love of the dear neighbor without distinction
• Care for our common home and
  the environment
• Access to quality health care for all
• A commitment to nonviolence and the prevention of gun violence
• Welcome and support for immigrants and refugees
• Respect for the dignity of every person

Why is voting important?
With the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920, white women gained the right to vote. Others secured voting rights and meaningful federal protections in later years: Asian Americans in 1952 through expanded access to citizenship, many Indigenous Americans were not fully able to exercise voting rights until 1962, Black Americans gained landmark federal protection of their voting rights through the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and Latino Americans received important protections against language discrimination in voting through the 1975 amendments to that Act. Given this history, we should not take this right and privilege for granted.

My parents were my first role models. To my knowledge, they voted in every election. For my generation, the voting age was 21. I voted for the first time in the 1952 presidential election. In 74 years as an adult, I have had the privilege, joy and satisfaction of voting in 18 presidential elections, for 14 presidents, four of whom were elected to serve a second term. Having been an election judge for many elections, when I moved to Carondelet Village 14 years ago, I saw a need for assisting residents to register to vote and, if desired, to help with absentee voting. That service continues today.

Participation in voting allows us to have our voice counted. Every voice matters. Your voice, my voice matters.

After the 2024 presidential election, the Federal Election Commission reported that 36.37% of eligible voters did not vote. That is a larger percentage than either candidate received:

• Trump 31.97% ;
• Harris 31.03%.

What can we learn from these numbers?
As a state, while we did better, the Minnesota Secretary of State reported that 23.65% of eligible voters did not participate. Better, yes, but we can lower that non-voting number.

I repeat my earlier statement — as a U.S. citizen, it is not only a privilege but a duty, gift, and right to vote. That is democracy.

This fall, I find myself fearing administrative actions threatening to remove citizens’ voting privileges and rights. So let’s remember that our elected officials work for us. Expressing our choices through the elective process is the highest level of civic engagement. By not voting, we relinquish our right to express our preferences and priorities.

Let’s be among the millions of U.S. citizens who can say after the polls close in November, with a very satisfying feeling, I exercised my constitutional right and I’m wearing proudly my “I voted” sticker/button.