The midterms are over.

Even though not all races have been called, the voting is done.

I am a politics nerd. Election nights are filled with watching news coverage and going from website to website as results come in.

I try to be politically active at all times, not just around election time.

For me that means knowing my city council, mayor, and local board of education. I make sure I vote in all local elections and communicate with those elected to local offices. School boards have become especially important to me as many of them throughout the country have been taken over by religious extremists and those with no interest in public education, with little resistance I might add. In several cases those same people end up losing re-election as voters wake up and show up, but not after having two or four years of doing damage.

I often encourage people to run for office, and as I write this, I’m thinking of those who ran for office during the recent midterms and fell short in votes. I urge all of them to run again. I’m thinking of course of Democratic, Green, and Independent candidates. If you ran for office and it was close, please run again. There were many races that were close, and with two more years of getting to know voters and holding the current elected accountable, the possibility of a win in two years is much higher.

And regardless of your political affiliation, get active. I see a lot of complaining on social media, coming from many who seem to not be involved at all. I’m not saying I think one needs to be involved to be able to complain, but I am saying that being involved gives one an arena to put that energy to use in a way that can benefit your political cause.

As you know, we live in California, home to many political parties aside from the big two. Many times I’ve had the chance to vote for candidates I very much support who do not have a (D) next to their name. I know that’s not the case for everyone reading this post. You can always be the first. This can be especially true for local elections.

No matter your main causes and beliefs, they can be better supported if you get involved in the political system.

Need help? Let me know.

Thanks for reading!