Young People, Especially Those of Color: You Alone Can Fix This

Vote like your life depends on it. Because it does

Christian Wardlaw
4 min readJan 7, 2022

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Four young men and women laughing and walking on grass in Palm Springs, California.
Happy, young, carefree people who need to get their asses to the polls. (Oveth Martinez via Unsplash)

Elections are coming up. From local school board runs to the national mid-terms, every single one of them matters. Young people, especially those of color, need to get educated, get involved, and get their asses to the polls.

Now that state legislatures in some states are making it harder to vote, and in one case making it illegal to give people who are waiting in line a fucking bottle of water or a yummy chimcken sammie (see: Georgia), you can’t prioritize anything else.

So young people, especially those of color, please register to vote now, not later. Vote early by mail if you can. If you must physically go to the polls, show up early with the paperwork you might need when voting in person. Wear comfortable clothes, especially shoes. Bring your own water, and maybe a beach chair. Put a hat on your head and sunscreen on your skin, and bring an umbrella if necessary.

Consider voting an investment not just in the future of America, but in your own future and that of your descendants. Make the United States a place where you and the people you love the most will want to live for decades to come. In case you’re not addicted to Zillow like I am, real estate prices in Canada are

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Christian Wardlaw

Father. Husband. Driver. Traveler. Writer. Editor. Photographer. Video Host. Survivor.