When my daughter was only about four months old, I took her to the polls with me on Election Day. I wanted to impress on her from the beginning the importance of exercising her right to vote – a right hard-fought by our foremothers and still sought by women in other parts of the world.
But technically, that wasn’t the first time I brought Beatrice with me to vote. On the previous Election Day, in 2010, I learned that I was pregnant. That morning, I took a home pregnancy test, got the happy news, sent her father off to work in a daze, and went to the polls – the consequences of the election heightened by the import of that day.
I’ve been a conscientious voter since I was young, but the results of elections have never meant more to me since I’ve been a parent. As Moms Clean Air Force has been telling its members this election season, “Sometimes being a mom means being a good citizen.”
I want to support candidates with a commitment to my child’s health. I want to vote for people who vow to protect her future. When I can, I will vote for candidates who share my concerns about the hand-in-hand issues of air quality and climate change.
As concerned Hoosier moms and dads know, in Indiana, that’s not easy. Still, it’s never been more important that we identify and elect people who will act on climate and protect our children’s futures. And if we can’t find candidates with that commitment, we must tell them why those issues are important to us.
Vote. And keep talking to officials about your concerns after Election Day.
It’s never been easier to find all the information you need to vote. Indiana has a terrific website at www.indianavoters.com where you can find your voter registration information, polling place and complete ballot.
Take your kids to the polls. Use your power. VOTE!