Reading · Ignition Notes from Books For Littles

image: three people line up to vote with paper ballots. One person has short dark hair, light skin, and uses a wheelchair, another stands, with darker brown skin with curly hair and earrings. And the third has gray hair, light skin, and stands with a cane. ‘vote here’ posters line the background. *Illustration via Storyset, used with permission.*

As a teen, I thought elections were for highly educated older adults to decide.

I thought political issues and elections were too complicated for someone like me to understand. That I’d make a fool of myself if I started asking questions, or that I’d mess things up if I tried to vote.

Nobody I knew followed elections, so I assumed it was too complicated and risky for someone like me to get involved in. I thought our country was better off if I just let Old White Men With Fancy Degrees handle it.

That’s not ignorance. That’s disenfranchisement working as planned.

That’s why we teach our kids now that democracy isn’t about voting for a new president every four years, but about amplifying each other’s voices and protecting everyone’s right to representation.

If your kids (or you) are spiraling about the headlines — voter suppression, gerrymandering, voter intimidation, corrupt candidates, claims of rigged elections, and cuts to voting accessibility - it’s easy to feel like elections are just a sham that individuals can’t overcome.

But you still have a choice. Whether to give up, or keep fighting is up to you - and it makes a difference.

Our Voter Registration & Elections Family Action Toolkit helps your family:

Learn how elections work with kid-friendly stories and videos (no boring lectures)
Find hope in how we’ve fought and won voting rights before so we can do it again
Show kids how they can influence elections - even if they’re too young to vote

Voting & Election Action Toolkit

Preview of ‘are you registered to vote’ form where you can spend 30 seconds to make sure you haven’t been purged from the registered voter rolls

Check Your Registration

Visit this 30-second handy-dandy tool on Vote.org to:

Register to vote
Request a mail-in ballot
Sign up for election reminders
Check your registration
Pledge to register in the future if you’re not yet eligible due to age or pending citizenship

Share this with a friend.

It’s free, and your friends will thank you for the reminder!

Image: “Oh shit.” collaborative workshop hosted by Tangled Roots & Raising Luminaries. Image of search bar text “what do i do now?” and a solidarity fist backgrounded by shattered glass

Are you so overwhelmed about the daily shitstorm that you’re stuck doom-scrolling or completely checked out?

You’re not alone. Join our free collaborative workshop Sunday October 5th, 1pm EST | 12pm CST | 11am MST | 10am PST | 7am CEST.

In one hour, we’ll gather live to:

Practice getting a grip before taking action
Get fun next steps to overcome the overwhelm of figuring out where to start
Walk away with a simple Oh Shit Flowchart you can lean on when things feel impossible

Registration is free, but it closes Saturday 9/27 at 3pm.

Reserve Your Spot Now

UPDATE: Just like last year, I screwed up the announcement dates again. The final date of our workshop is Sunday, 10/5/25. For serious! I quadriple checked this time!

This week I’m busy with yard sales and preparing mooncakes for the Mid-Autumn Festival. But I’ll be back in a couple weeks with helpful tools to share out from our workshop.

Did you grow up thinking voting wasn’t for you? What changed your mind?

Leave a comment and let us know so we can keep empowering more disenfranchized community members!

How to brace for elections without giving up

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