Executive Director of the Division of Policy Translation and Leadership Development, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthFrom: Brookline, Mass.
I have always been a voter, but wanted to further “walk the walk.” With the difficulties of solving COVID-19 and racial injustice and climate change, everyone needs to dig deeper and contribute in whatever ways they can, whether those contributions are small, large, or something in between. Taking action is also a great way to tamp down the anxiety that many of us feel in 2020. As a mom, I have watched “Finding Nemo” with my kids, and I love the scene in which the character Dory is trapped in a fishing net and the fish all swim hard in one direction together to release her. Even though it is an animated movie, it is a great image for what voters have to do now. Voting is the only way to make change among those who represent us at all levels, to ensure that everyone has a say in the direction of their towns and nation, and to make sure we hold our elected officials accountable.
At the primary, it was so heartening to see different generations working the polls: a college student, a mom with young kids, another university administrator, as well as senior citizens. Many had really personal stories about why they were there. The mail-in ballot process seemed very smooth and well-incorporated in the tallying process, and it gave me confidence, at least in Massachusetts, that we will get that right.