To fully advocate for equity in technology, we must also engage in the broader conversations that shape our industry, society, and the policies that govern them. In this blog post, we’ll walk through key election topics impacting women and nonbinary people in tech, important questions to consider, and provide valuable resources to help you become a more informed and proactive voter.
Understanding the Significance of Your Vote
Whether you’re concerned with local tech initiatives or making your interests heard in national government, your vote can directly impact your personal and professional life. Even if you’re not working directly with voter empowerment orgs like Rock the Vote – whose technology helps to register, educate, and mobilize voters – you can still make a significant impact by spreading awareness, providing resources, and encouraging your peers to participate in the electoral process. By leveraging our collective knowledge and platforms, we can help ensure that our voices and values shape the future of the tech industry and beyond.
The Importance of Local Elections
While most people primarily think of presidential elections when discussing voting, voters also elect senators, members of the House of Representatives, governors, and many more state and local officials. These elected officials influence everything from funding for tech programs to decisions on workplace equity.
Judges, city council members, and mayors are all state and local officials that people can vote for more regularly than presidential elections. State assembly members and senators directly influence key areas that impact our community, like paid family leave policies, racial justice, and sexual harassment, which affects 32.6% of women technologists and 42.9% of nonbinary technologists (2022 Technical Equity Experience Survey TechEES).
At the end of the day, it makes sense that local elections have a greater impact on your immediate community. National-level elections are important, but local elections often shape the day-to-day realities of our lives more directly. By participating in these elections, you have a direct hand in shaping the community you live and work in, ensuring that it reflects the values of equity, justice, and support for a diverse tech workforce. Engaging in local elections means advocating for policies that protect and uplift women and nonbinary technologists, fostering a more inclusive and equitable tech industry for all.
Get Prepared Before Heading to the Polls
Before heading to the polls, make sure you’re prepared – especially if you’re a first-time voter! Use the following checklist and linked resources to set yourself up for voting success.
- Voter Registration: Confirm your voter registration status. If you’re not registered, learn how and where to register
- Polling Place: Know where your polling place is located. Check the opening and closing times for your polling place. This can change, so it’s a good idea to verify before Election Day. In a few states, voting is mail-in only
- Voting Deadlines: Some states offer early voting, absentee voting, or mail-in ballots to make the process more accessible. Each option has its own deadline, so confirm which one applies to you.
- Required ID: Some states require you to bring identification to vote. Know what’s required in your area
- Sample Ballot: Review a sample ballot if available. It helps to know the candidates and measures up for election beforehand.
Are you someone with a felony conviction? Most states restore the right to vote to citizens after they complete their sentence. Use this resource from Campaign Legal Center to determine if you are eligible to vote right now, or eligible to go through the process to restore your right to vote.
What’s on My Ballot: Candidates
Today, candidate information is at our fingertips. Tools such as Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection help you make informed, strategic decisions that best align with your values and the needs of the tech community. The research doesn’t stop there though – you can do as much due diligence on candidates as you have capacity and interest.
Candidate websites provide information on their background and (hopefully) the platform they’re running on and the issues important to them. Pro tip: Look for concrete plans that go beyond rhetoric and offer actionable solutions.
Beyond their campaign website, check out social media to see if and how candidates engage with their community, as well as what their community says about them. Related to community, look at who’s endorsing the candidate you’re researching. Candidate endorsements can provide another level of insight, especially if the endorsement is coming from someone you already know and trust. That said, a combination of these approaches is necessary for you to develop a comprehensive and educated opinion about your candidates.
What’s on My Ballot: Measures
Ballot measures, also known as propositions, referendums, or initiatives, are proposed laws or policy changes submitted to voters for approval or rejection. Sometimes, these measures can be initiated by citizens through petitions or proposed by state legislatures. They allow voters to directly decide on specific issues, bypassing the usual legislative process. Not every state has the same rules for ballot measures; some states may have more restrictive processes or different types of measures. Understanding and voting on these measures is crucial, as they directly impact local policies and daily life.
This year, some example ballot initiatives impacting our community include those around minimum wage (Alaska), expansion of abortion access (Florida), reproductive freedom (Maryland), correcting ableist language (North Dakota), and gender inclusive language in the state constitution (South Dakota).
To learn more about key ballot measures in your state, use the ballot measures tool.
How to Participate in the Electoral Process as a Noncitizen
Many members of the tech community aren’t citizens of the countries they’re living, studying, or working in. This doesn’t diminish or take away their role in the electoral process! It’s crucial for noncitizens to help influence the direction of the policies that affect the community. This means advocating for a more inclusive and equitable tech ecosystem – and society – by getting educated on the issues and candidates, and sharing this knowledge with your community.
Engaging with wider, national, and international issues enriches the political discourse and fosters a more comprehensive understanding of policy impacts. Noncitizens, including international students, often bring diverse viewpoints that are crucial in creating inclusive policies. By advocating for issues that may be overlooked by local electorates, you can help ensure a more globally-minded and equitable policy framework.
Impactful ways to engage civically as a noncitizen can include participating in student government, joining issue-based organizations, and fostering dialogue through cultural and educational events. These activities not only enrich the academic community but also bridge gaps between different cultural perspectives, promoting a more inclusive society.
More Resources to Empower Your Vote
We’ve compiled a list of essential resources to help you navigate the voting process:
- Vote.org: Check your registration status, find your polling place, and see what identification you might need.
- Ballotpedia: Provides detailed information about the candidates and ballot measures in your area.
- League of Women Voters: Offers resources to help you understand the issues at stake and provides non-partisan information on where candidates stand.
- Rock the Vote: Shows a list of your current elected officials and offers educational information on the democratic process.
- Women, Tech and Justice at the Ballot Box: This AnitaB.org fireside chat from 2020 is full of relevant discussion of issues still facing women and nonbinary technologists today, and how you can use your vote to affect change.
Remember, voting is not just a right; it’s a significant way to contribute to the direction of your community and country. Make sure your voice is heard loud and clear in every election by getting thoroughly prepared for the polls!
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