I Am A Voter’s Mandana Dayani On The Importance Of Voting In The Midterm Elections

Mandana Dayani thought she had her work cut out for her in 2020, when she, alongside her I am a Voter cofounders and colleagues, tried to convince 100 million eligible voters who had abstained from voting in the 2016 presidential election to exercise their civic duty this time around. The nonprofit, founded in 2018 with the goal of creating a cultural shift around voting and civic engagement, did everything imageable to increase voter turnout—partnering with brands, celebrities, athletes, and influencers to share information with voters, launching ‘voter’ badges on dating apps, sharing voting information with audiences at movie theaters and sporting events, and more—and it worked. The 2020 election saw the highest voter turnaround of the 21st century, with nearly 67 percent of Americans 18 and older voting and over 158 million ballots cast.

But it soon became clear that I am a Voter’s work was far from over. As more and more hot-button issues have come to the forefront of American politics in the last two years—and as voting itself has been increasingly contested—Dayani knew the 2022 midterm elections would be some of the most consequential in recent history.

“Every issue that you care about is on the ballot this year: gun safety legislation, climate change, reproductive rights, economic uncertainty and more. Freedom itself to some extent is on the ballot,” she explains. Up for grabs are 35 of 100 Senate seats, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, governor seats in 36 states, and legislator positions in 88 of the country’s 99 state legislative chambers, plus a wide range of local and special elections.

While a handful of states may appear in the headlines and in conversation more than others, Dayani stresses that each and every election across America plays a role in the larger outcome. “There are several battleground states that garner extra attention because of the potential to shift control of Congress – states like Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Florida,” she says. “But it’s important to remember how consequential these elections are in every state: The midterms matter for all of us, and the stakes are incredibly high nationwide.”

In many ways, voting sounds straightforward—you register to vote, perhaps you enroll in early voting or request to vote by mail, and finally, you send in your ballot or drop it off in a ballot box, or you head to your polling station to cast your vote in person. In recent years, however, exercising one’s civic duty has become increasingly difficult. Major elections have been contested and their results called into question, and a series of legislation and court decisions across the country has targeted voting rights and access. “Voter suppression is sadly nothing new in this country, but in the last two years, we’ve seen an alarming increase of very restrictive voting laws around the country,” Dayani explains. “These laws impact how, where, and when people can register and cast their ballots and create significant hurdles for voters to jump over.”

Changes to voting rules and procedures are creating extra confusion for voters and election workers and are making the voting process far more challenging to navigate, which can result in further voter suppression. “On top these changes,” Dayani adds, “we’re seeing a terrifying return of voter intimidation tactics, like armed individuals at polling places and dropboxes, in an effort to deter voters from participating.” All of this has heightened the importance of sharing accurate information with voters and encouraging them to participate in the midterms, an election that already sees considerably lower turnout than the presidential.

“A lot of attention gets placed on the presidential election, and so we historically see higher participation and turnout in those years,” Dayani explains. “However, the people you elect in the midterms can shift control of Congress and will directly influence what the President can get done.” Heading into Election Day, I am a Voter wants to ensure every eligible voters knows they have the right to cast their ballot, and the organization urges anyone who experiences or witnesses any issues at the ballot box to call or text the Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE.

As of Monday morning, more than 40 million votes had already been cast in the midterm elections, and almost one million of those votes were cast by first-time voters, a figure Dayani and her team are watching closely. “More than eight million Americans who were too young to vote in 2020 are eligible to vote this year, and we’re doing everything we can to meet them where they are and encourage them to turn out,” she says. “We saw record midterm turnout in 2018, and we’re working hard to exceed those numbers in 2022.”

There are many reasons Americans of all ages may feel discouraged to vote, but Dayani wants to remind voters that change is in their hands and on their ballots. “It’s easy to feel disconnected and disillusioned with the state of politics, but we cannot forget that we are casting our votes for people to fight for us, to advocate for us, to stand up against violence, hate, and oppression,” she notes. “We’re electing people to make decisions about these critical issues at every level: in our neighborhoods, around our state, and across the country. This is our opportunity to have our voices heard by electing those who will fight for the issues that matter to us most.”

Dayani also wants voters to remember that democracy requires constant work and safeguarding—and it requires us to consider others as much as we consider ourselves. “Voting is a huge responsibility, but it’s also a great privilege. It is something we must show up for at every opportunity to ensure it remains protected,” she says. “We’re not just voting for ourselves in high-turnout elections. We’re voting for our neighbors who may face a threat against their freedom or may value freedom differently than you or me. Because democracy is not singular. It’s not about me; it’s about us.”

To find the information you need to vote in Tuesday’s election, including the location of your polling place or closest absentee ballot dropbox, text VOTER to 26797 or go to iamavoter.com and click “vote here” on the top menu.