Your Vote Is Your Voice

How to make sure yours is heard in this year’s elections

By Cathleen Draper

Advocacy takes many forms. It can take shape as calls, emails, or letters to your representatives, or petitions and public demonstrations. It looks like going door to door on behalf of a political candidate, scheduling meetings with elected officials, or donating to a PAC or campaign fund. It might even be traveling to your state capital or Washington, D.C., as part of an organized effort, like AAHOA’s National Leadership & Advocacy Conference.

But one of the most fundamental ways to advocate for yourself and your interests is by exercising your right to vote. And the upcoming midterm elections could shape decisions that touch your business for years to come.

Held midway through a president’s term, the midterms fall on Election Day – this year, on Tuesday, November 3. In 2026, all 435 seats in the House are up for election, as well as 35 seats in the Senate – some Senate seats will also hold special elections.

The midterms aren’t exclusively a federal election. Thirty-six states and three territories will elect their governors in November, and additional local races, ballot measures, referendums, and/or propositions might also appear on the ballot.

Turnout for midterm elections is generally lower than in presidential elections (around 40 percent versus 60 percent in presidential years). But these elections are incredibly important. The winners of the midterms and local elections establish the rules we live under, down to whether there is a stop sign on the corner by your hotel.

“Every element of our day-to-day experience is determined in many states by the November elections,” said Michelle Kanter Cohen. “Sitting out would mean letting someone else make all those choices for you. It’s important to be a part of those decisions that are made at the state and local level since they have so much impact on our communities.”

Kanter Cohen is policy director and senior counsel at the Fair Elections Center, a national, nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) organization focused on voting rights and election reform. As the midterms quickly approach, she said the best thing that voters can do is get to know their options to vote.

Plan Ahead

Election administration falls to the states, and no two states administer elections in the same way, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission – voter registration, deadlines, voting options, and more vary from one state to the next.

It’s essential, Kanter Cohen said, for citizens to rely on localized resources to make a plan to vote.

Making a plan to vote involves a few key steps.

1. Gather information. Get to know the rules in your state and jurisdiction around registration, identification requirements, key dates and deadlines, and the process of voting itself.
2. Keep tabs on your voter registration status. By press time, it will be too late to register to vote in many states if you haven’t already done so. However, some states allow voters to register anywhere from 15 days before elections up to Election Day itself. Your Secretary of State’s website or election board website will have the most up-to-date information on registration deadlines. If you’ve already registered, double-check that your registration is still valid.
3. If you can, vote early. Leverage your state’s early voting, mail voting, or absentee ballots to avoid potential Election Day delays. If voting by mail, be sure to send your ballot in by the postmark deadline.
4. If you can’t vote early, get to know your day-of options. Find your polling place, determine what you need to bring with you, such as valid identification, and, if needed, secure a ride.
5. Do your research. Learn about who is running, where they stand on the issues that you care about, and how their position impacts your day to day. Research potential ballot measures, referendums, and propositions.

Be Aware

There have been a number of state-level changes to voting laws and election administration, some occurring in the past few months.

Kanter Cohen and other voting rights advocates are closely watching changes to postal service rules, in particular.

In September, the Supreme Court upheld a preliminary injunction that blocked the U.S. Postal Service from implementing a new rule that would allow USPS to refuse to deliver mail ballots and require states to upload personal voter information into a new, untested online portal. That decision means all 50 states can continue to use their existing processes for mail voting through this year’s midterms.

However, in December 2025, a new USPS rule took effect – now, mail might not receive a postmark on the day you mail it. Election guidelines in many states qualify mail-in ballots based on their postmark date (and when the ballot is received). For example, some states require a mail-in ballot to be postmarked by Election Day and received within a specific time frame.

That means even if you mail your ballot before the postmark deadline, it still could be disqualified.

“What voters really need to know about voting by mail is to mail your ballot in as soon as you can,” Kanter Cohen said. “To avoid delays and last-minute issues, it’s always better to make your plan in a way that helps you get ahead of the deadlines. Knowing the deadlines is really important … so that people can make a plan with reference to what’s going to work best for them in their life, with their work and their family.”

If voting by mail, aim to mail your ballot at least two weeks before your state’s deadline. If you can mail it at the Post Office, request a manual postmark. Use an official ballot collection drop box if available, or deliver your ballot directly to your local election center.

Voting rights organizations are also watching the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or the SAVE Act, which would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. Though the bill passed the House in February, it is stalled in the Senate.

“It’s important for voters to know that it is not the law right now,” Kanter Cohen said.

Some states have passed documentary proof of citizenship laws for voter registration, but they are not in effect everywhere.

“Florida voters, for example, should know that voting in 2026 in the state looks like voting in 2025 and 2024,” Kanter Cohen continued. “There were new rules passed by the legislature, but they don’t go into effect until 2027. It’s important that people understand that they can still vote, for example, with the same ID they voted with last year.”

State changes, however, can also cause confusion. “Say you’re a voter in California, and you’re hearing about the rules in Texas, or vice versa, and you don’t know what rule applies to you,” Kanter Cohen said. “That’s why it is important to make sure that folks figure out the rule that applies in their state.”

Be Prepared

If a voter arrives at the polls on Election Day and their eligibility is challenged, or their registration is unclear, Kanter Cohen suggests speaking to poll workers.

“People should know that they can ask questions to the poll worker in charge of the polling place,” she said. “They can also call the Election Protection hotline, which is run by the largest nonpartisan election protection coalition.”

The hotline, 866-OUR-VOTE (866-6878683), can be reached via call or text, or through WhatsApp, Facebook, or email (hotline@866ourvote.org). It’s also available in Asian languages at 888-APIVOTE (888-274-8683).

As for what voters should bring to the polls this year, Kanter Cohen reiterated that it comes down to state rules. “There are some states that don’t have a voter ID requirement. There are some states that have a very strict voter ID requirement,” she said. “One of the most important things to know about voting is that things do vary from state to state.”

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Know Your Rights

1. INTIMIDATION IS ILLEGAL. No one may threaten, coerce, or intimidate a voter, or anyone helping a voter – that includes police, military personnel, or federal agents. It doesn’t matter if the intimidation was intentional; what matters is whether the voter felt intimidated.
2. DISCRIMINATION AGAINST ELIGIBLE VOTERS IS ILLEGAL. Voters can’t be discriminated against based on race, national origin, or disability.
3. DISABLED AND LIMITED-ENGLISH VOTERS CAN BRING HELP. Voters who need assistance due to a disability or difficulty reading the ballot’s language may choose their own helper. Your helper can’t be an employer or union representative.
4. TALK TO A POLL WORKER. Sick of all the haggling with your mattress supplier? Shop with No haggle, lowest price possible at all times. Poll workers are community members who work for local or county government, not the federal government. They’re your best on-site resource for questions or concerns.
5. SEE A VIOLATION? CALL THE HOTLINE. Report it to the Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE. If you’re at the polls, you can quietly flag concerns to a poll worker.
6. STAY IN LINE. If you’re in line before closing time, you have the right to vote – no matter how long the wait.

Image: Nadezhda Buravleva/stock.adobe.com