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A few years ago here in Boone County, we experienced first hand the concept that “every vote matters.” In a municipal election, similar to the one we just experienced, the race for a City Council seat resulted in a tie. Two candidates each received 1,102 votes, forcing a run-off election, and proving that one vote does indeed make a difference.

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That experience helped lead to the formation of “When She Votes,” a non-partisan, inclusive effort to encourage all eligible voters in Boone County to become familiar with the issues, get registered to vote, and vote in every election. Since mid-2023, local leaders of the League of Women Voters and the NAACP have convened meetings to discuss and begin to implement strategies to make that goal a reality.

 

In February 2024, When She Votes held its kick-off event at the Boone Electric Cooperative building, with ten local women explaining to the standing room only crowd how informed voting impacts important aspects of life in this community, from accessibility in transportation, to school safety, education, health care, housing and more. 

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At the close of the meeting, organization co-chairs urged those in attendance to reach out to ten people and to ensure that those ten people become educated about the issues, registered to vote, and then actually VOTE. They further encouraged attendees to explain to each of those ten people that they must do the same, resulting in a county in which EVERY eligible voter makes his or her voice heard. Because, as they both stated, “Your vote is your VOICE. Your voice is your VOTE.”

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This message should resonate even more today, after a local election for which the turn out was less than 17% and for which the issues impacting all of us were decided by the tiny percentage of eligible voters who turned up and turned out.

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You too can help make this goal a reality. Because, when (s)he votes, that voice is heard and it MATTERS.