As we’ve come to expect, we are inundated with political advertisements, social media posts, and other messages on a daily basis. It’s easy to get turned off by the negativity of elections and politics. While a lot of attention is paid to the top of the ticket, or presidential candidates, keep in mind that on November 3, your vote will collectively determine 33 U.S. Senate seats, 435 U.S. House of Representatives seats, 20 gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial seats, 128 state and local executive office seats across 28 states, as well as 95 statewide ballot measures. That’s why we want Realtors® to vote!

Whether your state has mandated in-person, mail-in, or electronic voting or some combination of the three, we encourage you to:

Register to Vote and Ensure Your Voter Registration is Up-to-Date

Visit the Realtor® Party website to check on the status of your voter registration. This is also a great reminder to share with your colleagues, family members, clients, and community at large. If you don’t exercise your right to vote, someone else will!

Educate Yourself on Candidates and Ballot Initiatives

It goes without saying that we are all passionate about real estate. Stay tuned to your state and local Realtor associations. Association and NAR staff have working hard to interview and identify Realtor® champions — elected official who have made significant achievements in advancing home and property ownership or whose policy agendas are aligned to the Realtor® Party’s mission — and raise awareness of important ballot initiatives at the state and local levels. The hard work has already been done for you!

Volunteer, if You Feel Comfortable in Doing So

States are anticipating a shortage of poll workers and volunteers. I encourage you to volunteer to help bridge this shortfall, but only if you feel comfortable. By witnessing our democracy up close and personal, you learn so much. I highly recommend you add election volunteering to your bucket list!

You’ve probably heard every member of the Leadership Team and volunteer leader talk about making our voices heard from Capitol Hall to statehouses and city halls nationwide. Your vote is your voice. Join me in shaping the communities where we live and work, and by extension, the country.