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Ever heard the children’s fable about the ants and the grasshopper? The ants prepare (for winter), the grasshopper doesn’t.

Of course, neither the ants nor any grasshoppers are able to vote. But, let’s pretend the moral of the story is that we can prepare for what we might encounter next Tuesday and beyond, and address our feelings about all of it.

The unknown has never been more… unknown. The pandemic, the election, the divisions — there’s no way to tell where we’ll end up.

What we do know as election day approaches, is that the risks are real — and we are stressed. The national Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law has documented a surge in the number of incidents of voter intimidation; its election protection hotline has received 100,000 calls since July 1. Most of us won’t encounter these issues as we vote, but some of us will. And, of course, the context of voting this year is the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to a national mental health crisis, according to the American Psychological Association.

So, let’s be the ants and not the grasshopper. Here are some thoughts and resources we hope will be of use before, during and after election day (please feel free to share additional ones in the Responses section, below):

  1. Create a personal voting plan. It might include child care, clothing, food & water, a portable chair, emergency numbers, and more. Check out this friendly 17-point checklist.
  2. Know Your Voting Rights. If you get in line before the polls close, you have the right to vote. You also have the right to vote without anyone bothering, threatening, or discriminating against you. There is a no-politics zone around polling places (usually around 100 feet) where nobody can try to talk you into voting for one candidate or another, and you have the right to feel safe both inside that zone and beyond it. This simple one-sheet includes information on what to do if you see something problematic or have trouble voting. If you witness or are affected by an attempt at voter intimidation, you can call the nonpartisan Election Protection hotline: 866-OUR-VOTE (23,000 legal volunteers are standing by, ready to help). You can also reach out to the Connecticut Secretary of the State and your local Registrar of Voters.
  3. Fear, stress, anxiety, worry… it’s real, and it’s impacting the majority of us – adults and children alike. Time to kick any remaining stigma to the curb and address our mental and emotional health.
  4. Help ensure every vote is counted; Vote-Counting Vigils are being organized across the nutmeg state.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers its “Tips for Voters to Reduce the Spread of COVID-19,” including how to protect yourself when using different types of transportation. When going to vote, bring your own black-ink pen, avoid close contact with others (stay 6 feet away), wear a mask (bring an extra), wash your hands often, use hand-sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol when you can’t, and more.

Lastly, know you’re not alone. We build community in CLP by cohort, and we build community beyond and across cohorts. Even more so now, while the cohort-creation process is on hold due to the pandemic, we can shore up and reach out to each other. We are a collection of 29 cohorts, 619 leaders with countless stories, commitments, hopes and possibilities. Let’s realize the power of our network, why it matters, and why we matter to each other.

As always, we welcome hearing from you about resources, supports and activities that you’d like us to distribute to the network (and by extension, to the broader community).

Take good care, stay safe, and thank you for staying connected.

In solidarity,

Lara Herscovitch (Cohort 10) & Fahd Vahidy (Cohort 7)

To reach Lara: thecircle@clpnewhaven.org / To reach Fahd: fahdv@grausteinoffice.net 

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