“Democracy is not a spectator sport.”
— Marian Wright Edelman
We are living through a moment that asks something of each of us.
Not just our opinions. Not just our attention. Our participation.
In this spirit, the 2026 US midterm elections are more than a political milestone. They are a collective moment of direction. As voters choose all 435 members of the House and 35 members of the Senate, we are helping shape the leadership and laws that will guide our nation’s future.
Democracy is not a spectator sport. It is a living practice, shaped every day by people who choose to show up for one another and for the future. When division can feel louder than connection, civic engagement becomes an act of remembering who we are and what we belong to.
As we approach this election season, we encourage our community to vote with both heart and horizon in mind. The choices we make at the ballot box reach far beyond our immediate surroundings. They shape how we engage the world, respond to conflict, uphold human rights, welcome those seeking safety and refuge, care for our planet, and define our responsibilities to one another across borders and even religion.
Voting is one way we participate in the ongoing work of building a more inclusive and responsive democracy. The composition of the House and Senate will help shape what becomes possible in the years ahead: whose voices are heard, whose needs are prioritized, and whether our democratic institutions move closer to reflecting the full diversity and wisdom of the people they serve, along with protecting civil liberties and rights.
What we need is the courage to remain connected across difference. The belief that our futures are intertwined. The willingness to invest in a society where everyone has the opportunity not only to survive, but to belong and thrive.
Joy is not separate from democracy. Justice is not separate from democracy. They are what become possible when people come together to imagine, participate in, and create a future larger than themselves. Throughout this issue, find resources and ways to get involved this voting season.
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