If you're feeling gut-wrenched about your vote, this is for you.

I have wrestled with this for months — how to address the despair that many of us feel heading to the ballot box in the next few days. We are angry. We are exhausted. We are furious. We are grieved. We want nothing more than to dismantle this society that continues to work exactly as intended — keeping so many marginalized humans in bondage, operating off of proud imperialism and colonialism, funding a mass genocide, and upholding white supremacy at all costs.

Let’s not sugarcoat it — we’re pissed. We’re pissed and we feel helpless. We are done with waiting for the “right time” to dismantle the system. We’re done giving politicians our votes when the return is often empty promises. We don’t want to vote for politicians who support the system that we can see so clearly through. We want liberation once and for all. We want decolonized, anti-supremacy, humanity-first liberation. But, we know this isn’t happening any time soon. And, this infuriates and grieves us even more, driving us toward any act of revenge and rebellion that will make us feel like we did something to protect our moral compass and make a statement. Because, how could we, in good faith, participate in a system that we are so vehemently against? How could we reward someone with our vote when they have only proven their deference to the system that is harming us?

Let’s pause right here.

I want to know if you see what I see.

Do you see what I see?

We just made this about us. We have allowed our righteous anger to drive us to believe that a choice that strokes our ego is the same as fighting for the liberation we are desperate for. I understand. It’s easy to confuse the two. We are taught that one of our most powerful advocacy tools is our vote. We are taught that our vote is our voice — the only way our voices can be heard in this republic slash democracy. Our opportunity to speak loudly with our vote only comes around every 2-4 years, and the pressure to say the perfect thing with that one vote is insurmountable. That pressure is coupled with fear, misinformation, belief that our one little vote doesn’t make a difference, anger toward the racist and archaic electoral college, disdain for the two-party system, and more. When you put all of this together, it is understandable why one would want to use this opportunity to say something extreme with their vote like voting for a 3rd party or abstaining altogether.

I say this with love: treating your vote as inconsequential, abstaining, or casting it for a symbolic candidate you know can’t win is a choice that most marginalized people simply don’t have.

You may not feel the direct consequences of your revenge vote. You may exist with racial, social, gender, and capital privilege that keeps you protected in this system. You may have job security, a roof over your head, and wealth that protects your future grandchildren. Maybe you’re simply a single, cis-gendered person without kids who doesn’t have to worry about laws and policies that affect children, members of the LGBTQ+ community, or birthing people. If your life remains largely unaffected no matter the election outcome, then the very system you resist has, in fact, always been working in your favor. Our culture celebrates rugged individualism as a marker of success, often encouraging us to vote in ways that reinforce personal beliefs over collective impact. But your vote holds the power to lift those most affected by systemic injustice—one of the strongest ways to leverage your privilege for change.

I understand that one of the main reasons many want to vote third party or abstain is because of their anger toward the United States’ handling of the genocide in Gaza. I get it. I’m beyond angry, too. And, as someone who has alwsys enjoyed Vice President Harris and most of her policies, I am very disappointed in her response to this genocide. It pains me to hear rhetoric about how “the most horrific day during this ‘war’ was what happened on October 7th.” It grieves me to hear this genocide being reduced to a humanitarian crisis as a '“result” of war, but “Israel still has the right to defend itself.” I want nothing more for all of our leaders to impose an arms embargo on Israel and force an end to this nightmare. (Emphasis on all, because contrary to popular belief, the president is not the only one making these decisions.) However, we can ill afford to waste a vote because we are angry. As much as we want to dismantle the system, we still have to accept the fact that the system is still the system right now. Acting irrationally and emotionally will only cause more harm on our own soil, which will affect our ability to fight for those abroad.

I understand it feels unfair to protect your human rights at home as you are watching Palestinian children die on your iPhone screens. I get how backward that sounds. But, it goes back to the oxygen mask analogy: you cannot help others receive their oxygen if you cannot breathe. Right now, we need to treat our vote like our oxygen mask. While I will never believe that any politician is a savior, I do believe that a vote for the politician who believes in the protection of our human rights ensures our oxygen mask is secure. And, I wholeheartedly believe that a vote for a politician who threatens to annihilate our human rights is the equivalent of cutting up all of our oxygen masks, stomping on them, and setting them ablaze.

As a Black woman, I cannot afford not to vote. No, this country wasn’t built for me, but this country was built off of the stolen labor of my ancestors who fought every day to be seen as human. I refuse to dishonor them. And, yes, right now, I believe that a third-party vote is the equivalent of not voting. Does this mean I stand ten toes down for the two-party system? No. Does this mean that I believe the democratic party can do no wrong? Of course not. Does this mean that I have given up on my commitment to dismantle the system of white supremacy that our society was founded upon because I participate in that system with my vote? Not at all. It means that I recognize and hold multiple truths at once:

• The system needs to be eradicated, yet it is the same system that supports our livelihoods.

• The system is working as intended to uphold white supremacy, yet an irresponsible demolishment of the system without a strategy would just cause further harm.

• There are some harmful policies the Democratic party supports, but overall, democratic policies are what have allowed us access to human rights that would otherwise be stripped away (see: protection of social safety net, fighting for healthcare, bodily autonomy, LGBTQ+ rights, etc.)

• Yes, there is racism, bigotry, misogyny, and more on “all sides,” but there is one side that has made hatred its identity.

• Yes, we need to engage with the system as it is to secure access to basic necessities, while also committing to the steady, intentional work of dismantling a structure rooted in colonialism, oppression, and dehumanization.

In my book, We’ll All Be Free, I state:

None of us can wake up tomorrow and take a bulldozer to the system and call it a done deal, as much as I’m sure we all wish we could. That would not only be too easy but would actually be ineffective. As much as we all want to shout on social medi that we just need to burn the entire frustrating system to the ground, we all know that our reliance on these systems makes that physically impossible. The dismantling of white supremacy must be done in a way that allows for society to contunue to run while we deconstruct the system piece by piece.

A vote for a racist, misogynist, tyrant dictator will act as that bulldozer. Not in a way that clears the path for a decolonized, liberated future, but rather as a force that would erase the hard-won progress fought for by abolitionists, activists, and civil rights leaders before us. This bulldozer would pour gasoline on the fire of white supremacy and watch it obliterate us with a smirk on his face. This bulldozer would shatter every ounce of humanity we have left. This bulldozer would also deepen the devastation for children abroad whose lives we claim to be defending, leaving them with even fewer chances of recovery. The very reason for our protest vote could end up inflicting even more harm on our Palestinian brothers and sisters. So, where does that leave us? What’s the answer? These are questions with no simple solutions, especially for those privileged enough not to have to ask them. Your life remains untouched, while only your sense of moral high ground feels satisfied.

This isn’t activism. It isn’t a fight for liberation—it’s self-serving. This is yet another way white supremacy entices you to contribute to its harm, all while making you believe you’re doing the opposite.

But when both your community at home and people abroad are suffering because you chose to play with your vote, how will that sit with you? When the impact reaches your own healthcare, maternal care, or your child’s education, will you still feel the same? Will you be able to look yourself in the mirror, knowing you had the chance to prevent a tyrant from taking office—and chose not to?

When I ask these questions of others on social media, I often receive the following responses:

• “My state alway votes blue. I can make a statement with my vote without affecting the outcome.”

• “I don’t live in a battleground state, so this doesn’t affect me.”

• “Funding a mass genocide is a deal breaker for me. How could it not be for you? Shame on you!”

• “Whoever gets the most votes wins, but Harris hasn’t earned my vote.”

Let me remind you of a few things. First, no, that’s not how elections work. Whoever get the most votes does not always win. We witnessed Hilary Clinton win the popular vote and lose the presidency because of the Electoral College and which states she lost. One of those states being Pennsylvania. Reportng shows that Clinton would have won the presidency had she won all of Stein’s votes in 2016. In 2000, Green Party candidate Ralph Nader swung the election toward George W. Bush with Florida’s outcome. You may think your one vote isn’t enough to make a difference, but there are many thinking the same thing. And for those casting a vote they believe will ease their conscience without impacting the outcome—collectively, those votes have real power to shape the election. Even if you don’t live in a battleground state, please don’t ever make assumptions for how you assume your state will vote. Please don’t assume that every single vote toward clinching the Electoral College in each possible state doesn’t matter. I, too, hate the Electoral College with a passion. But, it exists. It is not going anywhere overnight. Abolishing it can be a part of our collective liberation work, but have to work with what we’ve got right now.

Lastly, the fear mongering about everyone voting for Harris being a genocide enabler is simply uncalled for. I am not a genocide enabler. However, choosing not to vote for Harris would inadvertently empower the resurgence of white supremacy that a second Trump presidency would bring. His administration not only threatens to further dehumanize our Muslim brothers and sisters here at home but also supports Netanyahu's complete invasion and seize of Gaza. I’m not saying that Harris hasn’t also voiced unwavering support for Israel. She has, and I do not agree with it. What I do agree with is her stance of a two-state solution and Palestinian agency. To put it plainly: Trump does not share the latter stance.

I know this is not the “solution” any of us wants. I know we want to be able to morally withhold our vote to punish those funding the genocide, enabling imperialism, and upholding the capitalism the fuels the white supremacy the USA has over the world. That is why we do not stop fighting, organizing, protesting, and demanding change. That is why we get involved in our local governments to push for policy changes that can lead to future liberation. That is why we show up to our local town halls, congress sessions, and more to implore all of our leaders to end every destruction we are witnessing. We cannot continue to pretend to are during an election year and then go back to business as usual. That is where the real enabling comes in. We must stop believing that our job starts and ends at the ballot box.

The ballot box is just one step. A dire step, yes. A heavily consequential step, yes! We must understand that our vote will have a ripple effect. Our children will bear the brunt of the harm we inflict, just as we are facing the repercussions of the damage our parents created during the elections of our youth. We cannot afford to misstep here. However, we also cannot afford for our vote to be our only step. We can still be angry, we can still demand the genocide to end, and we can still raise awareness about the ingrained and immoral harm our system causes. We can vote intelligently and fight for change. We can do both.

Now is not the time for risky, selfish politics. Now is not the time to say “screw the system.” And now is certainly not the time to entertain your privilege. If you consider yourself a true fighter for libertation, then make sure your vote walks the walk that you talk. We cannot afford to have you do otherwise.

I say this with love.

P.S. Also, please remember that the Palestinians aren’t the only ones facing a mass genocide right now. If your concern is only for one population undergoing genocide, then are you truly fighting for liberation? Yes, the funding may look different, as e are directly funding one and not the other, but the human lives are the same.