So you’re worried about which political party is going to control the House, Senate, and governorships after the midterm elections, but you don’t know how to make a difference outside your district. Maybe there are no Senate elections in your state this year, but you want to make sure there’s a pro-choice Senate majority so that Senator Lindsey Graham doesn’t follow through on his plan for a nationwide abortion ban. Or maybe the governor of Texas keeps luring legal asylum seekers to your state without warning, where you have no infrastructure or preparation to aid them, and you would like that to change.
The outcome of the midterms this year is going to affect everybody in every state. Even if you can’t vote outside the district where you live, you can still help the outside candidates you’re passionate about.
Donating to and volunteering for candidates:
If you’ve ever even thought about a political election or party, chances are you’re already being inundated with texts and emails from campaigns across the country asking for you to throw them a buck. And you can donate to whomever you want no matter where you live. So if you want to throw a few bones to John Fetterman, Dr. Oz’s Democratic challenger in Pennsylvania’s Senate race, but you live in California, go right ahead! Any candidate you like will have a donate button front and center on their campaign website.
If you want to take a more active role and volunteer for a campaign, there are plenty of ways to do so from out of state as well. You may not be able to canvass in person by knocking on doors, but you can certainly volunteer for text or phone banking and online organizing. Campaigns are always looking for more help, so if you have a candidate in mind, the best place to start is that person’s campaign website.
Candidates in swing states that could really use your help include:
Georgia
Stacey Abrams
Raphael Warnock
Florida
Val Demings
North Carolina
Cheri Beasley
Nevada
Catherine Cortez Mastro
Arizona
Katie Hobbs
Kansas
Laura Kelly
Volunteering by issue:
If you’re especially concerned about a particular issue rather than a candidate, there are organizations devoted to finding and promoting candidates focused on what you care about most.
Abortion:
Emily’s List
Gun control:
Gun Sense Voter
Climate change:
League of Conservation Voters
For more of Glamour’s coverage of the 2022 midterm elections, click here. To find out if you’re registered to vote, click here.
