Your Vote is Your Voice: Embrace the Power of the Secret Ballot

In the United States, the right to a secret ballot is a cornerstone of our democratic process (Campaign Legal Center). This means that when you step into that voting booth or fill out your mail-in ballot, your choices are yours alone. No one has the right to pressure you, intimidate you, or demand to know how you're voting. Your vote is your voice, and it's meant to ring out freely.

For women in particular, the secret ballot has been a hard-won right. It took generations of suffragists fighting, protesting, and lobbying for 72 long years after our nation's founding to win the right to vote with the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920. Since then, women have become a powerful force at the polls. In recent elections, women have been voting in higher numbers than men, making up a majority of voters (CAWP Rutgers). This November, 104 years after winning the right to vote, women have the chance to make their voices heard once again.

But the hard-won freedoms of women are under threat. In recent years, we've seen rollbacks of reproductive rights, attacks on equal pay, and a resurgence of sexism and misogyny. And while women have made strides in politics, they still hold only a fraction of seats in Congress and state legislatures (Center for American Women and Politics). It wasn't until 2021 that a woman first took the presidential oath of office as Vice President. Women's voices have been silenced and marginalized for far too long.

So this November, we're calling on all women to embrace the power of the secret ballot. Make a plan to vote, whether that's by mail, in person early, or at your polling place on Election Day. Take a few moments in that voting booth to think about what matters most to you – your body, your family, your community, your future. And then, cast your ballot with confidence. Your vote is your voice, and every voice matters. Don't let anyone take away the power that generations of women fought so hard to win.

Ready to make your voice heard? Register to vote now.