I returned home to Asheville on Sunday, October 13. Everything that you have heard and seen about the destruction wrecked by Hurricane Helene in Western North Caroline is true, and then some. My heart breaks as I traverse the area witnessing the damage done. I am so grateful for the outpouring of support in our area. From FEMA, from church groups nationwide, from volunteers simply wanting to help neighbors. It is humbling. It gives me hope.

And, in addition to the disaster management and rebuilding efforts happening, we have an important (gosh, that word sounds so trivial) election looming. Every day since returning to my home, I have canvassed neighborhoods, made phone calls, or greeted voters at early voting sites across the county. It is such a privilege to be able to do so. To interact with neighbors, to see that people are okay, to reconnect with acquaintances, to talk about the local and state elections that will impact our lives perhaps even more than the federal one. To make sure that people understand where they can vote, that if they don’t have a photo id, they can request an exception since we are in a designated disaster area (as many people lost everything, including their ids, in the wake of Helene). To let people know that if they cannot stand in line, we have curbside voting at every polling site, and they can vote from the comfort of their car. To let people know that we have volunteers who will drive them to the polls if they don’t have a way to otherwise get there.

As I was canvassing yesterday, I met a resident who said he wasn’t voting, as he didn’t care for either of the presidential candidates. I’ve heard people say this before, and each time I hear it, it feels like a punch to the gut, and simply sucks the breath from me. I don’t understand how someone could not care about our system of government. About not caring about having a say in how our society works. I reminded myself to suspend judgment and get curious. I asked the resident about what issues are important to him, and if he would feel comfortable voting for the 20+ other races that are on the ballot, if he didn’t feel comfortable casting a vote for president. He considered that, and then asked to learn more about local and state candidates. I talked about the platforms of each, and gave him my phone number and asked him to reach out if he had any additional questions or wanted to discuss any of the candidates. I thanked him for his time, and he said he probably still wouldn’t vote, as he didn’t have time to research the independent and Republican candidates. I urged him to reconsider, and also realized I had done what I could, and needed to move on.

I’m so curious – for those of y’all who don’t vote – why? What has played into your decision to sit this one out?