Democracy is not a spectator sport. Whether you want to exercise your right to vote, join a protest, call your elected officials, run for office, or keep tabs on the week’s hottest issues and protests, The Contrarian has you covered.
Here are our top suggestions for getting involved in the days ahead. These are heated times; we encourage non-violent and lawful activism.
Trick or Treat for Democracy
The fascists in power are spooked, so make Halloween even scarier for them by getting out the vote! There are a ton of Halloween-themed GOTV events this weekend, ranging from a candy canvass in Omaha, Nebraska, to a candy crawl in Dayton, Ohio, to “Ballot-ween” in Yakima, Washington. Wherever you haunt, find a Halloween election event near you.
Join a Spooky Phone Bank
Voter turnout among 18 to 35 year olds is scarily low! Help young and first-time voters make sure they’re ready to cast their ballots with a Spooky Gen Z phone bank on Saturday, October 31, at 1 p.m. eastern. Voters of Tomorrow, Men4Choice Advocacy, and KAPOW — with special guest former congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh — are teaming up to get out the vote with some Halloween fun. Training is provided at the beginning of the call.
Prepare to Vote with Confidence
In collaboration with No Kings, the ACLU is hosting a know-your-voting-rights video call tonight, October 29, at 8 p.m. eastern. Register here. The call promises to cover:
Your federal voting rights;
Voter intimidation and other potential barriers to participation;
Ways you can access disability-related accommodations and language assistance.
Jen Rubin and Deirdre Schifeling of the ACLU previewed much of this subject matter today in a Contrarian interview you can watch here.
There is a lot of misinformation swirling around the 2026 election. But don’t let doubt dissuade you from exercising the franchise. The law is on your side: The ACLU has a printable voting-rights guide and resources for what to do if federal agents show up at the polls. And the SPLC offers a great voter-safety guide. Keep the Election Protection Hotline number on hand — 866-687-8683 (or 866-OUR-VOTE) — in case you encounter difficulties.
Participate in a GOTV Push
If costumes and candy aren’t your vibe, you can jump on the phone, on social media, or on a bus with Swing Left. Tonight at 7 p.m. eastern, Swing Left’s Social Strategy Power Hour call will teach participants how to boost pro-democracy content on Instagram and TikTok. Washington, D.C.-area Contrarians who are ready to knock on doors can hop on buses leaving from D.C. at 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 31, for canvassing events in VA-01 and VA-05 — must-flip seats for a pro-democracy House majority. Others can visit Swing Left’s “Take Action” site to find meaningful GOTV work in your area.
Indivisible chapters are also organizing election actions from coast to coast; find an opportunity near you. Mobilize.us has a calendar full of get-out-the-vote opportunities from now through the end of voting on Tuesday, November 3. Find one that fits your schedule. When We all Vote is hosting parties at the polls through election day; find one near you. You can also get active with the NAACP’s GOTV program here. And Voto Latino a has a map of actions nationwide.
Organize a Voting March
Students across the United States are hosting “march to the polls” events in response to the removal of early-voting sites from their campuses. These mobilization efforts are intended to break down barriers to voting while advocating for free and fair elections. If your voting site was relocated, consider organizing a walk to the polls. Additionally, you can spread the word about voter-transportation resources such as Roll to the Polls and Ride Share to Vote. You can also join or support “Souls to the Polls” actions from Louisiana to North Carolina to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Vote Early — Before You Can’t
The window for in-person early voting closes early in many jurisdictions. (The cutoff has already passed in Louisiana and Pennsylvania.)
Keep an eye on these dates for states where early-voting cutoffs apply:
October 29: Maine, Maryland, Tennessee
October 30: Arizona, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts, Nevada, Texas, Utah
October 31: Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia
November 1: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York, Ohio
Drop Off Your Ballot by Hand
If you were mailed a ballot and haven’t yet returned it, it is likely too late to trust the Postal Service to postmark it by November 3. The safer bet is to return your sealed, signed ballot in person to a ballot drop box or an elections office in your area. You can find a drop box using this tool.
Register on Election Day
If you (or a friend) never got around to registering to vote or find that your registration has lapsed, don’t despair. Many states offer same-day voter registration, which will allow you to cast a ballot on November 3. They include: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Washington, D.C., Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The same-day registration process can vary by state; look up rules for your location here.
Click here to find The Contrarian’s standing resources for empowering yourself in American civic life — from contacting your elected officials to ensuring your right to vote to supporting public-interest journalism.
Thanks Contrarians!
Have to point something out. As a VOLUNTEER Election Judge in Illinois, there's damn little that's more annoying than people trying to register at the Polling Place on Election Day. It's simply not that hard to register in the first place -- and if you are by some chance physically or geographically unable to register in any of the multiple locations on any of the over 300 other days leading up to an election, please, please, please visit an early voting site where the Election Judges are full-time professionals.
We amateurs have to figure out the process for each and every registrant. And while we can get pretty good at it by the end of our 15 or 16 hour less-than-minimum-wage-day - we hate everyone who requests it. (Well, we're pretty cool with high-school kids registering. We DO want people to vote.)