Why Primaries are the Real Battleground for Our Communities

Hello again A.T.M.S, hope you are doing well and the vibes are chill. Primaries is the blog topic and why they are important to our communities.

When we talk about voting, most people think about the big showdown in November. We see the yard signs, the non-stop TV ads, and the "I Voted" selfies. But for Black and Brown neighborhoods, there’s an even bigger deal happening much earlier: the Primary Election.

If you have ever felt like the people on your ballot do not actually "get" you or your community, the primary is exactly where that problem gets fixed. Here is the breakdown of why this early vote is actually your biggest power move.

1. It’s Where the Real Decisions Happen

Think of the General Election in November like a championship game. The Primary is the playoffs.

In a lot of our neighborhoods, one political party is much more popular than the other. This means whoever wins the primary is almost guaranteed to win the whole thing in November. If you wait until November to vote, you are basically just picking the winner of a race that was decided months ago. By voting in the primary, you are the one who decides who gets to run in the first place.

2. Making Candidates Work for Your Vote

Politicians are like anyone else...they pay the most attention to the people who show up.

* If our communities stay home during the primaries, candidates feel like they don’t have to talk about things like (fair housing, better schools, or policing).

* When we show up in big numbers early on, we force them to answer the tough questions. We make them earn our support instead of just assuming they have it.

3. Supporting Leaders Who Actually Live Like Us

We have all seen candidates who only show up to our churches or community centers a week before the big election, right? The primary is our chance to support the "homegrown" leaders...people who live on our streets, understand our struggles, and have been doing the work long before they ran for office. These candidates often need our help early on to get past the "gatekeepers" who think they know who is "electable."

4. It’s a Chess Move, Not a Mood

Sometimes we do not vote because we are not "excited" about the people running. But voting is not about being in love with a candidate; it is about picking the person who will do the least amount of harm or the most amount of good for your family.

The primary is the best time to move the pieces on the board so that come November, you actually have someone worth voting for.

The Bottom Line

Do not leave your power on the table. When we skip the primaries, we let other people pick our choices for us. Let's make sure our voices are heard from the very beginning.

*Check your local calendar, find out when your primary is, and bring a friend with you. It is time we pick the menu, not just eat what is served.

Question for our readers: is there a specific issue in your neighborhood that you wish politicians talked about more? Drop a comment and let’s get the conversation started!!! Until Next Time A.T.M.S, stay safe out there.