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.
Cast Your Ballot on ‘Vote Early Day’
Can you tell that we love voting here at The Contrarian? Especially early voting? Join us Saturday, October 24, in celebrating Vote Early Day, a nonpartisan “civic holiday” that seeks to ensure “all Americans have the tools to vote early.” VoteEarly.org features many resources, including links to election-protection hotlines. Saturday will feature more than 500 Vote Early events across the country; find one near you.
The midterms are already underway across much of the country. (Fields of Change has an at-a-glance guide to where early voting is active.) The last big wave of states to start in-person early voting arrives within the week:
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October 22: Delaware, Maryland
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October 22: Florida, New Jersey, New York
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October 26: Washington, D.C.
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October 27: Kansas
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October 28: Oklahoma
Check out ElectionInnovation.org for a state-by-state breakdown of how to cast your ballot early, whether in person or by mail. Vote.org also offers an early-voting calendar.
Party at the Polls
The prodemocracy group When We All Vote believes election participation should be fun — as well as fundamental. It is reviving its successful Party at the Polls campaign, which saw 85,000 people cast early votes at more than 500 parties nationwide in 2024.
These polling celebrations seek to “transform” the voting experience with “music, food, and hometown experiences.” When fair representation is under attack, some lightness is needed, according to Kalisha Dessources Figures, a senior adviser at When We All Vote. “We can’t ignore how different and heavy voting feels for some Americans,” she said. “That’s why our … program will ensure voters across the country feel empowered and energized to show up with, and for, one another.”
The 2026 kickoff begins with flagship election parties this month in swing states, including:
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October 22 at North Carolina A&T University, featuring Marsai Martin
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October 24 in Detroit, featuring the Detroit Pistons and Loni Love
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October 24 in Phoenix, featuring Noel Torres.
The program is proven to boost turnout, and there will be poll parties in at least 21 states before voting ends on November 3. Find a celebration near you.
Support ‘National Black Man Voter Day’
October 24 is also National Black Man Voter Day, an initiative led by the NAACP and National Urban League with the goal of mobilizing 100,000 Black male voters to the polls. This early-vote day is the capstone to “week of action” seeking to connect election participation to “five pillars of Black men’s well-being: mental health, physical health, spiritual health, financial health, and civic health.” Find resources, local activations, and volunteer opportunities here — and make a plan to vote.
Guard Against Post-Election Turmoil
What’s next for the No Kings movement? Check out a NoKings.org video call tonight, October 22, at 8 p.m. eastern. It is billed as a training for “sustained mobilization” and “results protection work.” In other words, you’ll hear what to do if Trump & Co. attempt to flout the outcome of the midterms. Sign up here.
No Kings has also debuted a pledge to turn out to the streets if the administration attempts to interfere with the election. You can sign up to be a local host to organize a mass protest (and keep it safe and nonviolent) in the event that such community actions are needed. Watch a recording here of a call explaining the strategy. You can also sign up to volunteer for election protection roles at 866ourvote.org, which has special posts for legal professionals.
Vote with Confidence
There’s plenty of misinformation swirling around the 2026 election. Don’t let doubt dissuade you from exercising the franchise. Know that the law is on your side: Read up on the ACLU’s voting-rights guide. And cast your ballot with confidence after reading the SPLC’s voter-safety guide.
Join a Union Day of Action
SEIU is hosting a national day of action on October 24. The union, which represents about 2 million members, is mobilizing to get out the vote. Look here for an action near you. It also seeks to focus attention on the most important divide in our country — which has less to do with left/right partisanship and more to do with dynamics of power, as SEIU president April Verrett recently explained to April Ryan on The Tea:
Fight for Reproductive Freedom
Reproductive rights are under attack this (and every) election. But you can fight back. There’s still time to join the Repro for All Volunteer Elections Team which seeks to boost “reproductive freedom candidates up and down the ballot.”
Planned Parenthood Action Fund also organizes canvassing, phone banking, and literature-drop events across the country. Click here to see in-person and virtual events in your area. Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates hosts monthly virtual meetings to empower volunteers to take action. There’s a call tonight at 8:30 p.m. eastern.
Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL) also provides resources for signing petitions, contacting lawmakers, and sharing social media content to combat misinformation about reproductive care.
Keep Gun Safety Central in November
If limiting gun violence is a priority election issue for you, find dozens of ongoing actions across the country organized by gunsensevoter.org, a project of Everytown for Gun Safety.
Complete the Election Season Reading List
November’s chilly weather and midterm election season call for cozying up with a good book about democracy. Booklist put together Recommended Reading for the 2026 Election Season, which includes history, politics, poetry, and essays. Read about the current and historical forces that have shaped American democracy. Young readers are also encouraged to join: Check out this list of historical fiction about surveillance states. Young nonfiction fans can also read about propaganda and censorship with this list of titles.
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.
