So, election day’s a week out. Ideally, by the end of next week, we’ll have a better picture of what the next four years will look like; whether to sigh in relief, or continue stockpiling non-perishables in despair.

The full-time voting residents of this house have already voted. Early voting at the county registrar is mobbed daily. Even though our particular precinct is somewhat crimson, with regular Saturday morning flag-waving mini 45 rallies and swag vending set up in the parking lot of the derelict Rite-Aid, nobody really questions that Virginia’s gonna go blue. All of our statewide offices have been so for years, and we have comfortable Democratic majorities in both state houses and our House delegation. There are just more of us in the major metropolitan areas and Interstate corridors than there are in the wild red wilderness.

Watching my friends in so-called “battleground” states is more concerning. The land of my birth, Pennsylvania, seems to be the epicenter of the conflict this time around. In this age of COVID, while I’ve barely seen evidence of candidate appearances, the Keystone State is seeing the Biden campaign pop in for quick jaunts from the DE home base, President Obama in Philadelphia, and ridiculous numbers of Super-Spreader MAGA rallies. I can’t imagine how swamped the airwaves are with campaign ads. It really must be overwhelming, for Pennsylvanians, and for my friends in Ohio, and hell, Georgia and North Carolina(!), which, in a strange but welcome turn of events, are in play.

As I alluded to, my vote, while important, isn’t going to be the one this election turns on. You folks in those battleground states – stalwarts like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Florida; and new upstarts like Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina – are absolutely key.

That’s why it’s important that, if you haven’t voted already, to get on that – make a plan to ensure you get it done. This year, what with the pandemic and all, is weird; if you’re confused about how to go about things this year, there are plenty of resources; Vote Save America is one; Vote411 and I Will Vote are others. Take your pick.

I’d like to tell you that it doesn’t matter who you vote for, as long as you participate, but those days are passed; after stuff like this, this, this, or this, all just pulled from the surface headlines this morning, it’s important that we get a change in management; a return to at least the appearance of civility and competence. So yes, I encourage you to vote for new management.

Make a Plan. Vote.