Step Up on Second Writers' Anthology

Step Up to Vote
by Les Jones

The 2008 election season was something, the likes of which we’ve never seen in our country. It was especially rewarding for me, and what I experienced will stay with me for the rest of my life.

I am a member of Step Up on Second, a Santa Monica organization that provides housing and support services for the mentally ill. Step Up has been my home and my solace for the past 2 ½ years. I am honored to be one of two members who serve on Step Up’s board of directors.

A couple months ago I had a discussion with another board member about the changes and challenges our country faces in the months and years ahead. The next morning I woke up with a burning idea about getting Step Up Members, many of whom were totally disengaged from politics, involved in the election process. And so, “Step Up to Vote” was born.

The first step was registration. I helped arrange for representatives of the League of Women Voters to come to Step Up and sign up members to vote. About 35 members took advantage of the opportunity.

The next step was education. I recorded the presidential and vice-presidential debates and hosted debate-watching parties at Step Up to encourage members to think about the candidates and issues. These parties were a huge success. Many members joined in and let their thoughts be heard. As we viewed the debates, we frequently paused the recording so the members could discuss what was just talked about. They became interested, engaged, and passionate. I was so proud of them.

We also held election group discussions on Monday mornings, with the assistance of two interns who studied and helped clarify the various issues. The interest was far more than I could ever have dreamed of. At first, we had 4 or 5 people. Once the debates began, there was more interest—sometimes as many as 15 members attended these discussions.

The next step was getting out the vote. On Election Day, I set up several times to personally escort members to the polls if they felt uneasy or if they needed some support. I was blessed to have a volunteer who helped with this process. As we took members to the polls, I was moved to see other members who had arrived on their own to let their voices be heard.

One member had never before exercised his right to vote. He had always felt he couldn’t vote, because he could neither read nor write. We helped him register and he was thrilled. I helped him understand and fill out a vote-by-mail application and send it off. On the Friday before the election, he received his ballot. I read him the descriptions of the candidates and the ballot measures. Before I helped him mark his ballot, he thought long and hard, for this opportunity was important to him. On Election Day, I delivered his ballot to the polls and got an “I Voted” sticker for him. Later, I proudly presented it to him. I will never forget the look on his face. The magic was seeing him beam—for he had done something he once felt he could never do. And he truly knew his voice counted.

Now the election season is over, all the ballots are counted, and we confront the serious challenges that lay ahead. Regardless of what happens in the future, I have a collection of memories that I will forever cherish. For example, the first person we took to polls was an African American who wanted to be part of history. And so he is.

There is something I believe with all my heart, and I told it to our members repeatedly: “While you are in the booth placing your vote, there is no one in the country more powerful than you!”

It was a remarkable experience and a wonderful feeling for me, not just to vote in this ground-breaking election, but to help mobilize so many of brothers and sisters to exercise their privilege and power and become part of history. I salute them for their interest and involvement and hope and pray that they will continue to actively participate in our great democracy in the years to come.

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