This Tuesday, November 3, is Election Day in Massachusetts and across the country. Early in-person voting in cities and towns across the Commonwealth will be available through this Friday. Those who have received a ballot by mail must make sure that their ballot either is dropped off at their local polling place (or in their local drop-off box) on Election Day or is postmarked by the U.S. Postal Service on or before Election Day.
At stake nationally in this election will be control of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Every House seat and 35 of the 100 Senate seats will be decided by the voters across the country. In Massachusetts, voters will be choosing one of our U.S Senators. Incumbent Democrat Ed Markey is being challenged by Republican John Deaton.
Massachusetts voters also will be choosing our state legislators and all of the state’s executive officers. In the contest for governor, incumbent Democrat Maura Healey is facing challenges from Republican Mike Minogue and unenrolled candidate Andrea James.
The pundits proclaim that every election season is a “big one.” They hyperbolize elections in the same way that weather forecasters hype winter storms — even if they ultimately bring just a few inches of snow.
But as voters cast their ballots across the country this week, it is fair to say that we are living in the most turbulent time in the memory of every American.
The U.S. is fighting a war with Iran that began with no clearly-defined purpose and which now, eight months later, still has no end in sight. The war has destabilized the entire Middle East with economic impacts that have rippled across every corner of the globe thanks to record-high energy prices, especially diesel fuel.
The war in Ukraine continues unabated, bringing death and destruction to the Ukrainian civilian population and threatening the stability of nearby countries in Europe. That war also is contributing to the world-wide energy crisis because of the interruption in the flow of Russian oil and natural gas.
Both of these conflicts also have directly increased the price of food. Ukraine plays a crucial role in the supply of grain and cooking oils to the world market, while the Mideast is a primary source of fertilizers, which have skyrocketed in price in the past eight months.
Most significantly, U.S. foreign policy has made a complete U-turn in recent months. We have all but abandoned our allies and now are in bed with our long-time adversaries, Russia, China, and No. Korea.
For voters, the intersection of inflation and international instability makes the stakes of U.S. foreign policy impossible to ignore.
On the homefront, Americans are facing compounding pressures that threaten both our financial security and our core societal values. Inflation continues to creep upwards, driving up mortgage interest rates inflating the cost of everyday goods.
Energy costs are at all-time highs even adjusted for inflation. For households relying on heating oil, a single winter fill-up has transitioned from a routine expense to an unaffordable financial strain.
Depressingly, even if the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine were to end tomorrow, the experts tell us these high energy prices are expected to persist through 2028.
A severe housing shortage has left all but the wealthy unable to achieve the American Dream of owning a home or even renting an apartment. The crisis is acutely felt by younger generations, resulting in 50% of Americans under the age of 30 still residing with their parents. In 1985, the average first-time home-buyer was 28 years old. Today, the average age of the first-time home-buyer is 40 and often dependent upon support from a parent for the down payment.
These internal struggles are further exacerbated by volatile federal policies and systemic economic stagnation. The erratic imposition of tariffs on long-standing allies has strained international relations while directly inflating the domestic cost of living.
Simultaneously, aggressive immigration enforcement and deportations have sparked a profound moral crisis, while leaving the country with acute labor shortages that stifle growth.
Against this backdrop, economic inequality never has been greater, with the top one-tenth of one percent of Americans commanding more wealth than the entire bottom 50%, a disparity that is growing larger with every uptick in the stock market.
As the ultra-wealthy amass near-trillion-dollar fortunes, America’s senior citizens face imminent volatility, with data projecting a 20% reduction in Social Security benefits by 2032 unless Congress implements meaningful systemic reform. However, the present administration and Congress are doing nothing to address this looming fiscal time-bomb that will affect millions of our senior citizens.
Our healthcare system is broken and getting worse every day thanks to the effects of the loss of government-sponsored health insurance for many low-income Americans. Hospital emergency rooms have become the de facto primary care provider for millions of Americans.
As if all that were not enough, we also are reminded daily about the uncertainty of two existential threats to our way of life: Climate change and Artificial Intelligence. Yet our leaders in Washington continue to ignore both of these issues.
We agree with President Donald Trump that he is on the ballot and that the choice facing voters is as clear as can be: If you believe Trump’s policies have been good for the country, vote for Republicans; if not, vote for Democrats.
The bottom line is that we urge all of our readers, regardless of which side of the political aisle they are on, to make sure to vote. It is the cornerstone of our democracy and the essence of what it means to be an American.