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There is only one thing Democrats and Republicans can agree on right now: the 2018 midterms will be one of the most crucial elections of our lifetime. The candidates and proposals on ballots nationwide have the potential to create major change at local, state, and federal levels of American society. Among other agenda items, individual cities may restructure their campaign finance and community boards rules, and states will debate new affordable housing and energy propositions. With every seat in the House and a third of the Senate up for grabs, some of the races are especially significant: In Texas, the progressive Beto O’Rourke has a shot at unseating the rigidly conservative senator Ted Cruz. In Georgia, Democrat Stacey Abrams could become the first black female governor in American history. Ideologically, the election results will serve as a bellwether of the country’s political direction, mid-Trump. Both sides wait to see if the much-anticipated “blue wave” will flood the polls and place progressive new representation at every level of government.
Pitchfork reached out to politically engaged musicians to discuss why they’re voting in the midterms—be it a candidate, a proposition, an issue, or just a strong civic obligation. In written responses and phone conversations, they offered a wide array of answers ranging from problems that affect their hometowns to national candidates who reflect their values. Above all, they hope you’ll join them in voting on Tuesday.
Meek Mill
It’s crazy to think that Election Day falls on the one-year anniversary of the day I was wrongfully sentenced to two to four years in prison. November 6, 2017 was one of the worst days of my life, which is why I want November 6, 2018 to be a step in the right direction for reforming the criminal justice system.
People always ask me what advice I’d give those trapped in the system, but honestly, it’s the people outside who need the advice because they have the power to vote and make change. We need to use our influence to put the right people in power—leaders who are focused on creating stronger prison rehabilitation programs and updating old probation policies. That’s why I’m encouraging everyone to vote this year, and to support lawmakers who are committed to changing the criminal justice system and improving our inner-city communities. I’m grateful for leaders like Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, who is determined to address those issues. We can’t keep letting the system swallow up our friends and families.
Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill, Le Tigre, The Julie Ruin)
I already voted absentee because there is no way in hell I would miss this election. I’m voting Democrat down the ticket, even though I think the two-party system is inherently flawed. I need for Democrats, even those I don’t 100 percent love, to take over the House and Senate because we are living under the threat of a white nationalist president rolling back everyone’s rights. And I want more women of color in office.
I am voting because watching the Kavanaugh hearings was like having Fred Durst sing “Nookie” into my face for 12 fucking hours. I am voting because the whole Republican/Trump strategy is, “I’m rubber, you’re glue,” aka let’s call the people who are being terrorized “terrorists.” And it is making me so pissed to see the healers and the true soul rebels of this world being cast as villains while the racists are cast as the victims. Trump and friends are actively supporting hate crimes, the erasure of transgender people, and the abolishment of women’s bodily autonomy. They are demonizing people of color to further their agendas and foment fear.
I understand being totally depressed right now and feeling like your vote won’t change anything, but that’s another part of Trump Incorporated’s strategy: training us to think we can’t make a difference. Please don’t let racism, sexism, and homophobia win. Things won’t change immediately, but the least we can do is vote.
Yaeji
I am voting this November because I want to protect the people I love and vouch for the ones who are underrepresented and disadvantaged. The elections in New York, where I live, seem safely Democratic-leaning. Not all Democratic candidates have agendas that consider minority communities such as LGBTQ+ and people of color, and not all candidates have the cleanest record (like Governor Andrew Cuomo), but it’s our best bet to vote for the Democratic candidates who have a chance of being elected.
Ballot proposals, on the other hand, are the part of this election that we can really change, and they may prove to be significant. For those who are unaware, on the back of each ballot cast in New York City, there are three proposals that we can choose “yes” or “no” on. This year, they are:
Question 1: Campaign Finance
I vote yes. If voted yes, the city will lower the amount of funds a candidate running for office can accept. This means less influence from wealthy special interests/big money donors and the enabling of more people with diverse backgrounds and experiences to run for office. In other words, it encourages candidates to focus more on directly communicating with actual voters.
Question 2: Civic Engagement Commission
I vote yes. Yes means the city will create a new budget program for town meetings. People who attend the meetings can assign it where they want. This means people have more control over where their tax money goes. Also language interpreters will be provided as resource—very important!
Question 3: Community Boards
I vote yes. Currently, in many neighborhoods, the community board members are mostly (if not all) white, straight, and over the age of 40, as well as predominantly male. This definitely does not accurately represent the diverse community of New York City. If we say yes to this proposal, members will be limited to four consecutive two-year terms. The community boards can become more diverse and more reflective of their neighborhoods’ demographics.
Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth, Body/Head)
The United States—well, really the Disunited States today—is a body, and democracy a muscle. Voting is our way of exercising it. Without this, our democracy will atrophy. When I vote, I feel a tingle of excitement. It’s a small power but it’s contagious, and it adds up when we come together to vote on issues and people who reflect our values. I’ve seen that with the momentum of Beto[O’Rourke]’s campaign: hope and joy, money raised without corporations. It’s grassroots, DIY. It’s punk rock.
On the ballot in California, where I live, Proposition 2 addresses the mentally ill homeless population here. Many homeless are so because there is no one filling out their forms and getting them into the system. They are repeatedly arrested and put in jail, then eventually released out into the streets. It’s been found that treating people with mental illness only begins to work if they have a consistent shelter. This bill proposes to take 1 percent from earners making over a million dollars. They hope to raise $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion a year. It’s a complicated issue but this seems like the right approach.
Britt Daniel (Spoon)
It’s pretty cool to see Democrats engaged in Texas because I’ve been voting there my whole life and there hasn’t been a lot to get excited about. We haven’t won a statewide election in over 20 years, but now we’ve got some momentum for once. I think a lot of that has to do with Beto [O’Rourke] and the type of candidate that he is. He represents real Texas values, and I don’t see that in our current senator [Ted Cruz], who favors tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy while cutting back on Medicare, social security, and education.
If there’s an issue that is personal for me, because I see it affecting so many people I know, it’s affordable college. A bachelor’s degree has become a basic requirement for entering the workforce, yet it’s so expensive. People are leaving college with a mortgage around their necks. Why can’t we make it free? It’s just a matter of priorities.
ANOHNI
Noam Chomsky has referred to the Republican Party as “the most dangerous organization on Earth in human history,” due to its complete disregard for the future of the planet. Nothing is more important than the defeat of Republicans in as many races as possible on Tuesday. Please vote for the Democratic candidate, especially in swing districts and states.
In particular, I urge the people of California to vote yes on Proposition 10. Millions of tenants in California face eviction and displacement, and this proposal would allow communities in California to make their own rent control laws. It would allow low- and moderate-income people to stay in the communities they have built by protecting regular people from the greed of the real estate industry. I also urge people who live in California’s State Assembly District 15 (East Bay, Berkeley, Richmond) to vote for Jovanka Beckles. She is a Democratic Socialist and a true champion for the oppressed.
Open Mike Eagle
There are people who would have you believe that voting doesn’t matter, but if it didn’t, there wouldn’t be nearly as much investment in voter suppression and gerrymandering and candidate advertising. If voting didn’t matter, candidates wouldn’t talk like robots and do that laser-pointer thing with their hands. I always vote, and now I am in possession of a Maxine Waters voter guide and I plan on doing what she tells me to do. Did you know her response to having a bomb mailed to her was “I ain’t scared”? I love her.
I hope that the midterms continue what seems to be a new level of energized engagement after the garbage king was elected. I hope to be a part of a shift in left-wing voter engagement that scares the shit out of the administration and the scumbag Republicans who chose to throw in with the garbage parade. I hope to be a part of the moment that reshapes Congress into something that has some genuine connection to real human beings.
If people are still apathetic about voting, I would tell them to read books. I would tell them that when it comes to civic engagement, their feelings don’t matter as much as the facts do. I would tell them that people used to hit people with rocks for not voting the way they wanted them to, and those guys would love to hear that so many people think voting doesn’t matter anymore.
Aaron Dessner (The National)
I’m a supporter of Antonio Delgado, who’s running for Congress in New York’s 19th District [Hudson Valley, the Catskills]. He was a Rhodes Scholar and a musician, and he’s just very inspiring. He’s passionate about a lot of core progressive issues and really resonates with the kind of groundswell and grassroots activism happening up here. I’ve seen him speak a couple of times and just hearing him talk about gun control, healthcare, and basic civil rights stuff, he seems like someone who would be a fighter in Washington and help roll back this crazy move towards proto-fascism.
The band has also supported Julie Oliver, who’s the candidate for Congress in Texas’s 25th District. That’s a weird, gerrymandered district, but she has a decent chance against this guy Roger Williams. Julie’s amazing and when we invited her onstage with us at Austin City Limits, we were just honored to be on the same stage as her.
Alynda Segarra (Hurray for the Riff Raff)
In Louisiana we have Amendment 2 on the ballot, which is really important. Right now, Louisiana and Oregon are the only states where someone can get charged with a felony even if there are two people on the jury who think you’re innocent. This amendment wants to change that and make it so there has to be an unanimous jury in order for someone to get charged with a felony. Amendment 2 could really change a lot of people’s lives, whether it’s people of color, queer people, or sex workers—people who are targeted by the system that’s supposed to work for them.
I grew up around punks who did not vote, who were like, “Fuck the system, why would you bother voting?” Granted, it was a lot of white punks who were saying that, but when I was a kid, I kind of thought that, too. But right now I’m thinking about the people who cannot vote, specifically undocumented people who are are in danger. Now I try to use my vote to help stop violence against the people and communities I care about.
Bun B
I’m voting because it’s my right as an American citizen. I pay my taxes, I raised my family in this country, and it’s written in the Constitution. Even though it did take people of color awhile to get the vote, I understand the sacrifices that were made by generations before me. I want to make sure that I respect the efforts put forward by my forefathers, that they fought for and some people died for.
Beto O’Rourke is a very progressive candidate, and he’s not a divisive candidate. His take on a political campaign is refreshing. I support people who are trying to bring this country together, as opposed to tear it apart. And I definitely agree with him on marijuana: I think it’s time to legalize in this state [Texas], which could use the revenue anyway. It’s time for this country as a whole, not just California and Colorado and some other states, to decriminalize marijuana. I would love to see this country move further, take a cue from Canada, and then erase all the records of people who have a criminal record from possession of marijuana.
Jeff Tweedy (Wilco)
Over the years, I’ve heard a lot of arguments against voting—like, “it doesn’t matter” or “both sides are the same”—and I’ve never found any of them to be very persuasive. I’ve always figured that even if they’re right, I’d still rather take some time out of my day and vote than shrug off my duty as a citizen and lose my right to bitch. Right now, however, I feel angry at the selfish and thoughtless nature of those types of excuses. If voting doesn’t matter, then I’d like someone to explain to me why some politicians work so hard to make it so difficult. What are they afraid of? If it doesn’t matter, why would they care? Well, it does matter a lot! What they’re afraid of is how radically our country would change if all the decent and fair-minded citizens who have disenfranchised themselves by convincing themselves it’s pointless to vote stopped giving their rights away willingly. Vote! If you weren’t allowed to, I’m pretty certain you’d want to real bad.
Jason Isbell
My main concern is Phil Bredesen in the Senate campaign against Marsha Blackburn in Tennessee. Phil is not as far to the left as I wish, but it is the state of Tennessee—you’re not going to get someone as liberal as I am in the Senate. He’s got Tennesseans’ interests at heart, and he doesn’t need the money or the popularity that goes along with being a senator, so I think he’s the right person for the job. His opponent, Marsha Blackburn, is a big Trump supporter. She doesn’t believe in laws regulating equal pay, and she doesn’t support women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, or social justice initiatives at all. I think she’s the wrong type of person for the job.
It goes back to the Alabama special election with Doug Jones and Roy Moore [last year]. If a Democrat can be elected in the state of Alabama because young people came out, then we can do the same thing in Tennessee. A lot of people, especially young people, feel like their vote doesn’t matter, that things are going to go the way they’re going to go. For a long time we’ve been privileged enough to feel that way, and to not have to pay close attention to politics. But the more elections that pass without you voting, the more your right gets taken away from you. That’s how fascism creeps in. It tells people their votes don’t matter and eventually you don’t have a democracy anymore.
Merrill Garbus (Tune-Yards)
I hope that Proposition 10 will pass in California. It would get rid of the Costa Hawkins Rental Housing Act, which has prevented cities from putting rent controls on apartments built after 1995 and allows for huge leaps in rent when a unit becomes vacant. (Think about that next time you see an enormous crane building more condos.) I can’t count the number of friends who have been displaced by these absurd raises in rent.
Prop 10 does not dictate specifics of rent control, it just enables communities to make those decisions for themselves. For people in the Bay Area, I hope it's a no-brainer. Do we not see the endless homeless encampments that have sprung up in these waves of rent increases? So vote yes on Prop 10, Californians!
Leon Bridges
I am a man of color who grew up in a household that wasn’t the wealthiest. I worked in kitchens alongside immigrants. I had family with debt due to medical bills. I refuse to be afraid to vote. My grandmother had to sneak out of her mother’s house to vote during the civil rights movement because her mother wouldn’t let her vote out of fear that something bad would happen. Sometimes it feels helpless, but things do not fix themselves. We have to show up and do the work and make our voices heard.
Rosanne Cash
I campaigned for George McGovern when I was too young to vote. I wrote Lyndon Johnson a letter when I was 9 years old and told him that if I could vote, it would be for him. I remember thinking that the right to vote was one of the greatest privileges given to adults. Democracy and progress require devotion, not just casual observance, and the primary act of devotion is voting. Women have been able to vote for less than 100 years and I’m still proud and excited about that.
I vote because if I don’t, someone whose ideology or values I revile will vote and win that moment of the conversation. I’m too passionate about gun control to not vote and let the vote of a guy with an arsenal of military weapons take the lead. I’m too pissed about the number of sexual predators in high office to not vote and let another one get into office. I’m too worried about my kids’ health to let someone who will obliterate their healthcare get the vote my candidate should have gotten. It’s a moral responsibility, and if you don’t vote, don’t even think of complaining about what happens.
Jake Shears (Scissor Sisters)
I’m voting because I believe our freedom as citizens depends on it. The current administration is trying to limit the legal definition of gender as the sex you were assigned to at birth. This particular issue is extremely important to me, as it would affect so many of my friends and family and endangers the lives and safety of our transgender and non-binary citizens. Revoking their personal freedoms is unacceptable to me. So please get out and vote this year.
Laura Ballance (Superchunk, co-owner of Merge Records)
Voting is one of the most important things you can do right now. The survival of humanity may depend on it. The UN’s latest climate report is very grim, the basic message being that if world governments don’t take immediate and very strong actions, average global temperatures will rise to the point where we will have a crisis on our hands by 2040. I will be 72 then and on my way out, but my daughter will be 36, so this greatly concerns me.
Durham, North Carolina, where I live, was recently hit by two hurricanes within a few weeks of each other. We are not a coastal city, and this had never happened before in my lifetime. Just in the last decade, summers with numerous days over 100 degrees have become the norm. We are already seeing extreme weather and temperatures that are impacting not only our homes and infrastructure, but also food production. There is no longer a “normal.” Currently, those in charge in D.C. have chosen to act as if climate change is not a serious threat to our well-being, and many of them deny its existence and humanity’s role in it. Those people need to be voted out, and the climate needs to become our number-one priority, because it will affect every one of us in ways we can’t even predict.
Roberto Carlos Lange (Helado Negro)
I’m voting to really learn more about how I can affect the environment around me. I know that sounds so canned, but I’ve known very little about the people representing me and where I live [New York City] in government. Some of that is from being so transient but also from being completely disillusioned by the whole system. These past few years I’ve found myself trying to read and learn more about local government. Even if it’s a steep learning curve, it’s fulfilling to know and help people around me who might not know. I’m voting “yes” on all three citywide ballot proposals. Also, whosontheballot.org has helped me figure out who is running for what. After the primaries, a lot of the folks I voted for weren’t nominated so that site has been crucial to understanding my options.
Jim James (My Morning Jacket)
I hope we can get candidates into office who will not take money from big corporations and will be more of a voice for the people. We need politicians who are trying to remove the idea of “two sides” and will get people to actually talk face to face and meet somewhere in the middle. We need to try to re-separate church and state so that we can vote on more non-religious issues like healthcare and climate change to help get humanity back on track. I believe we can quickly combat climate change if we elect officials with the courage to put effective regulation into place.
I believe it is possible for us to live in a world where everyone feels safe regardless of their religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or race. I believe we can take care of each and every citizen; imagine if the United States prided itself on the fact that not one soul was left to die alone in the streets from drug abuse or mental illness. Imagine if not one family was left bankrupt because of some unforeseen accident or illness.
Every single vote matters, especially with so many elections seemingly being stolen right out from under our noses. Races are won by small margins, so please get out and vote with your heart for the best candidate available at the time. If you do not vote, you are a part of the problem. We cannot afford to stay silent on the sidelines.
Amber Coffman (Dirty Projectors)
Here in California, Proposition 10 is important to me. A “yes” vote will help restore control of rent stabilization to local governments, which is a much-needed first step towards more rent control. There’s a major shortage of affordable housing all over California, and especially in L.A. A lot of people are getting pushed out of the neighborhoods they’ve lived in for generations, thanks to greedy real estate developers and landlords, and this will give communities more power over their own destiny.
There’s really no way to put it lightly: We are on a frightening path towards unfathomable human suffering and destruction of this planet. It’s such a crucial moment for us to prevent even some of that. The government moves so gradually that it can be hard to see how the smaller things matter, but every little change we make (or don’t make) with our votes is a step towards a new reality. If you truly can’t manage to care about voting for your own sake, then please do it for someone else. Think of the homeless, the trans people whose basic civil rights are at risk right now, the children being separated from their parents at the border, the kids who are scared to go to school and people afraid to pray because of our horrifying gun violence epidemic.
No Malice (Clipse)
I’m voting because I feel it is my civic duty. I think a lot of us are sidetracked by having that discussion of, “Who are you voting for?” The important thing is that you get out and vote, and you vote for your interests. I don’t need to share who I’m voting for—that ballot box is private for a reason. You just go in there and do your thing. All this arguing back-and-forth is so unnecessary. We can stop all of that: Go vote. That’s what's important.
In terms of issues that are important to me when I’m voting: definitely education, climate change and the proximity of factories to lower income housing, and prison reform. All this talk about legalizing marijuana is cool, but I think we need reparations for people who are in jail now [for minor drug offenses]. Look back at those nonviolent cases and make some kind of adjustment now that it’s not that big of a crime. Let’s make it an even playing field across the board.
Margo Price
I am voting on November 6th because I love my country. I am voting because women didn’t always have the right. I am voting because children shouldn’t be gunned down in school. I am voting because black lives matter.
I vote for those without healthcare. I vote for families who have been separated. I vote for a woman’s right to choose. I vote for an end to senseless violence and racism and hatred. Sometimes I vote for the lesser of two evils, but in the end I vote for equality for all, for what I think is right and true. I vote for peace.
Joey Burns (Calexico)
Our band has been getting involved with local Arizona politics and issues for many years. By doing so, we’ve become closer to our communities. This midterm election is super important. We need you now more than ever. I’m heading to the Arizona polls in Pima County to support the following candidates: Kyrsten Sinema, Ann Kirkpatrick, Kirsten Engel, David Garcia, and Domingo DeGrazia. They line up with my concerns for making healthcare affordable (including pre-existing conditions), working on passing legislation for DACA and keeping families of immigration intact, and helping bring forth gun sense laws to help stop gun violence.
Julien Baker
I am voting in the midterm elections because I believe that when people engage with their local government, it reminds those placed in power that they are public servants who will be held accountable for their decisions. The midterms are a chance for people to vote out those they believe are failing to address the concerns of citizens. I think it’s possible for Tennessee to be flipped to a Democratic majority, which would be beneficial to enacting policies that I would like to see, but beyond party allegiance, we have an opportunity to involve ourselves in change that will empower us not just now but in the future.
Reporting by Stacey Anderson, Jillian Mapes, Sam Sodomsky, Quinn Moreland, Dani Blum, and Sophie Kemp
