Voting Stories: Third Actors Head to the Polls!

Today's the day, folks. Read stories from Ria Stewart, Debbie Genz, Jane Kahan, Dick Wilderman, Jon Gorham, and Nancy Tierney. They share their experiences casting their ballots—from voting with all three generations to driving unlikely voters to the polls—Third Actors are doing it all.

“We have an apartment in México City where we go back in forth from Southern Cal. My husband just went back to US while I stayed in México, so he had to FedEx my ballot to me overnight – which is, in reality, 2 business days from CA to CDMX, not overnight. I received it on Friday morning and immediately filled it out and walked to the nearest FedEx office to ‘overnight’ it back to California for my husband to drop off for me. I was told that the SOONEST it would arrive in US was Wednesday!

In a panic, I then went to 2 other international delivery places and finally DHL said that their envelope should arrive by Tuesday morning. So it cost $150 and a quite a bit of effort to be able to cast my vote, but it’s a small price to pay for the privilege of voting in this election.”

Ria Stewart
Mexico City

 

 

“Here in western NC a lot of people’s lives have been upended by Hurricane Helene, so another elder friend and I wanted to make sure people without homes and cars could still vote. So for three days my car turned into a VOTER TAXI – we showed up at the downtown bus transfer station and approached people to ask if they had voted. If not, we offered to take them to a nearby early voting site and then on to wherever they were planning to go on the bus.

Over the three days we took 12 people to vote, most of whom I’m pretty sure would not have voted had we not come along. One old fellow voted for the first time! We helped one lady who had recently become “unhoused” for the first time in her life resolve her provisional ballot, another fellow get out to his appointment with FEMA which was beyond the bus line.

Here’s Jonathon, unhoused, struggling with MS, but one of the sharpest most delightful human beings you’d ever want to meet!”

Debbie Genz
Ashville, North Carolina

 

 

“Three generations went to the early voting location together, me, my daughter and granddaughter. It was my granddaughter’s 2nd vote, but first for a President.”

Jane Kahan
St Paul, Minnesota

 

 

“Exhausted by so many months of angry rants, fearmongering, and vindictiveness from Trump and MAGA Republicans, many of us sensed a subtle change in the national mood, an air of expectancy, after the Democratic convention.

Our next president wore a contagious smile, not a sinister scowl. She promised opportunity for all, not recrimination and discrimination. Rather than abandoning our allies and courting dictators, she aspires to a renewed spirit of international cooperation to peacefully achieve global prosperity. Discerning Americans have been perplexed and frustrated that so many reasonable friends and neighbors have accepted the absurd, false realities concocted by Trump and Vance, and they find it frightening that virtually every Republican member of Congress is unfazed by Trump’s treasonous, criminal and immoral behavior. So they rejoiced in Harris’s fact-based policies of inclusion and her enlightened vision for the future.

Desperate to tune out the constant drumbeat of ridicule and hostility, millions of people welcomed her message of hope, joy, and a brighter tomorrow.”

Dick Wildermann
Seabrook Island, South Carolina

 

 

“Third Actor, Jon Gorham, organized 58 volunteers who wrote 6,500 get-out-the-vote postcards to Democrats in Pennsylvania, and 2,500 postcards for Jahana Hayes, Connecticut’s three-term Congresswoman. Jon and his group also made and distributed over 2,000 nesting, origami boxes for Johanna Hayes, who has used these boxes to thank her staff, energize volunteers, and motivate first-time voters.”

Jon Gorham
Woodbridge, Connecticut

 

“While canvassing in a Merced CA neighborhood for Adam Gray (D) in the CD 13 race, I couldn’t catch these voters. Or maybe they were canvassing. Still, we knocked on hundreds of doors, and got to meet Adam.”

Nancy Tierney
Pacifica, California

 

 

Share your voting story with us!

We’d love to hear from you. In a time when only 14% of U.S. adults trust national news for election information, your voices are more crucial than ever. Third Act wants to amplify your voting story this election season to inspire others with your perspective and commitment.

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