Election Day 2026
In the last decade, the LGBTQ+ community made tremendous advances in the United States. Unfortunately, we are now seeing how quickly some of those advances can be reversed, whether by elected officials or by the courts. The rise of anti-LGBTQ+ (and particularly anti-trans) laws and rhetoric have left many in our community wondering how to make a difference. One critical way to ensure that the LGBTQ+ community’s voice is always heard in the political process is to get out and vote. National, state, and local elections give us an opportunity to support the issues we believe in and the candidates who will be our best advocates and defenders.
The National LGBTQ+ Bar encourages all who are eligible to vote to take several steps:
- Ensure that you are registered to vote in the jurisdiction where you claim legal residency;
- Do your research into the issues and candidates that will be on your ballot in each election;
- Vote in every election, no matter how small; and
- Volunteer time helping others exercise their right to vote.
Volunteering can take several forms: You may want to work to ensure that eligible voters are registered; you might want to put time into volunteering for candidates or educating voters on issues of importance to you and your community; you might also or alternatively want to put your time into getting out the vote on and around Election Day.
Check out Lambda Legal’s Voting Rights Guide for transgender, gender-nonconforming, and nonbinary people (available in English and Spanish). You can find more voting resources for transgender and nonbinary people here. If you or someone you know is experiencing ID-related issues when trying to vote, please contact the Lambda Legal help desk for assistance.