Voting for the first time is considered a milestone. For me, personally, it is a moment I’ve been waiting for since eighth grade. But, unfortunately, my first vote will be a fight against a political reality shaped by President Trump, a reality where Republicans have an advantage in the midterms. If you don’t already know, Trump has asked Republican-led states to gerrymander their maps, redrawing Congressional districts in order to make races less competitive, severely reducing the chances of a Democrat-majority house in Congress. Due to this, I am asking the Alexandria community to join me in voting “yes,” in favor of the Virginia referendum this April 21st in order to give Democrats a level playing field.

Republicans have not been shy about diluting opposition. So when people, mostly fellow Democrats, tell me we “have to take the high road,” I have two questions for them: what happens when the other side has already redrawn the road? Do they seriously believe we can win a political game of chess when the other side starts with three queens and their king is off the board? 

When one side is aggressively shaping the map and we refuse to respond, we are giving up on our democracy, not protecting it. Do I wish we had another way? Yes, absolutely. Is there? No, and I care more about the outcome than pretending the system is fair when it clearly isn’t. 

We are already seeing the consequences of political power being consolidated. The war in Iran has driven up gas prices and created global instability. ICE has terrorized countless neighborhoods and separated families. Our civil rights are up for debate, and many have already been affected. If Republicans expand their advantage by structuring the system itself, we risk losing more than just Congressional elections. We risk losing control over the policies that affect our daily lives. The latter being so complex, they last for years. I, like many, fear what our nation will become if Trump is continued to be left unchecked. 

I’ll say it plainly: We, especially minorities, cannot afford to sit back while one side plays hardball and the other side pretends the game is fair. We cannot turn the other cheek to what is the reality: Republicans are cheating and they have left us no choice but to cheat as well. 

Voting “yes” on this referendum is not about abandoning our democratic values, it’s about defending them in the world as it actually is, not as we wish it did. Despite the anger this causes me, there is something poetic about my first vote. Not because it’s hopeful or idealistic, but because it’s honest. I am being honest about entering a system that is being fought over for, and I am choosing to be loud, not passive in it-we all should be. 

I hope everyone, especially young voters, understand that this is not just another election. This is about whether democracy remains competitive, or whether our elections become decided long before we ever step into the voting booth. 

I’ll leave you all with this: You are not just voting for a future, you are deciding whether we still have one. And I am not just casting my first vote, I am taking my first act of resistance. All this being said, I hope you vote “yes.” 

 Refusing to hand over our democracy on a silver platter,

Darwin Salazar 

President of Latinos4Latinos+Allies