The Ripple Effect of Showing Up: Why Your Vote Matters Beyond the Ballot

Shannon Watson recently posted an empowering message that inspired this edition of The Ripple Effect Newsletter. If you don’t know her or the amazing work of Majority in the Middle , I recommend you give her a follow!

Also, I want to make a shoutout for Jake Loesch with Citizens League as they partner with MPR News and Catharine Richert to host a night with Mariah Levison and Rob Fersh and discuss their new book, “From Conflict to Convergence: Coming Together to Solve Tough Problems.”

This Mind Opener event is one of the many fantastic parts of MPR’s Talking Sense series and takes place 4:00pm - 6:00pm on November 25th. Learn more, or get tickets, at https://citizensleague.org/blog/from-conflict-to-convergence-coming-together-to-solve-tough-problems/

Okay! Let’s talk Tuesday.

With the US presidential election approaching, it’s natural for folks to feel a surge of anxiety. It's almost as if our individual actions may get lost in the vastness of the electorate. This feeling of powerlessness can make voting seem like a small, even inconsequential, gesture.

The profound thing about humanity is that something that seems inconsequential at the time can have power that extends far beyond a single moment. Your single vote is no different. But what does this look like?

In districts where you may feel outnumbered, showing up to vote may seem futile, but you are feeding something profoundly more impactful than your single voice can make. You’re fueling a culture of engagement.

Research consistently shows that actions like voting do more than influence results. They set a standard that encourages others to participate in kind. For example, in their book “Connected,” Christakis and Fowler describe civic behaviors like voting as "contagious," where small actions create ripples through our social networks.

Research done by Bond, Fariss, Jones, Kramer, Marlow, Settle & Fowler reinforce this network effect, finding that social cues, such as seeing others vote on social media, increase an individual’s likelihood of voting.

"The results show that the messages directly influenced political self-expression, information seeking, and real-world voting behaviour of millions of people. Furthermore, the messages not only influenced the users who received them but also the users’ friends, and friends of friends. The effect of social transmission on real-world voting was greater than the direct effect of the messages themselves" (Bond, et al. 2012)

I hope this begins to show the powerful intersection of our online and offline engagement in boosting civic participation.

A Small Vote, A Big Impact

When you cast your vote, you aren’t just selecting a candidate; you’re helping shape the future of our democracy. That may sound lofty or idealistic, and I will be the first to say my idealism is borderline obnoxious. Luckily for me, the data indicate this to be true.

For example, in Bernard Fraga’s book, “The Turnout Gap,” he highlights that when historically underrepresented groups turn out to vote, it doesn’t just impact immediate policy outcomes but also encourages future participation among similar groups, paving the way for more inclusive representation.

A ballot cast from a minority perspective serves as a beacon for others, reinforcing the impact of every voice. Your vote, even when the odds feel stacked, challenges assumptions and signals the importance of diverse voices.

Why Voting Is More Than a Civic Duty

The ripple effect of your vote may not be immediately visible, but it accumulates over time, influencing future participation, shifting norms, and shaping the democracy we hand down to future generations. In settings where we feel isolated in our beliefs, voting becomes a quiet yet powerful act of resistance against apathy and division. It serves as a reminder—to others and to ourselves—that showing up matters. Gerber et al. (2008) found that regular voters significantly contribute to establishing democratic norms, indicating that the act of voting fosters lasting changes in voter behavior and societal expectations.

As election season intensifies, remember that voting isn’t just a civic responsibility; it’s a small but essential step toward a future where everyone feels they belong. Together, we create ripples that extend far beyond the ballot box, transforming communities and ensuring our democracy reflects the full diversity of voices it was meant to uphold.

References

Bond, R. M., Fariss, C. J., Jones, J. J., Kramer, A. D., Marlow, C., Settle, J. E., & Fowler, J. H. (2012). A 61-million-person experiment in social influence and political mobilization. Nature, 489(7415), 295-298.

Christakis, N. A., & Fowler, J. H. (2017). Connected: The surprising power of our social networks and how they shape our lives. Little, Brown Spark.

Fraga, B. L. (2018). The turnout gap: Race, ethnicity, and political inequality in a diversifying America. Cambridge University Press.

Gerber, A. S., Green, D. P., & Larimer, C. W. (2016). An experimental study of social pressure and voting: Some effects of social pressure on voter turnout. American Political Science Review, 102(1), 33-48.