I have an Election Day confession (and tips on what to watch!)

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     November 7, 2023 Greetings readers. Let's kick off with a small confession. I am not voting today. Yes, I am ashamed to admit that despite a genuine belief in the power of voting—I tear up at the ballot every time!—I will not be making it to the polls today. This is especially shameful considering legislative control is at stake in New Jersey, where I live and where the Republican Party has witnessed significant gains in recent years. But after moving across town this weekend—a Herculean task that has since left me without working internet, with an acute fear of ladybugs, and once again wondering how anyone accomplishes anything with a child in tow—I am sitting this one out. Don't even bother trying to convince me; getting up to speed on Jersey politics is simply not something I am willing to do at the moment. Nor is figuring out how to squeeze one more item into my frazzled to-do list. But reader, elections are important! Which is why I'd love to turn your attention to my better, much more civic duty–minded colleagues for what to watch this Election Day. As my colleague Abby Vesoulis writes, all eyes are on Virginia, where [legislative control in the purple-ish state]( is at stake. [Abortion and voting rights are also in peril](. Whatever happens will be widely viewed as a bellwether for the national mood. So it's no surprise that in advance of today's critical elections, "Stop the Steal" Republicans have been working overtime to take control. If that happens, some of the consequences would be immediate. [As my colleague Ari Berman wrote](: One of the biggest issues in the campaign is [abortion](. Virginia is the [only Southern state]( that has not enacted new restrictions on reproductive rights since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, but Youngkin has pledged to sign a [15-week abortion ban]( if Republicans take over the legislature. Higgins [supports]( that policy... "If these legislative elections go wrong, Virginia could well become Texas, Florida, or Ohio at the vanguard of undermining democracy,” says Daniel Squadron, co-founder of the States Project, which works to elect Democratic state legislative candidates and has invested [$4.5 million]( in Virginia this year. “Virginia is a moderate state on the knife’s edge of an extreme agenda." Now let's switch gears to school board elections. They might seem like small potatoes. But after reading my colleague Isabela Dias' incredible deep dive into one of the more [closely watched school board elections]( in Pennsylvania's Central Bucks School District, where a knock-down, drag-out fight over a community's soul is playing out, I must say that I am convinced these battlegrounds are wholly worth our attention. And that's true whether or not you have little ones. [The drama is just so compelling](. In any event, I know that I suck for not voting today! My diehard voting track record hates me too! But please forgive this extremely drained human, who promises to drag her lifeless body to the polls in 2024. You can count on it. —Inae Oh Advertisement [House Bookshop Ads]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [Trump Explodes at Judge in New York Fraud Trial]( "It's a terrible thing you've done!" BY RUSS CHOMA FROM THE MOTHER JONES STORE   Mother Jones Store Are you a Mother Funder? If you are, buy the shirt as well! Go to the official Mother Jones Store and show your support beyond the pages. [Check us out!]( [Trending] [Up for reelection, Kentucky's Democratic governor avoids climate change talk]( BY KATIE MYERS   [Another reason to quit Twitter/X: More Tucker Carlson]( BY STEPHANIE MENCIMER   [New report: One-third of states have an election denier overseeing elections]( BY ARI BERMAN   [Here's what we know about seaweed's ability to capture carbon]( BY CLARE WATSON Advertisement [House Donations Ad]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [How "Stop the Steal" Republicans could take over Virginia]( If Republicans win a majority in the upcoming legislative elections, abortion and voting rights are in peril. And that’s just the start. BY ARI BERMAN [Fiercely Independent] Support from readers allows Mother Jones to do journalism that doesn't just follow the pack. [Donate]( Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755