Every Vote Shapes Our Community
Last Tuesday, Ohioans cast ballots for statewide offices, state legislative races, Congress, and local elections. Yet in Cuyahoga County, only 22% of registered voters participated—a slight increase from recent years, but still far too low for elections that will shape the future of our communities.
Primary elections are not secondary events. In many districts, they effectively determine who will hold office long before November. The candidates selected in these races will make decisions that directly affect housing, healthcare, food access, public safety, education, and economic opportunity for years to come.
For vulnerable communities, these policy decisions are not abstract political debates. They can determine whether a person has shelter during the winter, access to medical care, reliable transportation to work, or food on the table. They can determine whether families survive periods of crisis with dignity—or are pushed deeper into instability.
At YWCA Greater Cleveland, we see firsthand how policy decisions impact the people we serve every day. Over the past year and a half, executive actions and congressional budget decisions have:
Reduced funding for Medicaid and food assistance programs, weakening critical safety nets that thousands of Ohioans depend on.
Advanced policies that criminalize homelessness through involuntary treatment and incarceration rather than addressing the root causes of housing insecurity.
Created growing uncertainty around federal housing and supportive services funding, placing additional strain on local organizations working to prevent homelessness and support families in crisis.
These federal changes have intensified existing challenges across Cuyahoga County. Low-income residents are facing growing barriers to emergency food assistance, rising rates of uninsurance, and increasing housing instability. Reductions in federal housing support could force thousands more individuals and families into crisis, placing even greater pressure on already stretched community resources.
At the same time, access to the ballot itself is under increasing pressure.
Just days before Ohio’s primary election, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Louisiana v. Callais, a major voting rights case that could significantly narrow how Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is used to challenge voting maps that dilute minority voting power. The decision signals continued debate around the scope of federal protections designed to ensure fair political representation for all.
It is also a reminder that every vote truly matters.
Last autumn, in Cleveland City Council’s Ward 12 race, Tanmay Shah won by only nine votes. Recent history offers other reminders: presidential elections in 2000 and 2016 were decided by razor-thin margins in key states and Electoral College outcomes, despite differing national popular vote totals.
Democracy is shaped by those who participate. When voter turnout remains low, critical decisions affecting healthcare, housing, civil rights, and economic justice are left in the hands of a small percentage of the population.
Voting is not just a civic responsibility. It is one of the most powerful tools communities have to protect vulnerable neighbors, influence public policy, and shape a more equitable future.
In the months ahead, you will hear more about the importance of participating in the November 2026 elections. The issues at stake affect every aspect of daily life in our communities. Regardless of political affiliation, voting remains one of the clearest ways each of us can help shape the policies and priorities that define our collective future.