Take Action
What you can do to get active right now.
You can't stop the executive orders. You can't undo what's already been done to innocent families in our communities. And that's terrifying. But you are not powerless, so get that out of your head. Here are things you can start doing today, at whatever level you're comfortable with.
Vote in every single election
This is the most important thing on this list, and it's what The Midterm Project is about. Primaries, midterms, special elections, local races, ballot measures. All of it. We'll do our best to curate all of that information right here on this site.
If you're like most people, you vote once every four years. Make 2026 the year that changes. Set a personal record. This year, the goal is at least three trips to the ballot box: primaries, midterms, and whatever else comes up.
Start here:
- → Check your voter registration — make sure you're good before deadlines hit.
- → Check the election calendar — know when your state's primary is.
- → Find your ballot — know what's on your ballot before you get there.
Contact your senators
Your senators work for you. A phone call to their office takes two minutes and carries more weight than you'd think — staffers tally every call, and when the numbers spike on an issue, senators notice. You don't need a script. Just say your name, your zip code, and what issue you're calling about.
Select your state to see your senators' phone numbers, websites, and contact forms.
Tips for calling:
- → Call the DC office during business hours (9am – 5pm ET). That's where policy staff sit.
- → If you get voicemail, leave a message. They still count it.
- → Be brief: “Hi, I'm [name] from [city]. I'm calling to urge [senator] to [your ask]. Thank you.”
Stay informed — fight the algorithm
Social media is designed to keep you scrolling, not keep you informed in the way that you should be. You might already notice this, but your feed tends to drift away from real news over time. One day you're watching breaking coverage, and the next day it's all sketches and rage bait.
Even if the news is hard to watch — and it is — don't keep your head in the sand. Follow reputable news sources and keep them in your algorithm. When you engage with real journalism, the algorithm shows you more of it.
Try this:
- → Follow trusted sources: ProPublica, PBS NewsHour, AP News, Reuters, your local paper.
- → Use our news feed — bite-sized headlines from three trusted sources, updated at every build.
- → Like, share, and engage with real reporting — it teaches the algorithm what to show you.
Protest from home — in the comments
You don't have to argue with trolls. In fact, don't. The goal isn't to change the mind of the person you're replying to — it's to reach the people silently scrolling through the comments. The ones who are tired, confused, maybe on the fence. They need to see something other than two sides screaming at each other.
When you see misinformation or bad-faith rhetoric, don't add fuel to the fire. Instead, calmly frame what's happening. Point out the pattern. Speak past the troll to the quiet people watching.
How to do it:
- → Don't argue — frame. Name what's happening without taking the bait.
- → Learn the Label → Story → Blame pattern — once you see it, you can call it out everywhere.
- → Read the LSB playbook — a short guide to spotting and naming propaganda patterns.
Keep talking about it
Don't go quiet. Even if you can't stop what's happening, document it. Talk about it. Make content. Post. Share. Every creator who says "if you don't like me talking about politics, unfollow me" is doing exactly the right thing.
We can't let this become normal. We can't let people forget. When we come through this — and we will, because that's how history works and because we're stronger than they think — the record will show who stood up and who looked away. Be someone who kept talking.
Ideas:
- → Talk to people in real life — your family, friends, coworkers. A simple "are you registered?" or "do you know when the primary is?" goes further than any tweet.
- → If you create content, keep the conversation going. Don't let the algorithm or the trolls make you self-censor.
Show up in the streets
Protesting has worked for decades — not always in the way people expect, but it works. You can't ignore hundreds of thousands of people in the streets saying the same thing. Whether or not it changes policy overnight, it stamps history. It says: we were here, we saw what was happening, and we did not sit quietly.
If you can safely be there, be there. If you can't, support the people who can. Share their stories. Amplify their message. Every person who shows up makes the crowd louder.
Volunteer locally
Look around your community. There are organizations at every level — neighborhood groups, local chapters of national orgs, campaign offices for competitive races, civic engagement nonprofits. Shop around. See who needs help. Make yourself useful.
This doesn't have to be a forever commitment. Just make this a season where you step up your civic efforts. When things get better, and they will, you can decide what to keep doing. But right now, put yourself somewhere.
Places to start:
- → Volunteer with us — help build this project (data research, content writing, outreach, and more).
- → Search for local civic organizations, voter registration drives, or campaign offices in your area.
- → Vote411 (League of Women Voters) has local resources and voter guides.
Donate if you can
Midterm races run on much smaller budgets than presidential campaigns. That means even small donations — $5, $10, $25 — go much further. If you can afford to give a little, direct it toward competitive House races. That's where the math is closest and where your money makes the biggest difference.
You don't have to do all of these. Pick one. Start there. Then pick another.
The point is to stop feeling helpless and start feeling useful. You may not be able to stop every bad thing from happening, but you can make sure that when we look back on this time, you were someone who did something.
This is the midterm project. It's pass/fail. Everyone has a part to play. Let's pass.