By: Nydia Mauràs-Jones
Not to brag, but I have a great voting record.
I’m there for every election - midterm, presidential, primary - whatever it is, I’m voting. I was raised to believe if you don’t vote, then you can’t complain later. Not that I want to complain. I’d rather be happy with how our government runs. I just want my voice to be heard. And election day is one of the simplest ways to be heard.
How I Became A Passionate Voter
I wasn’t really into politics much before 2016. I canvassed a little bit for President Obama’s first presidential campaign. I told people to vote on social media. Read the news. I had a basic understanding of how elections and politics worked in our country and state.
But then, the 2016 presidential election happened. I remember standing on the playground at my daughter’s school the day after the election, a cold wind whipping past the waiting parents. My eyes were red and puffy from crying. It was our first year at this school. I didn’t know many people in Tosa yet. At the time, Tosa was known to be fairly conservative - a former sundown town - so I wasn’t sure if I was surrounded by people who voted for him.
But, as I looked around, I saw more red, puffy eyes. More people who looked exhausted and defeated. Oddly, I felt a little bit better. At least I felt less alone.
A couple of weeks later, I got an interesting message from another mom at the school.
“I see from some of your Facebook posts that you are unhappy with the election results. Would you be interested in joining me and a few other moms who want to take action?”
I was intrigued. A subversive moms group? I was in!
We met at a local dive bar, after dinners were made, and kids were ready for bed. We pulled a few tables together, and engaged in awkward small talk. We had kids in different grades, different activities, some of us were stay-at-home moms, some worked outside of the home, the only threads tying us all together were our neighborhood school and our anger about the election.
We went around the circle, introducing ourselves and our reasons for being there. Tears were shed, laughs were had, curse words were cursed. I instantly fell in love with these women. They were fierce, smart, funny, loving, and ready to take action. They believed our country deserved better. Many of these amazing women are still some of my best friends today.
Starting to Make Change
That group became the catalyst for so much change in Tosa, working alongside others who had been fighting for change for years. We supported election campaigns, held rallies, organized protests, and wrote postcards. A few people even ran for office. Our subversive moms group stopped meeting regularly, but we are now spread across the city, putting our talent, energy, and love into action for different causes.
A small group of us chose the political campaign route. In the past 8 years, we’ve supported mostly female candidates in local elections by providing design, strategy, and messaging support. It has been a privilege to work with this team of badass women who trust their gut and their intelligence to rewrite the book on how to run political campaigns. We won eight years ago. And we keep on winning.
One member of our group asks every candidate at the start of a campaign, “What is your why?” (And then she makes them watch Simon Sinek’s TED talk.) We only work with candidates who have a clear “why”, a strong foundational reason for why they are willing to sacrifice their time, energy, and personal peace for our community.
Working With Robyn Vining
When we started working on Rep. Robyn Vining’s campaign in 2018, her response was clear: She believes people deserve to be fought for. She is tenacious on the campaign trail and in Madison, because she cares deeply about the people she serves. At times, she literally carries them with her on the voting floor, collecting their notes and emails in a binder that she holds close to her chest as she speaks for her constituents.
![Two dark blue tote bags: one features a Wisconsin-shaped graphic filled with heart doodles and the Robyn Vining State Senate logo, while the other reads We [heart icon] Our Public Schools with the Robyn Vining State Senate logo below.](https://banter-design.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/School-tote-scaled-e1792612368295.png)
In every single one of her five campaigns I’ve worked on, Rep. Vining always reminds us, “The method is the message”. In branding language, that means be authentic, consistent, and transparent at every touch point to build trust. The energy, love, and compassion people see in Rep. Vining on the campaign trail does not change when she gets in office. She loves people and wants to fight for them.
This is what keeps me inspired to keep voting. Because there are good people who want to work hard to make our world a little bit better. They may not all agree on how to do that, but they want to help. Quite literally, the least we can do is show up on election day and vote for them.
I encourage you to make your voting plan now. Visit My Vote WI to check your voting status, polling location, and important deadlines. If you want to do more to support local candidates, visit their websites to learn more about donating and volunteering. They could use your help knocking doors, writing postcards, or even just writing them a nice note on social media.
