Seriously, if you live in the US, make a plan NOW so that you are ready to vote.
Make sure you are registered to vote. Many states are “cleaning up” voter rolls, so double-check.
Decide what you are willing to compromise on and what is a deal-breaker for you. You probably won’t find someone who is a perfect fit, but you can definitely find candidates that are better or worse.
If you aren’t sure whether voting in person will be safe for you by November, find out what you need to do to vote by mail. Check your state and local requirements for voting by mail or voting early (when it might be less crowded) if you can’t vote by mail. You may need to request the ballot in advance or send in some form of identification. Some areas require a witness’ signature on mail-in ballots, which can be hard if you’re are quarantined alone. Some areas require mail-in ballots to be received or postmarked by a certain date; some have drop-off locations in addition to accepting ballots by mail. Make a plan NOW so you are ready by November.
While you are voting for (or against) a presidential candidate, remember to look at the rest of your ballot! Even if you aren’t voting for a presidential candidate, look at the rest of the ballot! The president has a lot of power, but the senators and representatives can do a lot to support or block the president. Your state, county, city, and other local governments can also have a big impact on your life. Most of their decisions will have an immediate effect on you. Plus, in many cases, this is where presidents and congress-critters get started. If you don’t like the choices at the top level, start changing the people closer to you.
Every vote counts! Yes, even at the presidential level. However, the farther down the ballot you go, the more your vote is going to count. This applies even more on local primaries and elections that don’t affect national positions. The pool of voters is smaller in local elections, and many people who can vote won’t bother. Take a little time to find out as much as you can about your local candidates, and vote for the ones who support most of your values.
It’s easier to take time to check out candidates and issues if you are voting by mail. However, even if you are voting on election day, you can frequently see what is on the ballot in advance, so you can do your research. Make sure you understand those awkwardly worded (”Do you support removing the proposition that opposes...?”) questions and convoluted propositions, so that you’re voting for what you really want.
Plan ahead and vote!
Yo Biden just announced an infrastructure devolopment/clean energy/environmental justice plan and it's honesty pretty fucking amazing and much more ambitious than I ever would have expected from him, goddamn. He's trying to Eisenhower/New Deal our way out of the economic collapse.
Some notable points addressed by this plan:
Expanding American railway systems
Fixing the crumbling roads, bridges, dams, etc. that haven't been kept up
Capping abandoned oil wells
Undoing Trump's financial bailout policies for unclean energy companies
Reinvesting in American-made automotive companies
Getting America to 100% clean energy by 2035
Fixing air, water, and ground pollution issues that disproportionately affect poc
Getting justice for victims of environmental racism
Reinstating a bunch of environmental and medical jobs Trump had cut
Getting the US back on the Paris Agreement/Climate Accord