Alison Roman

Because my baby can’t vote until 2043, so I’ll be voting for two for a while

I’ve never felt like casting my vote was about me and me alone—I’m not sure I’ll ever get everything I want on my list from one elected official! But voting for the president of the United States of America isn’t just about me and my specific list of ideals; it’s about preserving the most basic versions of what I think all people deserve. And this year, I’m officially voting for two (my baby is making their debut in February 2025 and won’t be able to vote until 2043, so I’ll be voting for two for a while).

I’m voting to make sure this baby is being born into a world where our elected officials fight for the basic, beautiful human rights that are nonnegotiable. I’m voting for those who protect our environment, so we can swim in clean oceans and hike in quiet, green forests; who prioritize gun control and mental health assistance, so kids can go to school and not just feel safe, but BE safe; who secure our civil liberties, so someone can grow up to be whoever they decide to be and live that self out loud without judgment or fear; and who solidify the right to make choices about our own bodies and gender, so every person can decide when and how they want to make their family, and what that family looks like. This year, I’m voting for the country I want to live in, but also for the one I want my family to live in as well.

This year, I’m thrilled, proud, and genuinely excited to vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz: two people I know will fight hard for the things most important to me and my growing family.

Alison Roman is a cook and author of the NYT bestsellers Sweet Enough, Nothing Fancy, and Dining In.