Our country is three months away from Election Day, and the sense of urgency that campaign season brings is all around us. Yard signs urging support for local, state, and federal candidates are popping up, online rallies are smashing fundraising and participation records, volunteers are knocking on doors, and a near-constant barrage of campaign text messages keep lighting up our phones.

Elections have consequences for our future, and this year’s will be no different. That’s why I’m truly inspired by the candidates who are running on platforms to make our cities, our state, and our country better places and ensure a brighter future for all. I’m also inspired by the rich diversity of candidates seeking public office at all levels of government who are energizing the next generation of leaders, first-time voters, and even more seasoned voters like me.                                                       

This passion for public service and an energized electorate are the bedrock of our democratic process. But at the same time, campaigns and elections, at their core, accentuate divisions between candidates, policy issues, and ultimately voters. These divisions may lead to incivility, loss of trust in government, and voter apathy. 

At the local level, candidates regularly find themselves running against another community member — someone familiar to them. They may be your neighbor or a shopper at the same grocery or hardware store. They may even attend the same church, be a regular at your favorite local restaurant, or have children in the same school as you. 

This familiarity may make it even more challenging to put aside the campaign mindset after the election is over and focus on uniting as a neighborhood, a community, or a city council to make your community a better place for all. However, the tough issues that city officials must address — filling potholes, planning for more housing, creating jobs, building a local economy, protecting public health and safety, and addressing homelessness — all with limited resources, are nonpartisan and depend on intergovernmental collaboration and cooperation to overcome. It’s the voters — your neighbors — who depend on their elected officials to bridge divides and work together for the public good.   

With every election cycle, we’ve come to expect twists and turns that further accentuate differences between candidates and how their leadership will lead to better or worse outcomes for their community, the state, or the country. And while the goal of any successful campaign is to highlight differences among candidates that will inform voter choice, governing is a team project, not an individual effort. It is our ability as a country to unite post-election that is the hallmark of our incredible resiliency as a nation. When all is said and done, achieving the vision for our future called for in countless speeches on the campaign trail means coming together after election day, rolling up our sleeves, and working collaboratively across previous fault lines to effect positive change in our communities and the lives of our residents. 

As we move closer to Election Day, let us proceed with optimism, knowing that we can and will heal what divides us during campaign season. By building those bridges, we foster the civility, trust in government, and the engaged electorate our democracy and the future of our communities depend on.