Four Magical Ways to Check In on Your Friends This Election Cycle

It is election season, and now can be a turbulent time for you and the people in your life. Dementors are at large at this time, and Grindelwald and Voldemort sympathizers in the streets can be really disheartening. It is an emotionally charged time, which is more reason to check on your friends and family to see how they are doing. Here are ways you can make sure they are okay and feel supported during this time.

Now, remember, there are exceptions to wizarding secrecy. What you can do may be up to the laws in your jurisdiction, so check with local officials and know your rights.

Vote

This is the obvious one, but of course, it needs to be said. Whether you vote by owl or go to a physical location, make sure you vote for candidates and policies that support the people in your life and your magical community at large. You may not think that your vote matters — but if everyone thought like that, nothing would get done. Like Celestina Warbeck, make your voice heard.

Support Your Community

Next, support other people’s right to vote. Join in the community effort and volunteer. If you can Apparate, have access to a Portkey, or have a connection to the Floo network, assist others who cannot travel and help them get to a polling station. You could also volunteer at the polling station itself or entertain those waiting in line with some magic parlor tricks if your area allows it. If necessary, use the Aguamenti spell for those in line — those lines can be brutal and long, and it’s important to stay hydrated during the long wait. Whatever way you volunteer, your contribution is appreciated.

Emotional Support

You’ve voted and you’ve helped others find a way to vote. Now, it’s time to sit back and wait for the results. But waiting can be agonizing, especially for those who have high stakes in the game, such as the marginalized witches, Squibs, werewolves, elves, goblins, and Muggle-borns. Now may be a good time to distract yourself. Go out with friends, and use magic to interrupt your internet frequency so you aren’t constantly on edge waiting for results. Take friends down to Hogsmeade to enjoy a fresh butterbeer, or go shopping in Diagon Alley to pass the time. Distracting yourself and others while results are being tallied will keep us all sane during this time.

Support After the Results

Win or lose, now is the time to spend it with the people you love. If the candidates and policies that you voted for won, time to go celebrate at a local pub! Send sparks into the sky that will perplex a Muggle meteorologist. Dance in the streets.

And if your candidate lost, all the more reason to go to a local pub and commiserate with the people that are closest to you. Once the dust has settled, put a protection charm around your friends’ houses. Keep the Dementors away by producing a large Patronus, and supply your friends with a large basket of chocolate.

Like loyal friends Ron and Hermione, we’re in this together. As Dumbledore once said:

We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort’s gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.” (GoF 723)

Our strength lies in numbers. We can build that strength by loving and supporting one another.