As the 2024 election rapidly approaches, both parties dove headfirst into existential rhetoric. “This will be the most important election of our lives,” said 75% of Americans according to PBS. This was supposed to be the case in 2020 and 2016. Come to think of it, why would any party tell you otherwise? Isn’t the goal to motivate the most people to go vote?

Americans are increasingly frustrated with the state of politics. No matter who has power, things are incredibly expensive, our global reputation continues to plummet and we are faced with ongoing fascism. We must have a candid conversation and ask ourselves: “What did we get out of our vote?” Joe Biden was honest when he ran in 2019, telling wealthy donors that nothing would fundamentally change. He was correct beyond even what he may have meant. Migrant detention centers with deplorable conditions still hold entire immigrant families, police continue to kill with impunity and Israel, who the United States has supported with military aid, is bombing Lebanon, Gaza, Syria and Yemen simultaneously. Israeli scholar of genocide and Holocaust studies Raz Segal called it a “textbook case of genocide.” I am far from the only one to feel a sense of horror seeing the Biden-Harris administration continue to pledge support for Israel; the widespread disapproval is most clearly seen in the “uncommitted” and “Abandon Harris” movements urging voters to not provide electoral support for Vice President Kamala Harris due to her lack of commitment to an arms embargo. To top it all off, people experiencing homelessness are facing an increase in police violence in California while being scapegoated for crime, despite crime rates being down.

Marginalized groups are faced with a more energized, more organized far-right violence and harassment. Democrats have had power for 12 of the last 16 years, interrupted only by Donald Trump. The honest reality, one that many white liberals do not want to admit, is that voting will not save Americans. That is not to say you shouldn’t vote; I will not tell you what to do with your voice, that is for you to decide. However, voting should not be the furthest extent of your democratic participation. Voting has not stopped the major trends that concern the next generation, as people of color, Arab Americans, immigrants and others. We must put our attention and action elsewhere in the political system.

The ballot box is the perfect distraction. On its face, it’s a way to make your voice heard. When one considers the influence of money in politics, it’s clear we have virtually no say in policy. To think otherwise is a fantasy, one that the state necessarily needs you to keep buying so the same people can remain in power. Beyond voting, it is necessary to join protest movements, unionization efforts and local action groups that provide aid for those that need it. Get involved in local politics and advocate for change at a level where you can have some influence. Spread the principles of democracy to your workplace: fight for worker co-ops and develop solidarity with other struggles for liberation and better conditions.

Thinking you have accomplished your civic duty by voting is precisely what the elites of society, those who have been stealing more wealth from the working class with every passing year, want you to believe. They want you to think voting is the end-all-be-all. They want you to believe there’s nothing more you can do. They want you to believe this is the best democracy can get. I urge you to reject the notion you are obligated to vote for a certain party. I urge you to expand your horizons on what democracy truly means. Both parties refuse to reform, defund or abolish oppressive structures and policies, such as the death penalty, and both parties are complicit in genocide. To think either of the two options are going to be your savior is to reject these observable data and trends before your eyes. Perhaps, as a society, we don’t want to admit how little progress we have made. I argue we have no choice. Look beyond celebrity worship and endorsements and the aesthetics of those running for office. Instead, look to your fellow Americans for inspiration from the masses of people demanding change in the streets and taking direct action against oppressive systems. A better future is possible, if only you see voting as the first step of democracy, not the last.