With back-to-school preparations, Labor Day get-togethers and summer-to-fall gear shifting, politics may seem like the last priority for busy working moms. But midterm elections for the senate and house of representatives are right around the corner, and getting your voice heard with a simple swoosh of the voting booth lever is a great way to be involved.

To get you started, we ran our best of congress competition again. Working Mother magazine invited every U.S. senator and representative to submit to our scrutiny, and with the help of Corporate Voices for Working Families, we judged all applicants by their legislative record on key issues of importance to working moms. Then we analyzed their answers to our survey about how each applicant supports his or her own paid staff with maternity leave, flexibility, sick days and other work-life benefits that we stand for year in and year out.

Democratic and Republican awardees joined me on the steps of the Capitol Building for our exciting group photo. And later in September we will honor our 30 Best of Congress at a breakfast on Capitol Hill. For an hour or two, these august legislators will talk about their own kids and grandchildren, their inspiring parents, their hardworking employees and their personal efforts to balance a career in politics with their family’s needs. It’s a party for both parties, and it’s one of the few days of the year when politicians put their speaking points and their differences aside to honor the truth about how we live our lives today—not in an idealized bubble of the nuclear family, but as hardworking parents anxious to build a future we want our children to grow into. Your trip to the voting booth can make a difference.

Carol Evans, President
Working Mother Media
carolevans@workingmother.com
Follow me on Twitter: @CarolEvansWM