We had occasion to be reminded of Harry Truman this weekend, as an American President was meeting with allies and others in Europe. Truman (who was from Missouri, admittedly) is famed for being a regular guy, but one who understood the role global institutions play in keeping our world safe. In the wake of the devastation of World War II, he oversaw the creation of NATO and the United Nations, both of which have come under fire from the current administration.

Truman understood, as the current administration does not, that every country has a stake in how the world works. Truman stood on the world stage and declared that we are stronger together, and he will be remembered for that. But he relished, too, his roots as a simple man, retiring in the end to Independence to live as just another citizen.

We call this to mind to impress upon all of us the importance of how every person, no matter how "important," plays a role in our democracy. Every vote is critical, not just to the issue you care most about, but to the very idea of a representative democracy. If only half of eligible voters cast a ballot, who do elected officials really represent? Those with the privilege to be involved, to have time to vote? Those who have been stirred up by current events, but only for this one election?

How do we ensure that our country represents ALL the people?

At MainStream we take a lot of approaches to this, putting our finger in the dike next to many partners and active organizations doing the same. We educate people on the issues. We get out the vote. We try to involve young people, like this year's MainStream interns. We work on innovative projects like our Voter to Voter project, connecting individuals with ten people they know who may not be regular voters.

But it doesn't matter what we do, because today what we need is you. We need you to make sure you're registered to vote in the upcoming primaries (register by tomorrow!). We need you to check with your friends and family, are they registered to vote? Ask tomorrow at work, are your co-workers registered to vote? And it doesn't matter who they'll vote for, because the more people vote, the more ALL views are represented, the more moderate our government will be.

So here's your task today:

• Register (someone) to vote at ksvotes.org
  Check a registration, or register for the first time. No proof of citizenship needed, this is the Federal form.

It starts here. With you. Do more than vote.