The conservative playbook for America—Project 2025—had been unleashed before the terrifying move of Donald Trump into the White House in 2016.

Like a lethal virus, components of the authoritarian strategy accelerated during his four years in office, and it infected all branches of government.

While democracy has taken some significant hits recently, the Nov. 5 election can reverse this backward trend.

Black historian Lerone Bennett, Jr. stated that a nation is a choice and is shaped by countless decisions that determine its direction.

There are issues on the ballot as important as candidate selections. There are respective propositions and amendments that could ease the economic burden beating down Missouri’s working-class families and restore lost reproductive rights for women.

There are also several ballot initiatives, like legalized sports gambling, which could suck money from households of struggling families.

Missouri has the chance to make history with Proposition A, the “Healthy Families and Fair Wages Amendment.” The proposition will raise the state’s minimum wage up to $15 by 2026. It’s still not a living wage so that must be our next campaign.

Prop A will also give workers up to seven days of earned paid sick leave. One in three workers in Missouri don’t have paid sick leave. They must decide whether to take off work when a child gets sick at the daycare, or an elderly parent must be taken to the doctor. People should be able to prioritize their family’s health without the stress of losing a paycheck.

These measures represent a more realistic pathway out of poverty and financial distress than betting on a sports team or playing the slots.

As a feminist, I support Amendment 3 which removes the ban on abortion rights. This is the same constitutional amendment that was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, a court top-heavy with conservatives. The majority in this country—including Missouri– still favor a woman’s right to make decisions about her body and her life.

The minute the 50-year-old Roe v. Wade decision was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, abortions became illegal in Missouri with no exceptions for survivors of rape or incest. If Amendment 3 passes, reproductive rights will become part of the state constitution and more difficult to manipulate.

Project 2025 will use federal power to further restrict abortions until they are illegal. We must send a bold and unapologetic message to the nation that women’s bodies will not be conservatives’ property.

A victory in Missouri will provide momentum for other states looking to re-establish the right to safe and accessible abortions.

There are also several judges on the ballot who were appointed by Republican Gov. Michael Parson. They are anxious to prove their allegiance to the right-wing agenda. Missouri Supreme Courts Justices Broniec and Gooch both voted to uphold the ban on abortions.

The two also ruled to move forward with the execution of Marcellus “Khalifah” Williams, despite evidence of his innocence. National outcries couldn’t stop his execution last month by lethal injection.

All elections matter, but some consequences are worse than others.

Trump wants to centralize government and to concentrate the power in one man – him. Civil liberties and constitutional protections will be eliminated. 

On November 5, a vote for any candidate or ballot measure moves us in a certain direction. Black historian Lerone Bennett, Jr. stated that a nation is a choice and is shaped by countless decisions that determine its direction.

This country is at that “fateful fork” which requires serious intervention on the part of its citizens if we want to experience the unflinching progress we so desperately seek.