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Just prior to the midterms, Allison Engel, a former reporter and Democratic canvasser in Iowa, wrote about a phenomenon some people call “husband blocking.” That’s meant pretty literally. It’s when a canvasser knocks on someone’s door and asks for a woman living there, perhaps a wife or daughter who is a registered Democrat, and the man who answers shuts the door in the canvasser’s face, falsely claims the woman isn’t home, or refuses election-related materials. Yes, it’s a little possessive.
Conceivably, a woman who answers the door could do the same, although Engel wrote that she has never heard of that happening. It could also be a Democrat blocking a Republican family member from receiving political materials or pledging support for a candidate. What interests us, as Thanksgiving approaches, are these political rifts within families. We are curious to hear from people of any gender and party preference about situations in which you have gone against the politics of your partner—or parents, or adult children, or extended family—and then, to keep the peace, largely kept your dissent on the down-low.
Whether you are a part of a Democratic family and quietly voted Republican in this election, or voted Democratic and avoided discussing it with your Republican spouse or kin, we want to hear from you. Maybe you and your partner are both secret Republicans or secret Democrats. Maybe your kids have gone in their own political direction, and you don’t want to share with them how you voted. Maybe you made your decision last minute, in the voting booth.
Whatever the situation, describe it to us. Tell us why you voted as you did and why you decided to keep it pretty much to yourself.
You can fill out the form below, send us an email at talk@motherjones.com, or leave us a voicemail at (510) 519-MOJO. We need your name and contact information for verification, but never fear: If you don’t want to be identified by name, simply click the box in the form below or say so in your message. We may use some of your responses in a follow-up story.
