Which of These Five Types of Activists Are You?

Fashion magazines have long offered peaks into the purses of celebrities, revealing to which makeup and snack brands they’re loyal to (or, more likely, paid to endorse). But have you ever wondered what you’d find within the depths of your local organizer’s bag? Or, better yet, what your favorite activist’s workspace really looks like?

Join us as we rifle through the desks of five activists fighting to deliver your vote to the ballot box this fall.

The USPS Guardian

Even the untrained eye will identify the USPS Guardian’s desk on first sight; just look for the telltale rolls of stamps and stacks of absentee ballots littering their desk. If you’re still unsure if this is the workspace of a vigilante organizing to keep the country’s postal system in service, sneak a peek at their desk calendar. Any USPS Guardian worth their salt will triple-circle the last day that voters in their state can send their ballots to ensure they’re counted. 

The Instagram Infiltrator

Amid a sea of chaotic workspaces, the Instagram Infiltrator’s desk will stand out: It’s sure to be meticulously organized for crisp flatlay shots of their chosen candidate’s merch alongside a cup of local, ethically-sourced iced coffee. The seasoned influencer will also keep a ring light on hand to highlight their features during livestreams about the many forms voting suppression can take. On the off-chance they leave their phone behind during bathroom breaks, a quick glance will show their Linktree — featuring Vote.org and a collection of vital GoFundMes and bail funds — is under constant maintenance. 

The Get Out the Vote Veteran

The Get Out The Vote Veteran’s desk is far less photogenic because she’s rarely home. Upon a heap of eye-catching pins — either emblazoned with a simple “Vote” slogan or with the face of their candidate of choice — you’ll find a stash of medical masks, an essential campaigning accessory these days. If you’re unlucky, you’ll catch a whiff of a discarded pair of arch support inserts, almost completely worn through from a career of door-knocking. 

The Voting Rights Act-ivist

This Act-ivist’s desk is a graveyard of high-protein snacks that fuel them throughout long days advocating for a renewal of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which was weakened in 2012 when the Supreme Court loosened federal oversight of states likely to suppress black votes. Amid the debris, you’ll find the Act-ivist’s trusty cheat sheet of senators’ phone numbers, which they encourage citizens to call to demand they stop ignoring Congress’s Voting Rights Advancement Act. Don’t be surprised if you spot a framed picture of the late voting rights activist John Lewis, for whom the act might be renamed. 

The Phone Bank Buster

The Phone Bank Buster decked out their home office long before work-from-home orders inspired others to do so. Long hours of lecturing answering machines and weathering abuse from hostile call recipients made maximum physical comfort a necessity; thus, their investment in a top-of-the-line ergonomic back and a rotating roster of inspirational posters to fend off chronic pain and the blues, respectively. Predictably, their prized possession is a Janet Jackson-esque headset, which they will shamelessly plug to anyone foolish enough to express an interest in hands-free calling.