Casting a vote for either John McCain or Barack Obama allows you to speak your mind on their positions. But you don’t have to wait until November to make your voice heard; you can get involved in these issues right now! We’ve focused on two categories we know are important to women—education and the economy—and broken down the ways you can make an impact.

The Economy

Do you know that right in your purse there are probably at least 20 ways to make your voice heard on the economy? Yes, those crumpled 5-, 10- and 20-dollar bills are actually one of the most powerful tools you can use to speak up about fiscal issues. It’s called purchasing power, which essentially means how far your dollar goes. Gas prices are an excellent example: Eight years ago, two dollars would have bought you about a gallon of gas; today those same two dollars will buy less than half a gallon. In a nutshell, says Manisha Thakor, financial analyst and author of My Own Two Feet: A Modern Girl’s Guide to Personal Finance, it’s an example of the dollar losing its purchasing oomph.

“When people lose the oomph in their wallets—and get vocal about it—economic policy tends to react. And new trends will also start to emerge,” explains Thakor. “For instance, we are starting to see trends like more people taking mass transit and more people considering fuel-efficient cars. When Americans stop—or start—buying any good or service en masse, the market responds. In other words, when you spend your money you are quite literally voting in the marketplace.”

Thakor cites the recent decline in popularity of SUVs and bottled water, as well as the increased availability of organic foods and other “green” products such as compact fluorescent light bulbs, as trends driven, in large part, by consumer spending habits.

But you have power even beyond your own day-to-day purchases, encourages Thakor. “Each individual person’s spending has impact, but influencing others to spend in the same manner really turbo-charges a stance.” She suggests writing op-eds to local and national newspapers or writing letters to the investor-relations department or the board of directors of public companies whose products you have a strong opinion about—good or bad.

Thakor also points out that improving the fiscal health of our nation correlates directly to our fiscal health as individuals. “The best thing that each of us Americans can do is live within our means and stop bingeing on debt,” she advises. “As individuals and municipalities get their balance sheets and cash flow in order, our nation’s collective fiscal health with be stronger for it.”

Education

Voting is an easy first step to speaking up on current education policies and trends. However, getting out there for the less headline-making votes that take place typically in the spring—to elect new school board officials and earmark taxpayer cash for school budgets—is as essential as November elections.

You also need to get up to speed about current education policy so you can make informed choices. One of the hottest debates in recent years about education policy revolves around the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. While controversial from the start, the debate is only likely to heat up during the presidential campaign. The U.S. Department of Education’s Website is a great place to learn more about the act and determine what stance you want to take.

To stay up-to-date on other education policies being voted on nationally, head over to the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Website and subscribe to their “This Week In Washington” newsletter. Their “Issues and Action Center” also features a grassroots advocacy toolkit and other suggestions for getting involved in education policy-making. Similarly, you can check out the Website for the National Education Association to stay-up-to-date on issues affecting education this election year and to find out how your local Congressperson supported the education system.

To take action on a specific aspect of education, like music in schools, the Website supportmusic.com offers suggestions on how to keep music programs alive and well in public schools and highlights nonprofits and fundraisers that are working toward keeping public school music education robust.