I saw this headline on an online news platform the other day: “2026 U.S. Midterm Elections Set $11.6 Billion Spending Record, AdImpact Says”.

It infuriated me. The story was talking about the money being spent on advertising for the national elections and gubernatorial elections – you know, the folks that advertise incessantly on television, radio, online, etc. It didn’t even include the ‘down ballot’ elections, like here in Cornwall and Highland Falls. I know those figures are way, way, way lower than the billion-dollar mark, but, honestly, they still kind of make me mad.

But it isn’t just television advertising. It’s campaign signs, mailers, campaign events, merch and social media ads. And it starts earlier and earlier every year, meaning we, the voting public, have to see the signs, the billboards, the commercials, the posts for months on end.

I have a great idea.

What if, next time, every candidate foregoes about 2/3 of whatever they spent this year and, instead, donates that amount to a food bank, or homeless shelter, or domestic violence or substance abuse program. What if they gave some to the animal shelters, or school groups that help families provide for their kids? What if we made sure no kid went without a gift this upcoming holiday season? What if we used some of it to pay off the medical debt of a senior citizen or single mom? What if we gave it to a church who provides food for kids on weekends? What if we donated it to youth sports leagues or scouts, so they didn’t have to hold bake sales to go to out-of-town events? What if we donated to Habitat for Humanity, or World Central Kitchen, or No Kid Hungry, or the American Red Cross, or St. Jude Children’s Hospital?

Do the commercials, signs, social media ads, etc. help sway your vote? Do you read the mailers or just toss them in the recycling bin?

I commend many of our local candidates for investing as much time as they did money in this week’s elections. They’ve gone door-to-door, attended events, and made themselves known to voters. They are active in our communities all the time, not just during elections.

You’ll never catch me donating to a political cause, I promise. But, I also promise to remain an informed voter, via the ‘free’ sources – like the letters to the editor we allow in the newspapers, the stories that reporters like me write about candidates, and at the events and meetings.

I will, however, happily donate to as many of the things listed above as I can. And I hope those candidates will all too. Because you know what? If there was a candidate who did that, they’d likely be the one I voted for.

My irritation is settling down since I’ve been writing, but one final thought. It is estimated that $11 billion is almost the exact amount needed to fund tuition-free community college across the United States for an entire year. We need to make better choices, America!