Gov. Wes Moore offered some advice to Kamala Harris this week as he campaigned for her ahead of the Tuesday night presidential debate: Reach out to disaffected voters and get more people to the polls.

He said the 2024 presidential election will be decided less by undecided voters and more by those who actually cast a ballot. “It’s the voters who are skeptical of the larger political system,” Moore said. “It’s the voters who we need to come out. Because in many ways, this election is not going to be turned on how people vote. This election will be determined by people who choose to vote and people who choose not to.”

Moore urged Harris to use her debate platform “to articulate and share why it is so necessary for people to be a part of this process.”

In Maryland, the process faces numerous challenges ahead of the historic presidential election. The state this year is grappling with its highest election-administration turnover this century, tied at 46% with 2008 — one of the steepest rates in the nation. However, a big difference between 2024 and 2008 is why people are leaving their roles. In both years, age was a contributing factor, but threats and hostility are driving departures this year.

About a dozen voting jurisdictions in Maryland are seeing high turnover. Some are reporting threats that have been turned over to the FBI. Some have installed special protections to stop bullets and guard against bomb blasts. Workers across the state are learning not just how to administer elections and save democracy; they’re learning how to stop bleeding, use AED devices and save lives.

Baltimore isn’t struggling with high turnover, as it has one of the longest-serving election directors. And city election workers aren’t facing threats like those in suburban and rural counties. But Baltimore is struggling with a shortage of workers to staff the polls.

There are three major ways to help: serve as an election worker, make sure you vote on Nov. 5 and recognize the biggest threat to our democracy.

On the first one, the state has been calling for help.

“Election Judges are vital to our democracy and conducting election,” State Administrator Jared DeMarinis said in a statement on July 31. “Serving as an Election Judge is an opportunity to actively participate in the democratic process, ensure its integrity, and help your fellow Marylanders exercise their right to vote. I encourage every eligible Marylander to consider joining us this November as an Election Judge and help safeguard the voice of every voter.”

To apply to be an election judge, you can fill out this online form or go to the State Board of Elections website and apply there. If you answer the call, you’ll face better protections — and those who threaten election workers will face harsher penalties — thanks to the Protecting Election Officials Act of 2024.

Moore’s advice to Harris is true every year. Elections are decided by those who vote. If you are concerned, angry, happy, hopeful, exhausted, tired of politics, untrusting of the government, don’t complain. Cast a ballot instead. Your biggest voice is your vote. You have a constitutional right to vote, which should never be taken for granted. Wars have been fought, and blood has been shed throughout centuries for your right to vote. It is the sacred cornerstone of our democracy. Exercising your right to vote is the best response to the bullies who are cowardly trying to intimidate election workers in Maryland and across the country.

In the hyperpartisan political climate we find ourselves in, it’s common to hear that Harris or Donald Trump are the biggest threats to democracy. It’s true that U.S. presidents wield enormous power and can drive national conversations and steer policies. Some voters blame Harris and President Joe Biden for ruining the country with liberal policies they believe have destroyed our borders and economy. Some voters blame Trump for the U.S. Capitol attack and insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. But an insurrection isn’t the only threat to democracy. You can also lose a democracy by not having enough workers and volunteers to administer an election.