In this episode we hear from a remarkably complex and fascinating voter who also happens to be an avowed atheist. Mark Stickney is an HVAC / plumbing sales engineer, musician, and actor from Chicago, Illinois. He tells us his story about growing up in a conservative southern town and his transition from this socialization to his now active role in progressive politics. Triggered at a young age to “question everything,” as he puts it, Mark explains how his journey to progressive politics and voting is inextricably tied with his embrace of atheism. While he began his time as an active voter feeling more or less apathetic during the 2004 elections, his passion for learning and epistemology brought him to the political activism he engages in today. He and I muse about the impossibility of religious freedom, and Mark clarifies that being an atheist does not mean one hates religion. We argue for the imperative of self-reflection in today’s politics, and Mark shares how his vote is tied back to how it might impact others. “Voting for me,” he shares, “means doing my part to make life better for somebody else… it’s about the active effort of thinking of others and putting them above myself.” Ultimately, Mark hopes that his activism—and vote—will leave the world a better place for his children and all who will come after them.