With only weeks until Election Day, organizers are putting in overtime to increase voter turnout, register people before cutoff deadlines, educate about how to properly cast a mail-in ballot, and civically engage young people who might be voting for the first time. Though different organizers and advocates have their own strategies for getting out the vote, they all have one common goal: influence a massive voter turnout unlike anything seen in history. In case you missed it, here’s Prism’s coverage on how organizers are getting more people involved in the electoral process.
Student group registers over 100,000 voters
(by Anoa Changa)
The 2020 election will be Miller’s second major election cycle; she first voted in the 2018 midterm election. Miller recalled holding voter registration drives on campus for that election. “Two years later, that kind of urgency is even greater,” Miller Said. The group has primarily targeted young people with an expressed interest in addressing gun violence. “We know that young people are going to be the ones to change kind of the tide of this country.”
I’m voting in the 2020 election, and I encourage other Native people to do the same
(by Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Daniel)
When we come together to hold the government accountable and be part of the process to develop informed policy, we can prioritize health care, mental health services, the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, rights and equality for Two Spirit relatives, and education. The pandemic has highlighted our needs even more.
Jailed voters can swing elections if they know and can exercise their rights
(by Tamar Sarai Davis)
The Election Protection Behind Bars Coalition’s work seeks to “shift the burden onto sheriffs and not individual people for providing ballot materials,” said Mensik. The coalition is also advocating on the municipal level for elected officials to better understand that a sizable portion of the incarcerated population is eligible to vote. This lack of understanding among election clerks, for example, has resulted in rejected absentee ballots.
Engaging with working class communities of color is in Pennsylvania is essential for voting outreach
(by Anoa Changa)
For organizations like Make the Road Action, organizing builds on community relationships, leadership, and conversations. In an emailed statement, Yumaira Saavedra, member of Make the Road Action Pennsylvania in Allentown, pointed to the current failures around the COVID-19 pandemic and the struggles facing millions of people across the country as a reason to organize voters to action this election.
“I’m deeply motivated to vote this year and encourage my family and friends to do the same, because with our votes we can take a stand for a full recovery for all, including access to health care and financial assistance and rent relief for all during the pandemic,” said Saavedra.
