Voting is the most elemental act of democracy.
Once every few years, in school gyms and community centers — or these days in the privacy of our own homes filling out mail-in ballots — WE, THE PEOPLE, are in charge. But only if we in fact take charge and vote.
I already cast my ballot — as have a historic number of Americans across the country. And if trends hold, it appears we are well on our way toward a record turnout.
As we enter the homestretch of the 2020 election, here’s our simple three-point to-do list for you:
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Vote! You may already have, and if so thank you to a fellow early voter! But if you haven’t, now is the time to make or confirm your plan to vote. Don’t sit this one out. Let’s make sure 2020 sets a new record for voter turnout by taking the simple step of casting our ballots.
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Share your voting plan and experience with your friends and family as a way to nudge them to the polls. This is really important — many studies have found that there is power in the social influence we can all have within our families and communities. And studies show that if we can encourage a non-voter to vote, that person is more likely to remain an active voter for the rest of their life. This year, I’ve been talking more with neighbors, posting more on Facebook and Twitter, and putting yard signs up, which I seldom do. To vote is American. To inspire others to vote is sublime.
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Be assured that as this election winds down, EDF is prepared for whatever outcome. And that includes monitoring any attempt to undermine our voting system or to prematurely cut off the vote-tallying efforts before every vote is counted.
You can help by joining our Misinformation Brigade. We established this virtual group to deal with the lies and misinformation spreading across our social media feeds — and we need your help.
So that’s it. Vote! Inspire others! And stay active in our efforts to protect the integrity of the 2020 election.
It’s in our hands now to secure a more perfect union. As the late great John Lewis said, “The right to vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool or instrument in a democratic society. We must use it.”
We can’t let John Lewis down.
Happy Voting,
Sam Parry
Director of Membership
P.S. Regardless of the outcome, we are planning a post-election town hall, Climate Change and Election 2020: An Insider View of What’s Next. It’ll be next Thursday, November 5 at 3pm ET. EDF President Fred Krupp will join our political and climate action staff experts to discuss the path forward in combating climate change domestically and internationally. You can register to join us. Hope you can make it.
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