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Today, Westerners will cast their ballots in local, state, and federal elections. Polling by the Center for Western Priorities finds that 81% of voters in Mountain West states say public lands, parks, and wildlife will be important in deciding which candidates to support. One-third of Western voters indicated these issues have become even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Looking forward, it is clear that the West’s growing outdoor voting bloc supports continued action on conservation. 64 percent of voters support the goal of making public lands a net zero source of carbon pollution so the positive impacts of forests and land in creating clean air can outweigh the carbon pollution caused by oil, gas and coal extraction. 75 percent of voters support establishing a national goal of protecting 30 percent of America by 2030. You can stay updated on policy impacting public lands at OutdoorVoter.org.
Vote!
If you have not voted already, find information about your local polling location and how you can cast your ballot today.
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Months of distance and isolation only deepened the shared connection Westerners have for public lands and the outdoors. As the 2020 election nears it will be worth watching to see if the outdoor voting bloc—the growing group of voters who base their candidate preferences on outdoor issues—will play an even more decisive role in the outcome of close races than in past election cycles.”
