Climate Change and Voting! by Susan Hodges

With everything that is going on, we all might need some reminding of just how serious climate

change is, that it is already happening NOW, and why the election coming up is so critical for

climate change action. Here are a few relevant articles that have come to my attention recently:

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/08/06/climate/climate-change-inequality-heat.html By Somini Sengupta Aug. 7, 2020

https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-a-warming-planet/on-climate-change-weve-run-out-of-presidential-terms-to-waste “On Climate Change, We’ve Run Out of Presidential Terms to Waste” By Bill McKibben August 26, 2020

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/if-republicans-really-cared-about-hurricane-victims-they-d-stop-ncna1238686, By John Podesta, advisory board member, Climate Power 2020

To have any possibility of the US doing anything to address climate change, it is imperative

to change who is sitting in the White House, and which party is controlling Congress. So,

what can we do? Help get people, “everyone!” to vote!

Here are some organizations that are working on this, and efforts you can join or otherwise

support:

I am most familiar with Vote Forward: https://votefwd.org/ “Vote Forward volunteers send

heartfelt handwritten letters to unregistered and low-propensity voters encouraging them to

participate in our democracy.”

Vote Forward compared hand-written postcards with handwritten letters, and found the letters

were more effective. Once you sign up, you download a list of voters and a letter for each one. 

The letter explains what Vote Forward is; you write the person’s name and a sentence or two

(from your heart) urging them to vote. You provide paper, copying, envelopes and postage. Vote

Forward has found that such messages are most effective when received just a few days before

election day, but they are keeping a close eye on the USPS situation, and may direct an earlier

mailing date. Their website has more information and good FAQs.

Other organizations have organized postcard campaigns. Take a look at some of these.

http://www.grandmothersforabrighterfuture.com

https://www.turnoutpac.org/postcards-to-swing-states-volunteers-to-send-13-million-hand-

written-postcards-to-swing-state-voters-this-election-cycle/

https://www.indivisiblechicago.com/postcard-posse-faq  Includes some good background info on

effectiveness, etc.

https://postcardstovoters.org/faq/

Maybe making phone calls or writing letters etc. is not your thing. If you can, make

donation(s) to organizations supporting these actions.

North Carolina has an organization “We Shall Overcome” that is working to overcome voter

suppression tactics and get folks registered and voting. They don’t have a website, but have a pdf

describing their work, including an e-mail address and phone numbers (contact Susan Hodges if

you are interested in a copy). They are not asking for donations, but I can’t believe they could

not use some. North Carolina is a really important state in this election!

Here are additional resources and options to explore:

https://www.nonprofitvote.org/documents/2012/04/seven-principles-of-getting-out-the-vote.pdf/

https://actionnetwork.org/forms/reclaim-our-vote-signup  Reclaim Our Vote “Ongoing voter

suppression and voter list purging have been disenfranchising millions of eligible voters --

especially voters of color.  Reclaim Our Vote works in those voter suppression states.  Our

volunteers inform and mobilize voters of color to make sure they are registered and they know

how to get a ballot and vote.  It is a nonpartisan campaign of the nonprofit 501(c)3 Center for

Common Ground.”

https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2020/07/9923190/women-of-color-voter-suppression-2020-

election  “Step 5:   Volunteer To Help Save Voting Rights  This fight doesn’t end on

November 3. There are a myriad of organizations that need our help year-round! If you are

able to do so, please consider volunteering at or donating to the following: 

Black Voters Matter Fund 

Let America Vote

American Civil Liberties Union “

 

https://www.lwv.org/   (League of Women Voters)

https://www.brennancenter.org   (Brennan Center for Justice)

www.naacp.org  NAACP