Lots of people care about protecting the planet but yet they don’t use one of their most powerful assets – their right to vote.
According to the Environmental Voter Project, the most prolific voters consistently rank environmental issues among their lowest concerns in elections.
“Polls show that tens of millions of Americans strongly prioritize progressive environmental policies – the real problem is that these people do not vote,” states EVP. “Indeed, even in recent nationwide elections, over 15 million individually identifiable environmentalists have stayed at home on Election Day.”
What does this mean? Well, politicians want to win elections so they listen to the issues of the people who DO vote. If environmental issues are a low priority for those actually voting, they will be a low priority for our policymakers. The people who turn out to vote at every level of government from local to federal ensure their voices (and their issues) are heard. Meanwhile, when environmentalists fail to vote, their concerns and priorities just aren’t brought to the table.
If I can do one thing today to advocate for the earth it is to encourage you to register to vote, help others to vote, and fight for people to be able to vote safely during the pandemic.
So let’s tackle these problems one at a time…
REGISTER TO VOTE TODAY
Citizens Climate Lobby and TurboVote have set up a page where anyone in any state can register, request an absentee ballot, and/or sign up for election reminders. All they have to do is visit cclusa.org/register-to-vote. Invite others to do the same and highlight the importance of registering to vote on social media.
VOTING SHOULD NOT BE HARD OR DANGEROUS
We’ve had a few dismal insights into what voting in the age of the coronavirus looks like during the Wisconsin and Georgia primary elections. In both instances, voters had to wait in line for hours during a highly contagious pandemic.
No one should have to choose between their rights and their health.
Please phone or email your member of Congress to insist they make Election Day safe and accessible for everyone. States should remove barriers to vote by mail, make sure polling locations are well resourced to be safe and accessible and expand early voting. Head to votesaveamerica.com/calltool for an easy way to contact your MOC.
ENVIRONMENTALISTS NEED TO BE POLITICALLY ACTIVE
The key to getting powerful environmental policies in place might not be to persuade more Americans to be environmentalists; it may be as simple as getting more of our existing environmentalists to vote.
The Environmental Voter Project finds environmentalists across the United States and makes sure that they vote in every election. You can help make this happen! Find out more at environmentalvoter.org
Will you use your vote for the planet this year?