We the People: Voting Country Over Party
In Indiana, early voting starts today. (Be sure to check-out the early voting maps below!) We have twenty-eight days to make sure that we get out the vote (GOTV). Voting is a sacred right and duty, not merely an activity that we can choose to exercise or ignore. We have inherited this right from those who have lived and died to protect it.
The time is now to do our duty to honor those who came before us, those who lived and died to protect our freedoms.
The time is now to join with others who continue to protect our hard-won freedoms.
The time is now to do everything we can to ensure that those who come after us will enjoy the freedoms that we have inherited.
The time is now to think of ourselves as citizens, not as members of any one political party.
If we love this beloved, flawed, imperfect, messy, wild-eyed experiment in self-governance, we must vote for those candidates who love this country as much as we do.
We must vote for candidates who love the constitution more than power or self-interest.
We must vote for those candidates who are not working to embed their own version of morality and religion into our civic lives.
As we cast our vote in this election, we must not think of ourselves as democrats or republicans. We must cast our vote as citizens of our beloved democracy. Our votes will determine whether or not we are able to ‘keep this republic’ or surrender it to MAGA extremism and authoritarianism.
Did You Know:
The politics of our time could be thought of as the ‘politics of the brokenhearted’. All of us have had our hearts broken by politics and politicians. There is never one candidate who can hold the tensions of all our pluralistic hopes and desires. No one party will be able to serve everyone’s interests, issues, or loyalties. However, in 2024, there is only one party who will defend and protect our constitution. There is only one party who promises a peaceful transfer of power and will support the rule of law. There is only one party who decries political violence. There is only one party who is not aligned with White Christian Nationalists and radical militia groups.
There is a false dichotomy among many voters who think they must choose between candidates who will support kitchen table issues instead of worrying about the larger issues of freedom and democracy. That is a distinction without a distinction. Kitchen table issues like having a healthy economy, excellent public schools, consumer protections, good jobs, fair labor laws, access to affordable health care and affordable housing, access to clean air and water, safe food, national security and world peace only exist within a democracy. In authoritarian regimes and dictatorships there are no leaders who care about your ‘kitchen table issues’.
Ballot roll-off is a phenomenon we must also understand because it undermines our democracy. Ballot roll-off is when a voter ONLY votes for the top of the ticket candidates and ignores down ballot candidates. Women voters and those who identify as democrats are the guiltiest of ballot roll-off. That is one reason our state continues to elect GOP supermajorities and how it is that we re-elect state and local candidates who are unqualified, unpopular and unfit to be in office. Down ballot candidates are important players in our day to day lives. State and local elected officials impact your ‘kitchen table issues’ as much if not more than national politicians, yet many people do not even know the names of their state and local representatives.
Why It Matters:
We know this election will be won or lost ‘at the margins’. Every vote counts. Chances are if you are reading this newsletter, you agree with most of what we are saying. You will vote early or already have a plan to vote. You understand that it is your sacred duty and hard-won right to exercise your vote. So why are we ‘preaching to the choir’ you may ask?
Because you also have family members, friends, neighbors, colleagues, members of your church, synagogue or temple, your favorite barista or hardware store expert who are not convinced that their vote matters. You know people who are so ‘brokenhearted’ and disillusioned by politics that they will most likely sit this election out.
So, in this election it is also your work to be in relationship and conversation with those people and do everything you can to get them to vote for freedom and democracy. Now is the time for relational advocacy in addition to traditional political activism and advocacy. Perhaps you have already volunteered in the important work of registering voters, canvassing with candidates, and writing postcards to people you do not know. Now we are asking you to go a step further by having personal conversations with the brokenhearted, the disengaged and disillusioned people in your lives. Do not assume that everyone in your joyous circle will actually vote. Life happens! Gentle reminders even to the most likely voter can’t hurt! A conversation with someone you know can truly make a difference.
We can help you with this! See the information about how to ‘rally your squad’ below. Statistics suggest that a person is 10 times more likely to be convinced to vote for a candidate by someone they know.
Ten times more likely to get another person to cast a vote for democracy.
What You Can Do:
Vote early and ask people you know to also vote early. This will help build momentum and allow candidates to focus on connecting with potential voters who are more likely to be uncommitted, uninformed or disengaged.
H4D has prepared early voting county maps for several counties (including Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Lake, Marion) and will add several more this week. Click on this link to access English and Spanish versions of the maps. Marion County PDFs are also included below.
Early voting is an essential GOTV tool. Share these maps widely with family and friends, campaign volunteer networks, university and high school GOTV contacts, libraries, local businesses, etc.
Vote the full ballot and encourage others to do so! Do your homework ahead of time so you will know who is on the ballot including the down ballot options for retaining judges, local school boards and other municipal seats. For information about who and what are on your ballot, see Vote 411 by the League of Women Voters and/or MADVoters Ballot Buddy.
Three of our Indiana Supreme Court Justices are on the ballot for retention. There has been a lot of conversation about their ruling to uphold the abortion ban our extremist legislators voted into law. Ruling on legal standing is not the same as making a statement about the law. Be an informed voter and make judicious judgements. See The Indiana Retention Vote essay by Sheila Suess Kennedy for more information about this issue. Sheila Kennedy is a professor emeritus of law and public policy at Indiana University Indianapolis.
Two Judges of the Indiana Court of Appeals are also on the ballot for retention. See retention for information about all the judges and justices on the ballot.
There is a Constitutional Amendment on the ballot about the succession of leadership for the Governor if something happens that she/he is no longer capable of governing. For an important explanation about this amendment, see Indiana State Constitutional Amendment. Many thanks to Indiana Capital Chronicle for this information.
Be a relational outreach joyful warrior and commit to talking to friends, neighbors, and colleagues about this election. Here are some wonderful resources to help you do this!
Take 10 minutes to watch this short explanation on relational organizing and sign up to rally your squad developed by Red, Wine & Blue (RWB). It’s simple, effective and FUN! Once you are on the page, just scroll down and you will see the video on the left side of your screen.
Grab your popcorn and a couple of friends for a movie night with Sally Field. Sally Field joins Red,Wine & Blue founder Katie Paris to talk about GOTV with thousands of viewers joining the zoom call. The video is about 45 minutes and will bring a smile to your face.
Download this RWB Rally Your Squad PDF Toolkit that gives great information and tons of resources to get you started. (Can you tell that the H4D team thinks that relational organizing/relational outreach is a political game changer?)
Our vote is our legacy. Don’t underestimate the power of a single conversation. Every time you talk to someone about voting, you are planting a seed. It may seem like a small act, but perhaps that connection will inspire them to believe that their voice matters. By casting a ballot we’re not just participating in our democracy–we’re making history. Let’s choose joy and make history together!
We are deeply grateful for your commitment to our newsletter. Help us grow this pro-democracy, anti-extremism movement by sharing this newsletter with your friends, family and networks.
Joyfully yours in democracy,
Debbie, Rachel, Barbara & Kathy
Notes:
For more information on the negative impact of ballot roll-off see https://sisterdistrict.com/rolloff/