Most of us focus on the presidential election years, and to a lesser extent, the midterm elections. But there are elections every year. This year there are two critical elections in Virginia and Ohio, and the outcomes of both of will have implications beyond their respective state borders. Virginia voters will decide who will serve in the state General Assembly (40 Senators and 100 Delegates). Control of the General Assembly will determine whether or not the current governor, who has taken firm anti-choice positions on reproductive rights, will be able to implement his agenda. Ohio voters will vote on a ballot initiative that, if passed, would amend the state constitution to enshrine the right for every individual to make and carry out their own reproductive decisions, including abortion.
21 volunteers from UUCC have already committed to preparing 395 letters to voters in Virginia and Ohio, encouraging them to vote. The letters are being prepared through Vote Forward (votefwd.org) and the focus is on voters in communities typically underrepresented in the electorate, including communities of color, immigrant communities, and young voters. The letters are easy to prepare and have proven to be an effective way to increase voter turnout. Here is a sample letter so you can see how simple they are to prepare.
If you would like to help, please contact me (UUCC member Ken Rock) at vote@uucolumbia.net or come talk to me at coffee hour on Sunday.
Marking my vote
is like kneeling in prayer
because neither will accomplish
anything right away-
but the purpose of both
is to remind me
of my deepest hope
for the world that I’m trying to help create.
— from Prayer Ballot, by Luke Stevens-Royer
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