The Price of Democracy (cont’d)
2. ELECTIONS. They don’t run themselves; without a small army of people, we couldn’t hold them at all! If you want to be part of that army of poll workers (and earn some money!), simply go to the Board of Elections for Columbia County HERE to sign up. The Board of Elections provides training. The job itself IS a long, hard day of work, but it’s both satisfying and crucial.
If you are not able to sign up to be a poll worker, you can still help to get out the vote for our candidates. Check in with neighbors to see if they have a plan to vote - by mail or in person? Where is their poll site, and when will they vote? Do they need a ride to the polls? Turning out the vote is critical. You can encourage others to vote, help them get a ballot online, or provide transportation to the voting site. There are many ways to be part of this effort!
3. PHONE CALLS. This is something you can do on your own time, in your own way, and it makes an enormous difference! Calling your member of Congress (regardless of party) is the single most effective way to make change. Staffers record your call, what you called about, and send it up to the Rep/Senator/Assembly Member. The people we elect work for us, so tell them what you want them to do.
Jess Craven of Chop Wood, Carry Water (CWCW) puts out a script most days if you need some inspiration or direction. You can subscribe to her Substack for free HERE, and scripts will arrive in your email inbox, at the bottom of her email.
Alternatively, you can use Five Calls. They too have scripts, and a long list of issues to choose from, so you’re sure to find something you care about.
You can also make your own list of issues to address — the point is that our electeds will serve us better if they know what we care about, and the more personal the story, the more effective the call. Don’t be afraid to let your emotions show either, especially if you care deeply.
Getting a staffer to care about what we care about is half the battle, and remember to give them kudos for a job well done when they, or the person they work for, deserve praise.
Make your calls. The simplest way to get started is to have a list of phone numbers (or open tabs/bookmarks on your computer). Every Town, State and Federal elected has a website with contact information and phone numbers for their various offices. Once you get into it, it’s fun!
IT COMES DOWN TO THIS: what are YOU willing to do to preserve American democracy?
“OF, BY and FOR THE PEOPLE” means nothing if we don’t fight to keep it:
–OF means it’s ours, ALL of ours: no one skin color, religion, gender or party affiliation has dibs on it.
–BY means we are responsible to make sure democracy endures and thrives in the way we want.
–FOR? It’s ours, it should work for ALL of us, not just some.
Which brings us back to “BY”. BY is us, doing our parts, making our voices heard.
What will you do?