PROGRESSIVE PLAYBOOK > DEMOCRACY + VOTING RIGHTS

Democracy Voting.png — Freedom to vote

CONTENTS
Core Message
Polling + Words That Work
Tools + Resources
Related Issues

CORE MESSAGE

Whatever our color, background or zip code, most of us believe that voters should pick our leaders – our leaders do not get to pick their voters. When it comes to our elections, we all want a transparent process we can trust, where all Americans have equal freedom to vote, whether we live in a small town or big city, the south or the north.

But today, a handful of politicians and the greedy few are still trying to silence our voices based on what we look like or where we live. They try to hold onto power by rigging the rules with voter ID laws, gerrymandering, voter intimidation, and voter suppression. They fuel divisions and feed us misinformation hoping we’ll blame new immigrants, Black people, or people struggling to make ends meet for the damage their policies have caused us all. We aren’t fooled.

Together, we can ensure Americans can safely and freely cast our ballots so that every voice is heard and we all have a say in key decisions like healthcare, schools and taking action on the climate.

Just like we came together in the past to fight for the right to vote, we need everyone to be a voter now so we can restore the Voting Rights Act, ensure that everyone’s voice is heard, and elect leaders who work for all of us.

WATCH IT IN ACTION

NEXT: POLLING + WORDS THAT WORK ↓

january 6th + Democracy + Voting Rights

Standing up for our right to have every vote counted is especially critical in the wake of the January 6, 2021 attack on our country. The insurrection was part of an illegal, unconstitutional, and ultimately violent plot to overturn the 2020 election and ignore the will of the people. The people responsible for this scheme are still working today to put themselves in power regardless of election outcomes—including changing state laws, threatening state officials, and packing election administration offices so they can have the final say over election results. We must hold those involved in this ongoing criminal conspiracy accountable. It is the only way we are going to protect our right to vote and choose our own leaders, and stop the current campaign to overturn future elections

POLLING + Fast Facts

MAJORITY OF AMERICANS SUPPORT SAFE VOTING OPTIONS

As of May 2020, 64% of Americans support voting by mail, or universal, no-excuse absentee voting and 71% support access to early voting.

VOTER SUPPRESSION IS REAL

1.7 million people were purged from voter rolls between 2016 and 2018 and half of all states have enacted voting restrictions in the last decade.

...AND TARGETS BLACK AND BROWN VOTERS

In Wisconsin, Black voters are only 5.7% of the electorate but 35% of the voters purged in 2019. In 2018 in Georgia, the state blocked 53,000 voter registrations - 70% of whom were Black. Voter ID laws and closing polling locations also disproportionately target Black, Indigenous, people of color and voters with lower incomes.

Words that Work

Lead with our shared value of freedom and remind people we’ve expanded voting rights over time

Together, we can elect leaders who govern in our interests and make the promise of democracy real for us all.

For democracy to work for all of us, it must include us all.

Characterize the opposition as erecting deliberate barriers to silence specific voices (name the role that race plays)

Our country works best when everyone’s voices are counted.

It’s time to enact national standards for voting to ensure all of us have a say in key decisions like economic relief and affordable healthcare

Now more than ever, we need everyone to be a voter and every state to ensure safe and accessible elections.

No matter our color, party, or zip code, we all want an equal say in the decisions that shape our future.

Don’t repeat the opposition’s frame (e.g. fraud) even to refute their claims.

No matter what we look like or where we come from, when it comes to having a say over who represents us, most of us want similar things. We want a transparent process we can trust, where communities remain whole and where voters have an equal voice.

NEXT: TOOLS + RESOURCES ↓

Tools + Resources

For more information, we have included the following additional resources below. These resources do not necessarily reflect the policy positions of the Progressive Caucus Action Fund.