Dear Members of OYUnited,
The 2018 midterm election takes place on November 6, 2018 - less than a week away. Our country needs you to SHOW UP! to the polls on that day and have your voice heard. All 435 seats in the federal government’s House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate will be up for election! In addition, there are state, local, and tribal elections happening. There is a lot at stake! There is a lot of opportunity to elect leaders who truly represent our communities and our issues.
One thing is for sure: if young people from low-income communities do NOT show up at the polls, the elected officials will NOT take our issues seriously. LET US BE SEEN AND HEARD! We want to increase opportunity and decrease poverty in America, throughout urban, rural, and tribal communities! We want respect and inclusion for Black, White, Latinx, Native American, Asian, and mixed race people, and for people of all ethnicities, gender identities and religious faiths. We want decent pay, affordable housing, good education, and safety for all!
We have seen the power of the vote in states like Massachusetts, where voters elected four women of color in the primaries to become their parties’ candidates for federal, state, and local offices. One of the candidates, Ayanna Pressley, an African-American candidate for Congress, made history by bringing out four times the number of voters who came out in the last mid-term primary. As a result, she will become the first African American woman Congresswoman from MA because she has no opponent on Nov. 6
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There are also 157 ballot measures to be voted on in 34 states. The ballot measures cover a wide-range of important issues like redistricting reform, voting rights, affordable housing, minimum wage, marijuana, health care, and taxes.
Young voters are expected to turn out at record-breaking levels in the midterm elections! Make sure you take part in making history and encourage your family and peers to do the same. We need all hands on deck!
So get ready!!! Mark your calendars, arrange your rides, work out your work schedules, talk to your friends and family, research your candidates, and find your babysitters. Actually - bring the kids with you! It is important that they witness their parents stand up and use their power.
