Tuesday, April 12 has been set aside as a National Day of Action to let our local election officials know how much we value their tireless efforts. These hard working and under appreciated men and women keep our elections well organized, accurate, efficient and running smoothly. They are the backbone of our democracy and they neither seek nor receive accolades for their long hours and exceptional service. Without their diligent work, we could not have a democracy. As we have expressed before, after the last election these heroes of our democracy faced death threats to themselves and their families and more than 20% of them have either resigned or are thinking of doing so in the near future.
Now is our chance to thank these heroes. Plan an event in your area either in person or virtual to reach out to your election official and thank her/him for her work to secure the elections in your city or county. To hold an event, you do not need more than a few people, a banner or sign, and perhaps some flowers, treats, and/or balloons. Working with a colleague from Common Cause, we planned and executed a visit to our local election office last year in one day. The response was so positive to our stopping by that I believe we left feeling better than those we set out to thank.
If you are interested in supporting this action and would like to host an event, register your event here. If you have any questions or concerns, please send me a message at stephanie.chaplin20@gmail.com, and I will try to help you organize.