As we celebrate Independence Day, let’s remember that keeping a democracy remains the duty and obligation of its citizens. At the close of the of the constitutional convention, Ben Franklin was asked “What have we got, a republic or a monarchy?” His famous reply “A republic, if you can keep it,” underscores the ongoing vigilance required to keep a democracy secure and democratic. (What the founders had created was hardly a full democracy, with the exclusion of women and enslaved people. Franklin did eventually become an abolitionist, though.)
A critical part of keeping a democracy is voting. Make sure your faith community is registered to vote. Join us for a voter registration training on July 9th!
Many Americans are frustrated, and don’t see our values represented in our government. From the bungled response to the COVID pandemic, racist killings by the police, joblessness, economic inequality, and escalating global warming, we are a nation in crisis.
In this moment of national soul-searching, faith communities have an important role to play. Help your community engage pro-actively by voting. This is how we keep our democracy – and create a country that reflects our best values.
Of developed democracies, our country has become one of the worst at voting. Only a little more than half of eligible voters voted in 2016.
That’s why IPL has partnered with When We All Vote, a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to increasing participation in every election and closing the race and age gap by changing the culture around voting.
Make sure your community is registered to vote. Join us for a voter registration training on July 9th!
We can all make a difference in our democracy by inspiring more Americans to make their voices heard at the ballot box. The work begins in our congregations and in our communities — friend to friend, neighbor to neighbor.
Just imagine what is possible if we all made our voices heard in every election. Let’s aim for record breaking participation this year by registering voters.
Join us and invite other members of your congregation on July 9th at 5pm Eastern Time for a voter registration training with When We All Vote. Find out what you need to know about registering voters and how to get started with your congregation and community.
You are the best person to make sure your community is registered and prepared to vote. You can start registering people by sending them to this portal: weall.vote/ipl.
Together, we will keep our democracy, and create a more perfect union.
Faithfully, Susan Stephenson Executive Director
Interfaith Power and Light
672 13th Street Suite 100 | Oakland, California 94612
510-444-4891 | info@interfaithpowerandlight.org