April 4, 2017: Your Most Important Call to Action
It is heartening to see the activism that is flourishing in the 14 th Congressional district. It is a diverse district, to say the least. We span seven Illinois counties and far too many geographic miles. And, yes, I know it can be exhausting to answer all the calls to action.
Ask yourself what you have done in the last six months…have you ever:
- Protested in the rain, sun and snow (sometimes in the same day)?
- Stood shoulder to shoulder with a room full of strangers in yet another standing room only meeting?
- Called a member of congress during your lunch hour… for the tenth time?
- Volunteered for far more committees than your schedule could possibly handle?
- Participated in candidate canvassing?
- Filled out a witness slip?
- Had to go to work with permanent marker on your hands from making protest signs?
If you said yes to one or more of these questions, you are part of an ever-growing movement to enact change. Yet, our work is not yet done. It is just beginning.
The Illinois Consolidated Election is coming up on April 4 th and we have the opportunity to make our voices heard. In the past, participation in local elections has not been great. In fact, it has been dismal. During the 2015 election (See Figure 1), for example, only 8% of registered voters in Dekalb county participated in the election and in Will County, it was 15.01%. We can do better than that.
Early voting has started in several counties, so remind your family, friends and neighbors to get out and vote. District 14: We need to hear your voice. We need to feel that we truly are… Indivisible.
Don’t know where to go? For help finding your polling place or to download a sample ballot, click on your county:
Figure 1: District 14 Votes cast versus registered votes by county.
Sources for table data:
Dekalb:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&;cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjFltvA5rPSAhWLOSYKHfHkDWMQFggpMAM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdekalb.il.electionconsole.com%2Fprecinctexport.php%3Fe%3D2015%2BConsolidated%2BElection%26p%3DDEKALB%2B36&usg=AFQjCNG93Lo0G1kkpi1BLy7mc9K_Zz5npg&sig2=joPlVDJ-RPhiec3x86-Mhg&bvm=bv.148073327,d.eWE
Dupage: https://www.dupageco.org/electionresults/
Kane: http://www.kanecountyelections.org/ElectionResults/electionresults.aspx
This is such valuable information, and we definitely need to keep motivating one another to stand up and RESIST! We cannot lose sight of our goals due to weather, schedules, or apathy. Keep moving forward, comrades.
Our biggest challenge is to educate the public in IL14, a Safe R district for Koch Puppet Randy Hultgren, on how they are voting against their own Economic, Social, Environmental and Healthcare interests to appease the tax cuts and degregulations of the fascist corporate plutocrats who have duped them, with wedge issues, into doing so, Using community engagement, marketing and networking our group of hundreds will grow to thousands. I welcome and look forward to engaging with the group and fighting for our democracy.