Today’s Action: Organize and empower your community to vote November 6th

Today, as we celebrate on our nation’s birthday, let us reflect on its founding principle — the freedom to choose our leaders and representatives.

That foundation was flawed from the start — with only white, land-owning males boasting a right to vote in 1776. But for nearly two and a half centuries, determined activists have successfully fought to make things better, expanding voting rights to including women and African Americans.

Through fierce opposition, Civil Rights heroes fought to outlaw the discriminatory voting practices of Jim Crow, opening the doors to more diversity in Congress, state legislatures, and of course the White House.

But in 2013, the right-leaning Supreme Court reversed a key component of the Civil Rights Act, and we’ve seen floods of voter suppression laws in GOP-led states since then.

In the spirit of our founding principles, it is our duty and privilege as Americans to fight this by re-gaining voting rights for those in our community that the right-wing hopes to suppress.

The most important tool we have at our disposal is our voting power. With midterms in a few months, we must commit to mobilizing voter registration in our communities.

Most of us are part of a community, though community is different for each person. Whether it be school, church, theater, softball team, neighborhood, or even online gaming, the most powerful outreach we can make is often those close to you. Today’s action isn’t just for today — but July 4 is the perfect time to help ensure one of our nation’s most sacred founding principles.

1. Identify your community.
2. Arrange a voter registration event in your community by September 1st and use the OD Action voter registration tool to register voters and confirm registration details.
3. Commit to the plan and follow through.

As for today, enjoy some time with friends and loved ones if you’re able — barbeque and fireworks if that’s your thing — because even the resistance needs a day off sometimes.