We pledge to Protect Our Vote!
Free and fair elections are the bedrock of this country, but that foundation is on shaky ground. Attempts to undermine free and democratic midterm elections are well underway, and the administration has not been shy about their intentions to continue.
Disinformation has been deliberately spread for years to sow cynicism, fear, and confusion—depressing voter turnout and then distorting election results.
The possibility of ICE being deployed at polling places has been dangled to deter in-person voters.
At the same time, mail-in voting is under attack. Potential restrictions could result in catastrophic delays in delivering ballots nationwide. Proposed ballot handling rules task the USPS with deciding which ballots may be illegitimate, before even delivering them. (Trump recently voted by mail in Florida’s Republican primary. Just another example of Rules for thee, and not for me.)
The SAVE Act SAVE America Act—which has still not passed the Senate despite its rebranding—is still lurking in the shadows, waiting to suppress votes of women, trans people, anyone who has changed their name, and anyone who cannot afford to obtain an “acceptable” form of narrowly-defined photo identification.
If you’re reading here, you already know: this list is just the tip of the iceberg. Any of these actions individually represents an emergency; together, they are a disaster.
In order to reverse democratic backsliding, we must take a stand to protect free and democratic elections in the United States proactively.
Mass 50501 recently launched our Protect Our Vote campaign, focused on securing commitments to support election integrity via public pledges from individuals, businesses, and organizations; educating and encouraging the public to support the polls; sharing timely, accurate, and non-partisan information about elections, such as where to vote and how to register; and empowering others to share voting information.
In order to lead by example, we’ve considered the threats we are currently facing and the threats we could face. We’ve assessed our capacities, reflected on our successes, learned from our challenges, and reaffirmed our values. We are proud to share our public pledges with you.
Pledge One – “Pledge to Promote Free and Fair Democratic Elections”
We pledge to promote free and fair democratic elections by
Partnering with election focused organizations locally and nationally to expand their work.
Hosting free in-person and digital workshops and events focused on civic literacy, voter awareness, in-person voting support, and voter registration.
Distributing election-focused information created by us and/or partner organizations through print, social media, legacy media, in-person events, local businesses, and other gathering places.
Connecting voters to mutual aid groups such as ride-share programs to increase voter turnout.
Sharing all materials with organizations across the country seeking to support elections.
Distributing this public pledge framework and seeking commitments from pro-democracy organizations and individuals to begin election protection measures now, connect with each other, and increase engagement in their efforts.
Pledge Two – “Pledge to Take Strategic and Nonviolent Action”
In response to
Deploying federal agents at polling locations
Ballot seizures by federal agents
Refusing/failing to certify an election
Refusing/failing to swear in a duly elected politician in a timely manner
Preventing mail-in voting for states that refuse to hand over voter rolls
Signing the SAVE Act—or any similar Act that will disenfranchise large portions of currently eligible voters—into law
Refusal to hold elections
Shutting down polling locations
Or, any other action that materially undermines free and fair democratic elections,
We will
Develop and distribute educational material about what happened and how to support free and fair democratic elections.
Mitigate and attempt to stop immediate harm in partnership with mutual aid networks.
Create and share accessible calls to action.
Activate our network for a coordinated response.
Contact politicians to support or oppose their plan of (in)action.
Pledge Three – “Pledge to Be Prepared”
In order to prepare to enact our pledges, we will:
Coordinate response plans with organizations most knowledgeable and representative of what's needed.
Create response plans to the scenarios listed in Pledge Two.
Develop messaging strategies relevant to possible pledge triggers.
Connect and support a robust network of organizations and individuals.
Continue to grow our public audience and reach across all media platforms.
Develop relationships with local rapid response networks and mutual aid networks.
Pledge Four – “Pledge of Solidarity”
In response to singling out individuals or organizations for unjust persecution in order to suppress dissent, we will
Verify the victims and their preferred support methods, validate the target, and expose the injustice publicly.
Develop and distribute messaging to support the persecuted individuals or organizations and condemn the persecutors.
Amplify fundraisers or other means of material support to aid the persecuted.
We may
Organize legal and nonviolent supportive standouts, bridge brigades, or other means of physically gathering in support of the persecuted.
Engage in boycotts related to unjust persecution.
We hope our pledges inspire you to reflect, plan, create, and share your own! Use our template here to individualize and share your pledges and to check out the pledges made by your peers.
The responsibility of protecting our elections falls on all of us. If you’d like to be more involved, click here to contact us, join our Discord, and sign up to volunteer with Mass 50501.
In Solidarity,
Mass 50501
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