The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)‘s bipartisan Co-ops Vote campaign is an opportunity to harness the collective power of millions of cooperators in the U.S., among them 42 million consumer-members of electric co-ops alone. As a founding partner of Co-ops Vote, NCBA CLUSA is bringing the campaign’s message of political engagement to a potentially even wider community. A few days ahead of next week’s presidential election, NRECA and its partners are taking the opportunity to remind cooperators to take the pledge and become a co-op voter! An op-ed from NRECA follows:
Millions of Americans have a choice to make next Tuesday. Many will make the wrong decision—not between polarizing candidates or political parties, but over the fundamental choice to get out the door, head to the polls and vote.
According to the New York Times, just nine percent of America selected Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton as the presidential nominees in the primaries. Most of the nation stayed home and chose not to vote. In fact, 88 million eligible adults do not vote at all, even in general elections. This voter apathy epidemic cripples our communities, and leads to a society where elected officials are unaccountable for their actions.
Elections matter. That’s why electric cooperatives across the nation have launched Co-ops Vote, a non-partisan program with one goal: boosting voter turnout.
The Co-ops Vote program is about knowing when elections are, understanding what’s at stake and being prepared to make your voice heard. Who you vote for isn’t nearly as important as the fact that you do vote. With the full participation of voters in our community we can can help shape key issues where we work and live, such as making our communities resilient against natural disasters, expanding broadband service and creating economic opportunities and ensuring continued access to safe, reliable and affordable electricity.
Through the Co-ops Vote program, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and its partners are working to strengthen ties with voters and elected officials in both parties.
Join us. Visit the Co-ops Vote web site, www.vote.coop, and take the pledge to become a co-op voter to support your community and electric cooperative when casting your vote in 2016.
Civic engagement is a natural antidote to everything people despise about today’s politics: partisanship, money, gerrymandering and more. All that’s required is waking up on Election Day and making your voice heard. Will you do your part?