Iowa Secretary of State’s Post

This article in The Indianapolis Star highlights efforts around the state to combat low voter turnout, which includes our recent Indiana Civics Bee for Hoosier students. Read: https://lnkd.in/dse2pgZC

Many of my closest friends and political supporters have asked me to run for President. The idea, of course, is absurd--we all understand that. But the throw-away line is a sincere expression of desperation after last week's debate. It reflects genuine, well-founded worry about the fate of our democracy. At least for me, today's Supreme Court decision giving the President virtually unchecked power and immunity compounds these feelings. Like many of you, I see dark storms gathering. I can't run for president and we citizens have precious little influence over what happens in Washington, but there is a place where we can have a greater effect. It has always been the case that the more local the government, the greater the impact on our daily lives. When you vote for your city council, your state representative, or your state senator, you are exerting a more direct form of control, and when you put someone in one of those seats, especially now, it should be someone sworn to defend your rights, your constitution, and your democracy. It should be someone who will not cave to authoritarian impulses for the sake of party unity and calculated opportunism. Someone who will act as your last line of defense. Please help me defend you and keep this ship of state afloat. The more you can give, the more voters I can reach. If I can reach enough of them, we--together--will be in a better position to keep us safe and free.

The GOP owes its continued control of the House to a mere 7,309 votes spread across three districts. At the presidential level, Donald Trump owes his Electoral College victory to 229,766 voters out of 155.2 million cast. And in the Senate, while Republicans easily picked off Democratic-held seats in the red states of West Virginia, Montana and Ohio, they managed to capture just one purple state — Pennsylvania — and by just 15,115 votes. The results of this election, like those of 2016 and 2020, proved that neither party can claim a mandate or even a lasting and pervasive political majority. Instead, our politics is fought on the margins, with just a few thousand votes making the difference between who controls Congress and the White House. For the last 18 years, voters’ support for the status quo has been waning. Since 2006, every election but one (2012), has seen a change in party control of the House, Senate, or White House. https://lnkd.in/e4s-_msi

Creating a powerful working relationship between legislative and executive branches is a mutual effort. Executives who work well with legislative leaders and entire legislatures will more likely succeed than those who do not take the time or make the effort to develop relationships. Legislative leaders also need to develop good rapport with fellow legislative leaders, their membership, and the executive branch. Individual members are also important cogs of an effective government. It's not hard to throw a wrench into the works and halt government trappings. Electing many who will work for the good of all is something all voters must work for. #cooperation #rapport #government #legislativesessions #goodgovernance

10/22: Encouraging voter turnout news today Turnout heavy in Northwest Arkansas as early voting begins Tom Sissom NWA Online https://lnkd.in/g43qvmT8 *** Early voting starts today! 🇺🇸🗳️ Arkansas voter turnout and engagement is historically low. Let’s change that. Review your sample ballot and your early voting locations at https://lnkd.in/g5cF-aqd. Voting is a civic duty and a powerful tool that shapes the future. ✅ Voice Your Opinion: Express your support for candidates and policies you believe in. ✅ Shape Public Policy: Influence decisions on healthcare, education, the environment, and more. ✅ Hold Leaders Accountable: Retain or replace leaders based on their performance. ✅ Promote Change: Voting allows you to push for new ideas and approaches in government. ✅ Protect Democracy: High voter turnout strengthens the democratic process. ✅ Represent Your Community: Ensure your community’s needs are addressed. ✅ Influence Local Matters: Local elections directly impact schools, services, and daily life. ✅ Support Civic Duty: Voting is a key part of being a responsible citizen. ✅ Honor History: Honor the sacrifices of those who fought for the right to vote. ✅ Build a Better Future: Help create a fairer, more just world for future generations.

It is with clear intention that I try and steer away from political content on this platform. It's not my "niche". And, yet, everyday we step out of our homes, we are living "political lives" - when we use public transportation, when we access healthcare, when we throw our trash in the bins, when we send our children to school, etc. Everything about our lives is political, and yet we have been trained that discussion of the political is necessarily "impolite" and far removed from our lived experiences. The truth is that after an entire career spent working to dismantle racist systems, I should be resolute and fearless in acknowledging the political nature of working in an organization that seeks to dismantle systems of oppression using education as the primary vehicle for change. As a former American history teacher, my soul cries out in this moment. The America I love, the vision for a just America that has been the focus of every professional decision I've ever made, seems increasingly remote and unattainable. How did we get here?! As complicated as our history is in this country, the reality is that our founders established a trident of governance (executive, legislative, and judicial) to protect our democracy...and there is a crack in the foundation. A crack so deep and so vast that it terrifies me. Today, I'm thinking of my paternal grandfather who loved me deeply. He came to New York as part of the Great Migration from North Carolina - leaving behind the cotton fields and terror of his youth. He ran a small dry cleaning business on St. Nicholas Avenue in Harlem, and rarely went below 125th Street if he didn't have to - except for his annual sojourn back to North Carolina to see family. I thought he was living a small life. He knew he was creating the kind of safety that was often out of reach during his upbringing in the brutal, segregated South. I remember visiting Grandpa John after I graduated from college and sharing my hopes and dreams for the future with him. He smiled gently; and I could see that he was trying to figure out how to protect me from the racist America he knew so intimately, while not dampening my optimism for the America I hoped was possible. He opted to tell me the only truth he knew, "Baby," he said, "white America ain't never going to let us having nothing. Be careful." I weep now, as I remember those words. Grandpa John never spoke about his time in the South. I never knew what prompted him, and his best friend Jimmy, to hop in a car and drive North until they couldn't go any further. I didn't know what his silence meant. I didn't know that he was using everything he had to keep those wounds closed so he didn't bleed on people who hadn't hurt him. I get it now. I wish I didn't get it. I had so much more hope when I couldn't see. Does that make sense? #blackwomeninnonprofitsmatter #blackwomenlead #thejusticesector #nonprofitleadership

Election Day is closer than you think, North Carolina! Here's a quick guide to some crucial deadlines for you to cast your ballot 🗳️ Learn more about voting in NC: https://lnkd.in/gwE5dRyU

Check out this new report by the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement:

Part Five about Worth Fighting For: Why Indivisible.org Stands as the Last Line of Defense Against Trump 2.0 (aka Project 2025) Building Coalitions, Not Echo Chambers One of the unique elements of Indivisible’s approach is their emphasis on coalition-building. Indivisible understands that defeating Trump 2.0 means forging alliances across the political spectrum, connecting with other progressive organizations, and finding common ground with unlikely allies. After all, democracy doesn’t belong to just one side of the political aisle. In "Worth Fighting For", Indivisible argues that unity is the antidote to division. Their coalition-building efforts are focused on bringing together diverse voices—activists, elected officials, policy experts, and concerned citizens alike. By expanding their reach, they’re creating a multi-faceted resistance movement that’s both flexible and powerful, capable of confronting any threat, from local school board takeovers to sweeping voter suppression laws. #Indivisible Indivisible.org

#ICYMI Thurgood Marshall College Fund President & CEO Dr. Harry L. Williams sat down with CNN's Fredricka Whitfield to discuss voting efforts at HBCUs and the importance of the young vote. Learn more about the power of your vote and how you can participate in the political process at https://lnkd.in/gPYd_TcP. #TMCFImpact #TMCFVote24