As
we write, the seemingly interminable 2016 campaign is headed toward its
conclusion. The national election is finally less than two weeks off.
As
you likely know, Peaceworks does not endorse, support or oppose candidates for
office. As an educational and advocacy group we take strong stands on issues but,
when it comes to candidates, we do what we can to inform our members and
supporters as to where the candidates stand, without ever lending support to
specific candidates.
Earlier
this month we published on-line the results of a survey of candidates for
Missouri legislative seats and statewide Missouri offices, focused on issues of
energy and climate change. If you’ve not yet seen this report, we invite you to
check it out. Just CLICK HERE.
Peaceworks
does encourage active citizenship. We recognize voting as an integral part of
our civic life in a self-governing republic, even given the flawed electoral
system we live under. We, at Peaceworks, are deeply troubled by the role of
money in politics and the disproportionate influence that a relative handful of
billionaires and multi-millionaires has in our political process. We support
putting limits on campaign financing, overturning not just Citizens United, but
also Buckley v. Valeo, the 1976 Supreme Court decision that equated money with speech.
We
are also disturbed by efforts at voter suppression and intimidation. We support
efforts to make voting as easy and convenient as possible so that all those
eligible to vote can do so. This includes supporting expanded voting
opportunities through early voting and providing the option for mail-in voting
for all who wish to vote this way. We also oppose efforts to make it harder to
register by requiring documents that may be difficult for some people,
particularly low-income and the elderly, to provide.
Peaceworks
has also long been a supporter of other electoral reforms including the
adoption of Ranked Choice Voting (aka Instant Runoff Voting). This sort of
reform addresses the problems caused by our plurality (not majority) wins
system, which allows candidates to win with less than majority support in races
with three or more candidates. This
so-called “spoiler factor” leads to less than democratic outcomes and causes
many voters to cast a strategic vote, rather than voting for the candidate who
comes closest to their views. More information on this important reform is
available if you CLICK HERE.
We
are profoundly aware of the fact that elections have consequences. When the votes
are counted and the winners announced, those people will then play a major role
in governance for the next two, four or even six years. They will promulgate
policy, vote on legislation, nominate and confirm (or not confirm) judicial
appointments.
It
will matter if the people we elect acknowledge the reality of climate change,
or if they deny it. It will matter if they support economic and tax policies
that benefit working people, or ones that benefit those already very wealthy.
It will matter what policies they embrace on a long list of domestic and
international concerns. It will matter whose finger is on the nuclear trigger.
Each
of us, when we vote, plays a very modest, but still important, role in deciding
who these elected officials will be. We encourage you to become well informed
and make your decisions wisely, paying attention to the likely consequences of
your votes.
We
also urge you to recognize that, while voting is important, it is a very modest
part of what active, engaged citizenship is all about. Voting usually takes
place one to three times a year. If you spend 20 minutes at the polls, you
spend less than an hour a year voting. This should leave room for other, more
meaningful, forms of citizenship, including working with grassroots groups to
promote action on issues you’re concerned about, attendance at public meetings,
communicating with elected officials, communicating about the issues with
fellow citizens, publicly demonstrating your concerns and lots more.
We,
at Peaceworks, hope that many of you reading this will want to work with us as
we address the Climate Crisis, war and peace concerns, sustainable living and
lots more. We do hope that you will get out to vote on November 8, recognizing
that, while this is the end of a campaign season, it is just a step on the long
and winding road to creating a brighter future for all. We look forward to
working with you on as we move forward.
