Across the nation, there’s a lot of uncertainty around voter intimidation, restricting methods of voting (such as mail-in ballots), and federal attempts to access state voter rolls, among other efforts to sow distrust in our electoral systems.
In our latest Boards & Commissions Leadership Institute Issue Series session, Voter Outreach Director Melanie Hazelip shared the important role of the Minnesota Secretary of State, and the work their office does to ensure we have safe, free, and fair elections. She urges us to remember: Voting is how you impact the policy issues that are important to you.
“Whether it’s funding for my kids’ school; or who’s gonna fix the roads in my neighborhood; my garbage hauler; immigration issues; climate change; literally everything you can think of these days has become a policy issue. We stand up for those policy issues by our vote, which is then how we stand up for our beliefs. When you vote, you claim your power.
Democracy is not a spectator sport. We really all must participate. Democracy is also not self-sustaining, we’re seeing these days. Democracy’s being tested, and we all have to help perpetuate democracy. We can’t just expect it to continue on its own. Every vote really does count. Every single election, every year in Minnesota, there is at least one race that is determined by one vote.”
Watch the session below!