Advancing UU Values: Protecting and Strengthening Democracy
In Pennsylvania, UU the Vote volunteers helped voters in a predominantly Black community in Philadelphia access their new polling location after their usual voting site was closed without advance notice on election day. Samm Pheiffer of the Positive Women’s Network—an initiative partner—asked for assistance from UU the Vote volunteers when she learned that voters who had been voting at one location for generations were unaware that their voting place had moved. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, nearly 200 voters were supported by the collaborative effort.
In 2022, UU the Vote focused on ballot initiatives in several states—Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, Texas, and Virginia—to make sure all communities can protect their rights at the local, state, and federal levels. Ballot initiatives that will have long-term implications for reproductive justice, voting rights, direct democracy, labor rights, education, health care, and more were voted on in November. In Arizona, Georgia, New Hampshire, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, UU the Vote focused on educating voters on the issues at stake during this campaign cycle.
UU the Vote worked with partners on the ground that included UU state action networks and organizations like the Poor People’s Campaign, Florida Rising, the New Georgia Project, POWER, Wisdom, Vote Forward, KY Health Justice Network, Planned Parenthood, Michigan Voices, and Fems for Democracy.
“UU congregations and individuals made a tremendous difference in democratic engagement in the 2022 election cycle across the nation, and in particular in our 12 focus states,” said Nicole Pressley, the UUA’s Field and Programs Director. “We equipped UUs and others to have values-based conversations around important ballot initiatives to deliver real wins for our communities. The partnerships we’ve built have allowed us to grow relationships in our local communities and harness our collective power for justice, equity and accountability in our elections.”
Nicole Pressley
Field and Programs Director