As election day approaches, Circles USA and people throughout the country are deciding the role they will play in some of the most consequential races up and down the ballot in recent times. Those who have the privilege to vote will determine the values, policies, and leaders we want to speak for us, and with us, today and in the foreseeable future.
It has been exciting to see how many Circle chapters are already involved in educating its members, allies, and candidates about what is at stake for those living in poverty. It is now the time to ramp up our GOTV (Get Out the Vote) efforts like registering prospective voters, phone banking, canvassing or helping folks get to the polls.
Most important is to make sure that each and every person in your life votes if they are eligible. Some of our chapters are even offering its members discussion on how to make a plan to vote. It is no exaggeration to say that every vote counts. In recent years, exceedingly small numbers of votes have made the difference in elections up and down the ballot. For instance,
Over 90,000 elections on the local level will be held this year. In the most recent election in Chapel Hill, a City Council race was won by 9 votes.
In Virginia, the controlling party in its House of Delegates came down to a tie race in one district.
Nationally, out of the 158 million votes cast in the 2020 election, about 43,000 votes in swing states (which reflect the largest electoral voting block) made the difference in the outcome of the election.
Today, commentators, academics, and leading advocates representing low-income families, people of color, and marginalized communities are exclaiming that people experiencing poverty could be highly influential in the 2024 elections.
One of the most prominent voices in this discussion is that of Revered Dr. William J. Barber II, founder of the Poor People’s Campaign and currently an associate director at the Center for Public Theology and Public Policy at Yale Divinity School. In his recently published book, White Poverty, Rev. Barber demonstrates that poor people in the US can be the swing vote in the upcoming elections.
Using a more realistic number than the US government’s definition of who is “poor,” Rev Barber estimates that 43% of Americans are poor or low- income: those who would be unable to afford a $400 emergency based on their basic monthly expenses. Around 135 million Americans live on the edge of poverty. Imagine if even a small percentage of those folks voted for the first time in 2024!
In this election year, we have the opportunity to significantly improve the lives of everyday families. Our votes can make it more likely that there will be an increase in access to affordable housing, comprehensive health care like Medicaid, jobs that pay self-sufficiency wages, and support for paid and unpaid caregiving to name a few.
These are issues that affect all low-income people regardless of where they live, their race, gender or makeup of their family. The subtitle to Rev. Barber’s book White Poverty, is “How Race and Class Can Reconstruct American Democracy.” One of the truths that he uncovers is that there are 40 million more poor white people than black people in the U.S.; while (as tracked by the U.S. Census in 2020) Black Americans had the highest poverty rate by proportion (19.5 percent). Another is that high income folks vote in greater numbers than those who are poor. The Poor People’s Campaign has set a goal of reaching 15 million unlikely low-income voters in 2024.
If we are to succeed, we must reach out, respect, and work together across many lines to support low-income people in leading their communities to get out the vote. For some time now, Circle chapters, staff and board have been learning new approaches to address racism with the intent to expand that learning to other disenfranchised communities. CUSA’s 2024 Our Votes Count Campaign encourages us to make a difference in this election year, reengaging those who have been sidelined and ignored for so long. Whether we are voting for a city council member, state legislator, or President of the United States, let’s make this election year count—and make sure that we all count in it.
Joan Kuriansky,
Board Chair and former Executive Director of
Wider Opportunities for Women
(Washington, DC)