With the November elections rapidly approaching, our political endorsement process is in full swing. We’ve currently endorsed 64 candidates at both the state and federal level and you can see them all on our website. Please support these candidates with your money or your time and talents.
Our endorsement process is somewhat complex and considers a variety of factors. In addition to a candidate’s stance on environmental issues, which we gather from a questionnaire and interview, we consider the viability of a candidate when making an endorsement. Essentially, we assess a candidate’s likelihood of winning by reviewing campaign finances, voter registration and voting patterns in the districts. We value viability because we want to endorse candidates that have a good chance of winning, otherwise, our endorsement loses influence.
We also value incumbency in the endorsement process. The Club will endorse an incumbent with a good environmental record against a challenger with a stronger stance on the environment. We do this because supporting incumbents who support our issues helps to build relationships between the Club and elected officials. Additionally, all endorsement decisions must be approved by a vote of two separate Club entities.
If you’re a new voter, or haven’t voted in a while, you might be wondering, where’s my polling place? You can find your polling place through the Pennsylvania Department of State’s website. You can also use this site to contact your County election officials, register to vote, update your registration, or apply for an absentee ballot.
There has been a heightened concern regarding voter intimidation lately. Voter intimidation is illegal. If you see aggressive questioning about voting qualifications, people falsely presenting themselves as election officials, false information about voting requirements, or harassment of voters, especially non-English speakers and voters of color, you should report it to the Election Protection Hotline (866-OUR-VOTE) or the Department of Justice Voting Rights Hotline (800-253-3931). You can also contact an attorney if you believe your rights have been violated.
Image courtesy of flickr user: ilovememphis.