Voting Rights Event Messaging Guide - Fighting For Our Vote

Thank you for helping Fighting For Our Vote communicate the urgent need for the Senate to change the rules in order to pass voting rights legislation. Please use this resource to help guide your conversations with reporters, partners, and more.

Fighting for Our Vote is a coalition of our nation’s most prominent civil rights and labor organizations, including the NAACP, ACLU, NEA, AFSCME, and AFT, driving our networks on the ground to defend voting rights ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.  ★ Last month, we released scorecards grading senators on their actions on the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the For the People Act, as well as their efforts to eliminate the filibuster. ★ These scorecards were civil rights organizations’ way of sending a clear message to senators: we are watching these elected officials closely, and will hold them accountable to protecting the foundation of our democracy. Since the scorecard release, several senators have re-strategized and publicly committed to prioritizing passing voting rights legislation. Now is the moment to ensure that the US Senate can consider, debate, and pass the bills that will protect our democracy. ★ We are long overdue for voting rights protections afforded to us by previous Congresses and Administrations on a bipartisan basis. ★ The right to vote is not a political issue, it is the basis of our entire Democracy. In 1965, 62% of Senate Republicans voted in favor of the VRA. In 2021, only one Republican supported voting rights. ★ The 15th Amendment to the Constitution guarantees our right to vote regardless of race or creed. Invoking obscure Senate rules to deny our constitutionally protected rights is un-democratic and un-American. We cannot afford to wait one more day to ensure that all Americans can participate fully in our political process. ★ In the last year, we have witnessed an unprecedented number of subversive tactics employed by anti-voter interests across the country aimed at curbing voting power—disproportionately so in Black and brown communities. ★ This massive effort to silence voters demands urgent action. Voting Rights are Civil Rights. ★ Nothing is more important than voting rights when it comes to eradicating systemic racism and inequality. ★ Until we have equal access to the ballot, we cannot make progress on any other issue. Making progress on climate change policy, cancelling student debt, reproductive rights, etc...all start with ensuring that every American can have their ballot cast safely, conveniently, and equally. There is no time to waste. The White House and Senators must do what it takes to pass voting rights legislation. ★ If the Senate can change the rules to pass the debt ceiling, they can do it for voting rights. Democrats and Republicans alike must recognize that the cornerstone of our democracy is at stake, and use every tool in their arsenal—including a filibuster carveout—to pass protections. ★ Democracy is a principle which we must continue to cherish and protect, not a partisan tool to be wielded against Americans.

Thanks to Presiding Bishop Marvin F. Thomas, Sr. of the Second Episcopal District for sharing this information.

Statement on Voting Rights

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was hailed as a landmark piece of federal legislation in this country which sought to prohibit racial discrimination in voting. As landmark as that act was considered to have been, it has endured many reauthorizations, renewals, extensions, and amendments during its history. And here we are in 2022 and despite this act and its intent, the voting rights of persons, especially those of black and brown hue, is once again up for debate and vote. We are saddened and disappointed at both the need for such legislation as the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act in 2022 and the fact that their passage is dependent upon whichever way the winds of partisan politics blow. We believe it is important that these two significant pieces of voting rights legislation become law in this forthcoming session of Congress. To this end, we call upon President Joe Biden and senators of goodwill to do all in their power to move these crucial pieces of legislation to vote during the early days of the next session of Congress. The voting rights of many of this nation’s minority citizens are at risk the longer these pieces of legislation remain stalled in the United States Senate.

Therefore, we the members of the College of Bishops of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church urge all members of our Zion to do all in your power to push for the passage of these legislations. In addition, we are encouraged by the various efforts we are seeing in this regard. We are pleased to stand in solidarity with faith leaders, media personalities, college students, and others who have committed themselves to engage in a hunger strike as an effort to push lawmakers to pass federal legislation to protect the vote. We encourage members of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, who feel called to this form of social activism to consider joining the hunger strike efforts of others. In addition, whatever form of social activism one feels called to engage in, we encourage you to do so in efforts to push lawmakers to pass these legislations designed to protect the sacred right to vote by all citizens of this nation.

In addition, as we embark upon the 2022 observance of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., let us use this day to recommit ourselves to doing whatever we can to raise the awareness of the need to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Bill and the Freedom to Vote Act in this forthcoming Congress. We recommend the following actions to the members of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church:

a. Pray for those who have committed themselves to engage in a hunger strike and other forms of social activism in support of the passage of these legislations.

b. Send an email or some form of a message to members of your legislative delegations encouraging them to bring these bills to the floor of the Congress and for its passage in this Congress.

c. Post on social media that as a member of the CME Church, you stand in support of the passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Bill and the Freedom to Vote Act in this January 2022 session of Congress.

d. Participate to the extent that you are able in public forms of activism in support of the passage of this legislation.

e. Make plans now to participate in the 2022 Mid-Term Elections. This is not an option, it is essential that we vote in these elections.

Thank you very much for your support and activism, with best wishes for the passage of this legislation, we the undersigned members of the College of Bishops remain

Sincerely,

Lawrence L. Reddick, Senior Bishop

Henry M. Williamson, Sr.

Thomas L. Brown, Sr.

Kenneth W. Carter

James B. Walker, Chair

Sylvester Williams, Sr.

Teresa Jefferson-Snorton

Godwin T. Umoette

Marvin Frank Thomas, Sr.

C. James King, Jr.

Paul A. G. Stewart, Sr.

Othal H. Lakey

Marshall Gilmore

FREE COVID test kits

Beginning Wednesday, January 19th, you can order free rapid COVID-19 test kits through the government at the following website www.covidtests.gov

A total of four test kits can be ordered per household. Feel free to share this information with your family members, relatives and friends.