Let your voice be heard. VOTE TODAY!

By CHERIKA CARTER

(Oct. 20, 2020) — I voted today, 14 days out from Election Day! I voted for all of our union-endorsed candidates and issues up and down the ballot!

On Saturday, I received my ballot to vote in the 2020 General Election. As mentioned in my previous column, I decided this year that I would make a plan to vote early. So, this morning I got up and dropped my ballot in the ballot box. I voted before drinking my morning coffee, while the morning birds were still chirping. That is progress y’all, from previous years of waiting ’til Election Day.

Over the weekend all registered voters in Washington received their ballots for the Nov. 3rd election. Check your mailbox, it should be there but if you don’t receive your ballot within the week, you can reach out to at your local election office and inquire. And if you or a friends needs to update your voter registration or get registered to vote, you can do that here. In Washington, you can register to vote through Election Day until 8 p.m. at your local election office and even vote there, too.

Once you receive your ballot:

1. Vote your ballot
2. Put it in the envelope
3. Sign and date the declaration on your envelope
4. Return your ballot.

Once you return it, you can track your ballot to see if it’s been accepted and counted. Give it three to four days and go here, enter your name and date of birth, and then click on “my ballot” and you will know the current status of your ballot. Washington is a vote-by-mail state, so there are lots of ballots coming in to be processed (because we’re all voting), so a three- to four-day processing time is typical from when you return your ballot.

As I’m writing this column the official numbers aren’t out yet — but they will be out later today — with the number of ballots that have already been returned to the board of elections to be counted, that have been turned in via the mail or our safe and secure drop boxes across the state, but from reading some tweets from last night, I think it’s safe to say we’re already breaking 2016 records.

EVERYONE is voting, join us! Join union members from all over Washington, and this country, as we let our voices be heard by voting! I voted early, and I voted for candidates who will champion working family issues. The stakes are too high to sit out, and we need elected leaders in office who will support our interests as unions members and working people, and not the interests of corporations and CEOs.

As working people, we must not only have a say in economic recovery, but a voice on the job. Our endorsed candidates are committed to protecting the freedom to join together in union and negotiate for a fair return on our work. We must do the work to elect these leaders to so that all of us, no matter our color or background, who are working for a better life, live in safe communities, have access to healthcare, and opportunities to earn a living wage.

Now more than ever, even in the midst of a pandemic, talking to our co-workers, family and friends about this election and the importance of voting for candidates who share our values and priorities is so important to making sure the economy works for all of us of all colors and backgrounds.

So, join me, by voting today. Then spread the news and tell everyone why you are a union voter. You can create a graphic just like mine letting folks know you are a union voter using this tool. Then share it on social media and share it with your family and friends to remind them to vote! Don’t forget to take selfies and pictures with your voting squad and tag them #WSLCVotes for a chance to be featured on our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or in The Stand.

Over 27 million people have already cast their votes in THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION OF OUR LIVES! Join us, and let your voice be heard. Vote by November 3rd.

Cherika Carter is Political and Strategic Campaigns Director for the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO. Cherika can be reached at ccarter@wslc.org.