Get Out the Vote: The Key to Winning Elections

You win elections by identifying your voters and getting them to the polls.

You win elections by giving voters a reason to vote for candidates/slate and not the other slate(s).

In the 2021 mayoral primary 23% of eligible voters participated, New York City ranks 49th among major cities in voter turnout rates.  In the UFT leadership elections about 25% of eligible voters participate. New Yorkers traditionally have been turned off to participating in elections.  Ranked Choice Voting, Early Voting, No Excuse Absentee ballots haven’t increased turnout.  Let’s reverse the trend and Get Out the Vote in the current UFT Leadership election.

UFT ballots will be in the mail Thursday, May 1 and voting is painless, You can check one of the three slates or, can vote individually for any or all of the hundreds of candidates. I am voting for the Unity slate, experience matters, as well as membership driven leadership, the Class Size Reduction Law, preventing the governor from removing the charter school cap thereby saving thousands of jobs, working with parents to save 3K and drastic budget cuts. 

I’m not voting for the other slates, their platforms are irresponsible and dangerous. “Planning to strike” is suicidal, supporting the proposed NYS Health Act without knowing the cost to members, maybe thousands of dollars a year is irresponsible and running a candidate fired by the union for abusive  behaviors towards female staff is beyond irresponsible.

I urge you to get out the vote in your school, urge your colleagues to vote Unity, The battle against Trump is just beginning, we need collaborative leadership, attacking union staff only  strengthens our enemies. 

Getting Out the Vote wins elections and we need you to drive a Unity focused turnout.

Be relentless, remind your colleagues every day, voting Unity is a vote to support public schools and unions, all of us have to be onboard.