We thought it might come to this, and with no declared winner in the presidential election, and a number of important House and Senate seats in play, we are in a holding pattern with our Humane Society Legislative Fund review of key outcomes. There are some tight races and slim margins out there, votes are still being counted in many jurisdictions, and we ask for your patience as we develop a full report. We’re making assessments on all relevant races as quickly as possible so that we can report back to you.
This was a benchmark year with respect to our broad political engagement. Before the election season even began, we were vocal in our support for voter registration and participation, and we’re pleased at the high levels of turnout. The projected nationwide vote total is the highest ever recorded for a presidential election and represents the highest voter turnout rate among eligible citizens since 1900.
We also made unprecedented investments in the fortunate of candidates, both Democrats and Republicans. We were active in nearly two dozen congressional races and accounted for more than 300,000 pieces of mail, 125,000 text messages and a slew of digital advertisements, many of which featured HSLF volunteers praising the candidates. But we also went beyond endorsements, making independent expenditures and other investments of time, energy, and resources in races of special importance to us. We stood up tall for the officials who have stood up for animals, and we look forward to sharing the results of our work on their behalf with you very soon.
In the meantime, we’d like to urge everyone to be patient while our nation’s democratic process plays out. It will take time for states to count every vote, mostly because of the large number of voters who cast mail-in and absentee ballots.
Thank you.
