In this consequential election year for animal protection, it’s worth taking a moment to make sure you’re up to date on the latest changes in voting procedures and are ready to have your voice heard in our democracy.
High voter turnout among animal advocates is critical to countering the puppy mill, trophy hunting, factory farm, fur, horse soring and other animal use industries, paving the way for greater profits built on the pain, suffering and even the very lives of animals. That’s why HSLF is making sure you have the tools you need to empower your civic participation in this election.
This week is National Voter Education Week—an opportunity for interactive education meant to support and encourage voters, and to inspire confidence in our nation’s voting process. HSLF has partnered with hundreds of organizations across the country to share quick and easy resources to address the most common questions about the voting process.
The first step to voting is always ensuring that you are registered. In some states, registration laws and ID requirements have been recently changed. And if you haven’t voted in the past year or so, your name could be removed from your state’s active registration list. So, if you’ve moved, changed your name, or haven’t voted in a while, we urge you to take this time to register or re-register to vote.
If you choose to vote in-person, there are multiple aspects of the process to get ahead of now. To plan your trip to the polls, HSLF offers this simple tool to look up your polling location. Early in-person voting is a popular, smart choice across most of the country, allowing increased voter flexibility and less traffic at the polls—we invite you to explore in-person voting options that apply to you and your state, to choose among the dates your state offers to vote. And remember, many states require identification in order to cast a ballot, with some requiring a government-issued photo ID, so you may need to bring your photo ID to vote in-person. Check the rules for your state and the specific kinds of ID you can use.
There are thousands of candidates on the ballot this year across the nation, from the presidential race through a variety of local races. Thankfully, voters can look up and use a sample ballot as a preview of who and how to vote. By familiarizing yourself with everything on your ballot ahead of time, you can make your preferences clear on Election Day.
Of course, in most states, it is also possible to vote from your kitchen table by requesting an absentee ballot. HSLF encourages you to use this simple tool to uncover your state’s options for voting by mail.
For more resources addressing the most common voting questions, we encourage you to take a look at National Voter Education Week’s voting checklist, a quick guide to information specific to you and your state.
Through it all, HSLF recognizes the very real barriers to voting that many people face. As our friends at National Voter Education Week have stated, we should strive to share positive solutions while acknowledging that the system can sometimes make it difficult for people to participate, regardless of our advice or their intentions.
There isn’t an elected official at any level of government without the ability to influence animal protection. Our companion animals, equines, animals in research and testing and wildlife rely on us to elect compassionate, courageous lawmakers ready to stand up for their welfare. HSLF’s endorsements of humane candidates can always be viewed, and shared, by visiting hslf.org/endorsements.
This week, we can resolve the questions and uncertainties people have about voting, with time to spare before Election Day on November 5th. We invite you to use this week to clear up any aspects of voting you’ve been wondering about, to determine the right voting plan for you, and to ensure that you’re ready to vote for the champions our animals need at every level of office.
