Advocating on behalf of animals at the ballot box is not for the faint of heart. It requires a kind of strength, determination and stamina. Sometimes we win big—think of our California ballot measure, Proposition 12, that passed in 2018 and became the strongest law for the protection of farm animals in the U.S., which even the U.S. Supreme Court upheld—and sometimes we don’t.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
Last week, Ohioans showed up at the polls to defend a core tenet of democracy that is vitally important to the animal protection movement: the ballot measure. On Issue 1—the proposal to raise the threshold for amending the Constitution of the State of Ohio from 50% to a 60% supermajority—the no vote prevailed by a 57% to 43% margin, with more than three million votes cast.
Just three years ago, HSLF played a critical role in the passage of California’s Proposition 12, which ushered in the strongest farm animal protection law in the world.
By Sara Amundson and Kitty Block
We knew coming into this election season that it would be a fateful one for animals, at both the state and federal levels, and that’s why the HSLF made significant commitments of endorsements, independent expenditures to support or oppose candidates, and grassroots efforts in races throughout the nation.
Election Day is special for those who care about animals, because it’s the one day on which we can directly shape the future for animal protection by electing those who share our humane values. It’s just that important. If you haven’t already voted, today is your last chance. You can identify your polling place at www.vote.org.
Election Day is right around the corner and for those of you in states with early voting, it may actually be already here! That’s why I want to remind you to check out our election site before you cast your ballot to see who we’ve endorsed in your state.
“Politics,” Charles de Gaulle reportedly observed, “is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians.” There’s a fundamental truth there, and it doesn’t diminish our elected officials when we underscore the genuine importance of citizen engagement in the political process. At the HSLF, it’s the foundation of our work.
