Family Votes
The new #FamilyVotes program is aimed at recruiting, training, and supporting matriarchs as they register their families and communities to vote. This program is an extension of year round community organizing efforts and a direct response to counter legislation that already limits rural and tribal voters.
We are joining forces with the Apache and Coconino County Democratic Parties and many other advocates and allies to raise awareness, register voters, and increase turnout in the midterm elections.
The 2020 elections showed everyone that local organizing works and it’s extremely effective, especially when led by Indigenous women. This is a key investment that will increase voter registration and turnout across our region. The women will become our newest PCs and will support the work of reaching out to high potential voters, infrequent, and new voters who will be crucial to our success in 2022.
Family Votes will recruit matriarchs from rural and tribal communities, including the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, and White Mountain, Yavapai, and San Carlos Apache Nations.
Matriarch volunteers utilize all relational organizing tools and strategies customized for their communities. Volunteers receive training to register new voters, educate current voters, and get voters to the polls.
WOMEN ARE GROUNDED IN COMMUNITY AND MAKE THE BEST ADVOCATES
In November of 2020, the country and the state of Arizona saw the power of Native American voters. Much of this success was due to the women in our families. Women like my mom Rosie, my aunt Ruth, sisters, and the many grandmothers who are central to our families. The women are grounded in community and because of that they make the best advocates.
WE FACE NEW CHALLENGES
Republicans are actively working to suppress our vote. Arizona Republican legislators have already passed several voter suppression bills in 2021 and are introducing more legislation this session that will make it harder for all Arizonians, but especially limiting Indigenous, Black, Brown, and rural voters
Abolished the Permanent Early Voting List (PEVL) and purges of voters (SB1485)
Further restrict grants and funding opportunities for county elections offices (HB 2569)
Further restricts and reduces the time to get missing signatures on ballots (if a missing signature is not cured by this new deadline, the ballot will be thrown out). (SB1003)
2022 Legislation Introduced:
HB2577- Completely eliminates the early voting list and requires everyone to vote in person unless they have an excuse and prohibits community-based drop boxes
SB1012 - Kicks people off the voter rolls with no oversight by election officials and no protections for the voter
HB2571 - eliminates all in-person early voting except with an excuse
HB2240 -- outlaws all vote centers (vote anywhere polling places) so that if you vote in the wrong place your ballot is discarded
HB2476 -- lets the legislature pick part of Arizona's presidential electors no matter how the people voted
HB2596 -- ends all early voting except by excuse, eliminates vote centers, requires a hand count, AND allows the legislature to reject the results of the election if they don’t like what the people decide
And other suppression tactics
We officially launch the Family Votes program Tuesday, February 7th, 2022!
Our fundraising goal is $50,000 to successfully implement this initiative across the three Arizona counties that helped deliver election wins for the Democrats in the midterm elections.
This is a significant early investment and is essential to creating a stronger Democratic Party in Arizona.
The funds support our matriarchs and directly invests in community by way of providing stipends, transportation, t-shirts, cover printing costs, ads, trainings, and other education material.
To stop these malicious and suppressive policies by Republicans we are working with our sister organizations in Coconino and Apache Counties to ramp up voter and civic engagement programs. Investing and turning out this key voting bloc for Democratic candidates is crucial.
Thank you for your support.
Jaynie Parrish, Executive Director
Navajo County Democrats