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Official Statement From MWEG on a Faith-Based Defense of the Freedom to Vote
As faith-inspired activists and advocates for ethical governance, we are deeply motivated by our belief that every individual is an infinitely valuable child of God. Our love of democratic governance is a natural outgrowth of this, as is our passionate desire to protect it. The freedom to vote is a clear political manifestation of the individual worth of souls. Ensuring that right for all citizens is an expression of the second great commandment within our political systems â to love our neighbors as ourselves. We cannot claim to truly love our neighbors if we also deny their constitutional right to participate equally in the formation of our shared government. We…
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Call to Action: Ask Your Senators to Engage in Discussion of the Freedom to Vote Act
Equality, freedom, and representation are central to the practice of democracy. To remain a democratic republic, the U.S. must protect the voting freedom of every eligible American, ensuring our ability to participate in free and fair elections. Among American voters, there is wide bipartisan support for federal protection of voter rights. Recognizing this, historically both the Republican and the Democratic parties have overwhelmingly supported the Voting Rights Act and its renewals. Unfortunately, since the November 2020 election many state legislatures have passed legislation to restrict access to the ballot. In all cases these have been strictly partisan initiatives. The Freedom to Vote Act (FTVA) is intended to provide much-needed reforms…
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MWEG Voter Preparation Parties
Are you ready to vote on November 3? A big part of our mission at MWEG is to encourage greater civic engagement, and right now we are in the midst of an all-out push to Protect the Vote. This initiative involves helping citizens register to vote, sharing election information, and ensuring each voice is heard at the ballot box this November. And you can help! Now is the time to make sure you are not only properly registered to vote but prepared to fill out your ballot! Start now to learn more about the candidates and issues that will be on your ballot in November. You can make that process…
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Protect the Vote? Damn Tootinâ We Can
Election Day is 100 days from today. One hundred days is very little time to prepare for the complexities of voting during a pandemic, made obvious by several recent tumultuous primary elections and a resurgence of absentee ballot requests from voters who donât want to â or canât â risk voting at the polls. Last month in Georgia, for example, thousands braved rain, heat, and virus exposure after their requested mail-in ballots did not arrive. An 80-year-old woman hoping to vote in Atlanta said, âWhat is going on in Georgia? We have been waiting for hours. This is ridiculous. This is unfair.â An investigation is looking into why the âcatastropheâ…
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Call to Action: Ask Your Senators to Provide Funding to Keep Our Elections Safe and Accessible
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted many facets of normal life and will likely have a disruptive effect on the upcoming November election. Voting, the very foundation of our democracy, requires a safe and secure environment in order to protect the vote, the voter, and the workers who administer the elections. These protections cost money. The pandemic has left states and municipalities fiscally compromised, and yet the onus of election security will still fall on states and local jurisdictions. We must call on Congress, specifically the Senate, to approve the $3.6 billion in funding necessary for states to protect the vote. To do: Contact your senators to let them know you…
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The Presidential Primary Pizza Party
By Amy Menlove Parker, MWEG Member February 27, 2020 A liberal, a centrist, and a conservative walk into a park. Thatâs how our parties started. While our kids played, we discussed how woefully uninformed we were about Utahâs 2018 midterms, and within an hour, with MWEGâs Voter Prep Parties in mind, we dreamed up a political preparation party we could invite our neighbors to. It was so much fun that two weeks ago, after discussing the Democratic candidates at another playdate, I messaged my friend and said, âMaybe we should have another political preparation party?â She replied, âRemove the maybe and the question mark.â In a series of just a…
