Every November, we have the opportunity to do something that is limited in so many other countries: make choices about our future through electing leaders. We have the right to vote for our government on every level.
In the public sector, Election Day gives us a chance to hire — or fire — our bosses. This is an incredible right that people have fought — and died — for.
On November 7, we will go to the polls to elect candidates in hundreds of local government offices across the state; the results of many of these races will affect your jobs every day.
We always urge you to get out and vote, but this year, it’s especially important that you go to the polls. New Yorkers will decide whether to approve a constitutional convention. We strongly urge you all to get out and vote NO.
The threat of a constitutional convention is very real. If a convention is approved, our pensions, right to organize and collectively bargain and many of our other rights are potentially jeopardized. Worse, this convention is a boondoggle; wealthy, influential people are going to decide our futures — and hardworking New Yorkers like us get to pay potentially hundreds of millions of dollars for it.
When you go to polls, it’s not enough to simply vote NO (please remember to flip the ballot over and look for Proposition 1, which is the constitutional convention). We all need to go out and speak with our friends, family, and co-workers about why the constitutional convention is a bad idea for New York — and urge them to get out and vote NO, too.
If every one of us talked with 10 people, and got them to go to the polls to vote NO, we can not only vote the convention down, but have a say in the direction of our communities.
I realize this can be easier said than done, as too many people simply don’t get out and vote, particularly during a local government year like this one. We also hear the all-too-common reasons — that they’re too busy with work, families and other obligations or that they won’t vote because they feel their vote doesn’t count or make a difference. And yet, in recent years, we have seen elections decided by the narrowest of margins — even fewer than 20 votes.
So, yes, your vote matters. Every vote counts, and this year, as much as ever, we need every voter we can to get out there and vote, and vote NO on the constitutional convention.
So, one last time, let me say this: On November 7, remember to get out and vote, and remember to flip the ballot and vote NO on the constitutional convention. It’s that important to our futures.
