I live in NYs 23rd CD (congressional district) and am guilty of trying to influence
the outcome of an election. In fact,
I’ve been doing it for more than 40 years.
I’m not the mastermind behind a Russian social media
bot. I’m not talking gerrymandering or
voter suppression or fake news. I use
these simple tools:
#1: I am
registered to vote and vote in every election.
#2: I
actively encourage other people to vote.
#3: I work
on behalf of candidates whose platforms align with my values.
For most of my adult life, I participated in democracy by
taking these actions and it was enough.
But in the months since November 2016 I resolved that I must do ALL I
CAN to help sway elections. So I’ve added another tool:
#4: I make
regular financial contributions.
I donate regularly to the “Your NY 23rd” political action
committee whose mission is to help elect responsive and effective
representation in Congress. Found online
at www.yourny23.org, this PAC is not aligned with any candidate. It works to
educate and empower voters in the 23rd CD.
And I donate regularly to ActBlue’s “NY-23 2018 Democratic
Nominee Fund”. The fund was established only months ago and stands today at
more than $20,000. It was raised
entirely by individuals making small contributions using this link:
secure.actblue.com/donate/reedfree23
The June 26 primary will determine the Democratic nominee to
run against Tom Reed. The nominee will receive the Fund to kick-start their
congressional campaign. Contributions
will be accepted up to primary day.
Only a tiny percentage of adults (+/- 10%) has ever
contributed to a political cause or campaign, but I find it a powerful adjunct
to voting and encourage everyone to give it a try. We must do ALL WE CAN to help determine the
outcome of this election.
Karen Ash
Allegany County, NY
