The 2018 midterms are set to be an historic election. Pollsters and news outlets are predicting record turnout from almost every interest group, including a knock-out level of participation from the youth vote (thanks Taylor Swift!), faith groups getting out the vote, and many, many others. My favorite stat that I’ve read so far? It is possible that this midterm election will see almost 60% voter turnout (nudging up against a participation number we usually only see for presidential elections).
And, of course, some groups are predicting that 2018 will be the year of the climate voter. There are many reasons that this could be true: because this summer’s dramatic heat wave brought even more awareness to the climate issue, the devastating tropical storms we’ve been experiencing with increasing frequency, or it could be the dire predictions made by the UN report on climate change which have given us a twelve-year time table to drastically change our behavior or risk global catastrophe. Whatever the reason, some are predicting that environmentalists (only 50% of which voted in the last election, compared to 69% of the rest of the population) will show up to vote on Tuesday. And with 20 million registered voters listing environmental issues as one of their top priorities… that could make quite an impact.
So if you’re voting with the climate in mind, we thought we’d put together an outline of resources that would help you make ballot choices. If you’re in Berkeley on Thursday, November 1st, then come to our noon “Climate Action and Your Vote” Lunch and Learn at the Berkeley WeWork which discusses climate issues that are on the ballot next Tuesday (lunch is provided!).
But if you can’t come, you can still prepare. Start by watching and sharing this 2-minute video
Then check out the California voting guides provided by:
Hope you all enjoy voting! It actually takes quite a lot of interest and research to make an informed selection on every initiative and candidate so kudos to you for knowing your issues. You’re going to earn that “I Voted” sticker! See you at the polls!
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