Union Calls for Massive ‘Get Out the Vote’ Effort
Members Urged Not to be Discouraged By Efforts to Disqualify Voters

APWU Web News Article #18-04, Oct. 27, 2004

APWU President William Burrus called for a massive “Get Out the Vote” effort for Tuesday’s election, urging every union member to go to the polls. “This election is crucial,” he said, “and it is imperative that working men and women make their voices heard.

APWU members Bill Usher and Ifeoma Njaka help “Get Out the Vote" at a Minneapolis phone bank. (Photo originally published in the Minneapolis Labor Review)

“I call on each and every member of the APWU to vote on Nov. 2, and to encourage their families and friends to do so as well. Our future is at stake.”

Working people – especially those in battleground states – should not be discouraged by efforts to keep them from voting, Burrus said.

The Washington Post reported Oct. 26 that the Republican Party has filed 35,000 voter-eligibility challenges in Ohio, and is preparing to send recruits to 8,000 polling places there to challenge additional voters on Election Day.

“Americans fought and died for the right to vote,” Burrus said. “We are angered and offended when anyone tries to trample on that right.”

“I predict that citizens will be more determined than ever to exercise their rights,” he said. “The APWU, along with the rest of the labor movement, has been working to ensure that workers participate.”

More than 20 APWU national officers are working with Labor 2004, a non-partisan campaign to encourage union members to cast ballots on Election Day. Forty local APWU activists are involved as well, staffing phone banks, going door-to-door, and organizing rallies. Burrus sent a letter to every APWU member in 13 battleground states, urging them to vote.

The AFL-CIO has launched an unprecedented effort to ensure that every eligible voter is permitted to cast a ballot. The “My Vote, My Right” campaign was developed in response to the Florida debacle in 2000, when thousands of eligible voters were turned away from the polls. The current campaign seeks to educate union members about their rights and to train activists to help on Election Day.

“More volunteers are needed,” Burrus said. “If you can help, please contact your local union.”

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