By Peggy da Silva
A bowl of beautiful strawberries enjoyed at a picnic; what could be more American? Bright, straightforward, what-you-see-is-what-you-get, just like the American right to vote, yes? In all of our elections, whether Sierra Club or public, we expect honesty, transparency, and an outcome that tastes good: leaders and policies who reflect the values of the community.
However, environmentalists know that things are not always what they seem. And it can be the deeper system that leads to unhealthy fruit or electoral outcomes. Our strawberry is nice and red: but is it organically grown, harvested by well-treated workers, and brought to our table by a wholesale and retail chain that values the grower, the marketer and the eater? If we look deeper, we might see a pesticide-laden, soil-destroying, exploitative food system.
It's the same with voting. We (the Sierra Club) support and protect each person’s right to vote. We should be seeing equal access and high turnout of registered voters at all of our elections.
But…why vote if your individual vote doesn’t matter? What if the system is rigged and the candidate with the most support can’t win? What if a “winner” goes on to appoint people whose perspectives and actions do not represent the majority of members or voters?
We hang our heads in distress over recent Supreme Court decisions that limit reproductive rights and environmental protections. Let’s dig deeper and consider the rocky and inhospitable soil we call our Electoral College. As currently operated, the Electoral College disenfranchises thousands of voters in each Presidential election, and our President may not represent us at all. It has been said: “Donald Trump did not beat Hillary Clinton. The Electoral College did.”
This can change. Our Sierra Club Board of Directors voted in 2009 to endorse the National Popular Vote, which sets up a different way of operating the Electoral College. This does not require a constitutional amendment. It is a state-by-state compact that assigns a state’s electors to the winner of the national popular vote. It is a non-partisan strategy with the simple purpose of one person one vote. It has been enacted by 15 states and DC, with 195 electoral votes. California passed the legislation in 2011. NPV needs 75 more electoral votes to go into effect. Full information can be found at www.nationalpopularvote.com.
We have Sierra Club Chapters in every state, and we all have friends and relatives across the country. Let’s talk with them and help them to get their states on board.
Just as we can assure that our Group and Chapter elections bring us leaders with integrity who represent members’ values and priorities, we can be sure that 2024 brings us a President who represents the voters of the USA.
Enjoy your summer strawberries, check out National Popular Vote, and be sure to vote this Fall!
Peggy da Silva is Chair of the Chapter Elections Committee.