This blog entry was written by Allie Brown, former Clean Energy Advocacy Manager at SACE.
Guest Blog | September 26, 2017 | Energy Policy, SolarHow do we make clean energy a top priority in the South?
We have to start by boosting voter turnout in local and statewide elections among all Southerns that want to build a clean, just energy future. Tennessee, Arkansas, and Georgia all rank in the top 10 for the lowest voter turnouts in the U.S. But here’s the good news: we have nowhere to go but up, and today is the perfect time to start making changes and educating others on how to register to vote. It’s #NationalVoterRegistrationDay, the largest one-day effort of the year to register voters and ensure that nobody misses the opportunity to vote due to a registration problem.
Here in the South, it’s clear that we don’t have enough elected officials who prioritize clean energy and environmental justice issues. In just the past year, wind energy development in North Carolina is under attack, and offshore drilling and seismic blasting are, once again, a threat to our coasts. Devastating and unprecedented storms like Irma have swept through Florida while many elected officials in the state, including the Governor, still deny that climate change is real.
SACE is disappointed with the lack of leadership from our elected officials to take responsibility for our own climate pollution and seize all the opportunities presented by affordable, renewable energy. It’s time to recruit clean energy voters across the South and we need your help.
Here are 5 actions you can do today to participate in #NationalVoterRegistrationDay:
1. Take the time to research your state to see what the registration options are. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, and South Carolina are all making online registration an opportunity for new voters.
2. Recently moved or haven’t voted in a while? Make sure your voter registration is the most up to date to ensure you have a trouble-free experience at the polls. Just visit nationalvoterregistrationday.org/register-to-vote/.
3. Still have questions or need to assist a family member or a friend? Call 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) today and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law-led Election Protection hotline will be taking calls LIVE to answer questions about voter registration.
4. If you’re already a super voter and want to help put in the work to register voters, then consider volunteering today. There are events happening in every state across the South that you can be a part of. Check it out here.
5. When #NationalVoterRegistrationDay concludes today, we don’t want these efforts to end. Here at SACE, we are recruiting volunteers to write letters to the editors, attend local events, and make phone calls for our campaigns. Take a few minutes and sign up to get involved here!
We know from experience that clean energy voters can make a huge impact. Just last year, SACE led a coalition that was successful in two major solar ballot victories despite being severely underfunded and understaffed. The Solar Choice campaign went toe to toe against a $26 million utility-backed campaign and won! The key to our success? People Power. Clean energy advocates like you educated your family and friends about the issues and voted on policies to support solar power.
So much is on the line right now, and we’re looking for climate champions to join us across the Southeast to get involved! Join us by standing up and voting for our climate.