A nation is formed by the willingness of each of us to share in the responsibility for upholding the common good.
Inform
We are now a month away from the United States Midterm Elections on November 8 2022. Will Biden have a Democratic-controlled Congress for the remainder of his first term? Or will Republicans pick up one or both chambers of Congress, which will empower them to block Biden’s agenda?
Republicans need to flip just five Democratic seats to retake the House majority. Plus House Republicans may have already secured their majority through redistricting. Every 10 years, states must redraw their congressional and state legislative districts based on new census data. It’s supposed to reflect population changes, but many state politicians use the opportunity to affirm their party’s grip on power in state legislative and congressional districts.
Democrats’ majority in the Senate is even more precarious than in the House — at least on paper. Republicans need to win just one Democratic seat to take back control of the Senate for at least the next two years. But some of the most competitive Senate races are in states that voted for Biden in 2020, and Republican voters nominated arguably some of the most extreme candidates in recent memory.
I recently read a disturbing article about Spain’s fascist regime. “Up to the early 1930s, Spain had been among Europe’s most progressive countries, allowing for married couples to divorce and women to seek abortions. Under Franco, those rights were swiftly rescinded. Contraception was outlawed, adultery was criminalized and women lost the right to vote. Newspapers were censored, and many books were banned.” Does any of this sound familiar?
There have been assaults on school boards and libraries. Extreme candidates are running for local, state and national positions. We have had attacks on election officials and have seen efforts to infiltrate and cast doubt on the 2022 midterm results. False and cynical claims of voter fraud threaten our democracy as much as Trump himself. The US Supreme Court’s decision to remove constitutional protections on access to abortions will have significant effects on women and their families. Research shows that the reproductive, social and economic lives of those who are poor, young and/or black are likely to be most damaged. Most abortions are now banned in at least 13 states. In addition, many in the anti abortion movement have a new target: hormonal birth control. They claim that hormonal contraceptives like IUDs and the pill can actually cause abortions.
Christian nationalism, a belief that the United States was founded as a white, Christian nation and that there is no separation between church and state, is gaining steam on the right. Prominent Republican politicians have made the themes critical to their message to voters in the run up to the 2022 midterm elections. These similar nationalist movements in Europe has impacted Italy, France, Sweden and other western democracies.
Midterm Election
Tuesday November 8, 2022
Registration: The deadline to register to vote varies by state.
Registration by state.
Register to Vote in New York State.
Register to Vote in New Jersey.
Absentee Ballot Deadlines and Ballot Tracker by State
Absentee Ballots in New York State.
Absentee Ballots in New Jersey.
Early Voting Start and End Dates by State
Early voting in New York State
Early voting in New Jersey
Respond
Donate to the Senate and House races that could determine who controls Congress.
Donate to governor races as we grapple with state laws that control our own bodies, gun reform, elections, health care and education.
Volunteer in local campaigns by canvassing, phone banking, text banking, letter and postcard writing.
Join national networks in getting out the vote and/or registration drives.
Contact your local election office and become a poll worker. This job was never as important as today.
Become involved. On any day, in any way. Let your voice be heard agains those who are choosing to dismantle this democracy and its freedoms brick by brick. Let’s share in the responsibility of upholding the common good.
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Determined 