CLEVELAND, July 22 — The AFL-CIO has begun a campaign to protect voting rights in the 2004 election. The campaign, entitled “My Vote, My Right,” is aimed at ensuring every vote is counted in the 2004 election.
On the My Vote, My Right website, visitors can access individual state “voter bills of rights” to educate other voters about their voting rights and learn about the risks eligible voters face this year when casting their ballots.
The election on November 2 will determine whether working families have good jobs, affordable health care, education, workplace rights, job safety, civil rights, retirement security and more.
Deliberate voting rights violations in Florida and around the country in 2000 stole the votes from thousands of working families, people of color, retirees, persons with disabilities, new citizen voters and the poor. The AFL-CIO is trying to make sure that these problems do not reoccur in the 2004 election.
Take a few simple steps now to make sure your vote is safe, secure and counted on November 2:
— Contact your local election office to check that you are registered to vote and find out where you should vote. Register immediately if you are not. It’s easy to register online at www.myvotemyright.com, where you also can request an absentee ballot.
— If you do not receive a registration card within three weeks of registering, call the election office to see if there is a problem. If there is, follow instructions to correct the problem or reregister.
— It is particularly important to check your registration or reregister if you have moved, changed your name or have not voted in recent elections.
— Find out whether you can vote early. If early voting is allowed in your community—do it.
— Check with your local election office about any new voting procedures or ID requirements and opportunities to practice using voting machines.
For more information, contact your local or national union or the AFL-CIO Civil, Human and Women’s Rights Department, 815 16th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20006 (e-mail: votingrights@aflcio.org).