See, that’s what the app is perfect for.

Join @whenweallvote, the American Association of People with Disabilities’ REV UP Voting Campaign, and The Whole Person to ask questions about the upcoming midterm elections, how you can register to vote, and all you need to know about Election Day.

September 12-16, 2022 is Disability Voting Rights Week, a time for advocates and communities to build the power of the disability vote through voter registration, voter education, community engagement, and more! The disability community is one of the largest voting blocs in the country, with over 38 million eligible voters with disabilities in 2020.  The community also faces access barriers at the ballot box: only 17.7 million voters of the 38 million eligible voted in 2020. This September 16th, get your questions answered about the intersection of voting and the disability community and how to make voting more accessible to disabled folks. 

What are you waiting for, Tumblr? Ask them a question, and head over here to see their answers. 🗳️Don’t forget to get registered to vote (HERE)🗳️!

MEET THE PANEL

Priestley M. Johnson (She/Her), Director of Strategic Community Partnerships, When We All Vote

Priestley M. Johnson the Director of Strategic Community Partnerships and is responsible for When We All Vote’s partnership program that delivers voter registration tools and resources to hundreds of partners across the nation. Ms. Johnson is a passionate advocate and avid relationship builder dedicated to using her skill set of strategic partnerships, project management, business development, and event planning. With previous experience in the Obama White House and the International Women’s Forum, Priestley is passionate about advocating for more resources for those in need and building capacity through fundraising. A proud Howard alumna, Johnson is committed to moving the needle. 

Lilian Aluri (She/Her), REV UP Voting Campaign Coordinator

Lilian Aluri started off interning at AAPD in the summer of 2020, as a NYU VOTE 2020 Fellow, getting out the disability vote in the 2020 elections. Lilian then began a contract with AAPD and has since been working together with the REV UP team to continue to build the power of the disability vote, research voting accessibility issues, and also support AAPD’s broader advocacy. In her current role as the REV UP Voting Campaign Coordinator, Lilian supports the national REV UP network, facilitating trainings and webinars, convening the advisory committee, organizing national voting initiatives and collaborating with REV UP organizers to advance the power of the disability vote. Lilian also manages AAPD’s blog and a weekly email digest highlighting disability in the news.

As the older sister of a young man with Down syndrome and as someone with some mental health disabilities, Lilian values her role at AAPD as a chance to help create a more inclusive and just society in which all people with disabilities can thrive.

Kendra A. Burgess (She/Her), Public Policy Coordinator, The Whole Person  

Kendra A. Burgess joined The Whole Person in 2019 as Public Policy Coordinator, where she currently advocates for issues impacting people with disabilities at the city, state, and federal levels of government in Kansas and Missouri. 

Prior to this role, Kendra served as a congressional staffer for the Honorable U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill for several years, where she handled a portfolio of federal issues, including labor, healthcare, and housing. Additionally, she lends her voice to elevate issues impacting people with disabilities by writing opinion articles for regional news outlets, educating the public through press interviews, and collaborating with community partners to offer Diversity Equity and Inclusion Programming. Learning to thrive through her own invisibly disabilities, Kendra is a volunteer women’s health advocate by serving as the Kansas/Missouri Representative for the Worldwide EndoMarch, an organization seeking to advocate for those living with Endometriosis.

Originally posted by muvana

Take a moment and recognize the incredible contribution you made to your community and your country by voting in the midterm elections earlier this week. You exercised your right to vote and you made your voice heard. That is no small feat.

The results of the election may have left some of you disappointed, but we wanted to point out just how much new diversity and representation people like you voted into office. Our leaders should reflect the diversity of the communities they serve, and this year you elected a whole bunch of firsts:

• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, representing New York’s 14th Congressional District, becomes the youngest woman ever elected to the U.S. Congress.
  
• Rashida Tlaib, Michigan, is the first Muslim woman to be elected into Congress. 
  
• Ilhan Omar, Minnesota, is the first Somali American to be elected in Congress.
  
• Ayanna Pressley becomes Massachusetts’ first Black Congresswoman.
  
• Jared Polis, Colorado, is the first openly gay man elected governor in the United States.
  
• Sharice Davids becomes one of the first Native American and openly lesbian woman to be elected to Congress.
  
• Deb Haaland is also one of the first Native American women elected to Congress.
  
• Letitia James becomes the first woman in New York to be elected as Attorney General, the first African-American woman to be elected statewide office, and the first Black person to serve as Attorney General.
  
• Jahana Hayes is the first Black woman to represent Connecticut in Congress.
  
• Massachusetts voted to maintain its anti-discrimination law protecting trans and nonbinary people.
  
• Florida passes Amendment 4, which restores voting rights to 1.4 million ex-felons who have completed their sentences.
  

This was all done by you. You made these monumental changes happen with the power of your vote.

Let’s remember: it isn’t over. Voting isn’t the end. Continue to volunteer in your communities and attend events to keep your community in check. Remember that change rarely comes without action. Take action.

Thank you, Tumblr.

Photo: everytown.tumblr.com

Vote To End Gun Violence

The midterm elections are drawing near – November 6, in case you forgot – but there’s still time to educate yourself on the candidates, state, and local issues that impact you directly. Remember, you, the people, have the privilege and honor to determine one-third of all U.S. senators and all 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

There are many issues to consider, like reproductive rights, health care, and legislation around guns. And in light of the recent events in Pittsburgh and the astonishing stat about gun-related violence from EveryTown above, the time to make a stand is now.

Gun violence affects everyone, so let’s start by voting for officials who will make gun reform a priority. You made your voices heard on March 24, 2018, when millions of you flocked to Washington, D.C., or watched the livestream for March for Our Lives. It’s time to do it again.

Tell your friends. Tell your family. Tell the person standing next to you at the store. And if you can vote early, please do so.

Tumblr, make sure your voice is heard by voting.