Friday, June 9, 2017

Feel Good Friday - EMILY's List

How do you celebrate Feel Good Friday when it's been a disheartening week in the world of US politics? EMILY's List, that's how.

EMILY's List has a very simple mission - "We elect pro-choice Democratic women to office." Boom. The vision is to balance the voice of power by having the government more accurately represent the people it serves and to "elect leaders who ignite change".

As explained in the history section of the website, "the name "EMILY's List" was an acronym for "Early Money Is Like Yeast" (i.e., it makes the dough rise)." Since it's founding in 1985 by Ellen Malcolm, EMILY's List has become the largest national resource for women in politics and has helped elect "over 100 pro-choice Democratic women to the House, 23 to the Senate, 12 to governors' seats, and hundreds of women to state and local office." You can check this list to find representatives in your state.

So exactly how does EMILY's List get women elected? They have a program called "Run to Win" that recruits and trains women how to, yep, run for office and win. This video shows you what you can do when marching in the streets isn't enough. EMILY's List supports women's campaigns with money, research and strategic assistance and they mobilize women to vote!

If you'd like to get involved you can take the usual steps like donating to recommended candidates, liking the Facebook page and following them on Twitter @emilyslist. The most impactful way to get involved? Run! Since election day, more than 14,000 people have signed up to run for office, why not you? Check the schedule for upcoming training sessions in your area. If you're reading this blog, you've got my vote.

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