Washington DC, November 3, 2020 — With a predicted record turnout there could be upwards of 18 million “climate-first” voters casting a ballot this year . They could be the deciding factor in this election. In the 2016 election,10 million people who said they cared about the climate didn’t vote. To rise to the occasion, in the organization’s first electoral push in its nearly 50-year history, Greenpeace USA built a national program of volunteers who contacted 4 million climate voters.
Greenpeace and Fire Drill Friday’s “Vote Climate” campaign worked to ensure climate voters showed up in force this election. Volunteers logged over 7,346 text-banking shifts and had important conversations about climate policies and a Green New Deal. The national volunteer program, educational programming, and key resources engaged climate voters and built power in an effort to swear in climate champions up and down the ballot.
A recent poll [1] revealed that a remarkable 12% of likely voters listed climate change as their number one priority, following the economy (21%) and coronavirus (13%). With a predicted record turnout there could be upwards of 18 million “climate-first” voters casting a ballot this year. Climate donors also turned to Biden to counter Trump’s sinister relationship with the fossil fuel industry, raising more than $15 million from hundreds of new donors who identified climate change as a cause [3].
Greenpeace USA Executive Director Annie Leonard said:
“Climate voters are voting in record numbers because we know we have no time to lose. From the destructive wildfires in the West to the increase in storms that ravage the Gulf Coast, climate change is here and it is impacting our communities. Biden has the most ambitious and far-reaching climate platform of any presidential nominee for a major party in history and the people are demanding a climate champion in the White House. Our future president must take immediate action to mitigate its impact. Donald Trump is never going to be that president.
“We simply could not sit this one out. We knew that in order to build a more green, just, and peaceful future we needed more reasonable leadership in the White House. Voting is only the first step — Greenpeace USA volunteers and organizers are committed to making sure that everyone in office will be held accountable in 2021 and beyond.
“This is a case of accuracy being more important than speed. The increase in mail in voting due to the pandemic and the measures taken to safeguard our ballots means that it might take some time to count the votes and verify a winner in this year’s election — and that’s okay. The election results are not final until it has been certified and every vote is counted. We will continue to mobilize in our communities to protect the results and ensure that the democratic process is preserved. The world is watching, because every vote counts.”
[ENDS]
[1] http://maristpoll.marist.edu/npr-pbs-newshour-marist-poll-results-election-2020-president-trump/#sthash.8SlfDBta.dpbs
[2] https://www.npr.org/2020/09/19/914233038/poll-climate-becomes-top-priority-for-democrats-trump-struggles-on-race-covid-19
[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/18/climate/climate-change-biden.html
Contact:
Valentina Stackl, Greenpeace USA Senior Communications Specialist, [email protected] (734) 276 6260
