Esther de Rothschild and Aicha Cherif

SEPTEMBER 28, 2018

“Your vote does matter to someone you love, and that’s enough reason to just get up early on a Tuesday or mail in a ballot.”

Esther de Rothschild is the founder of The Love Vote, a platform where people who cannot vote, mobilize those who can. Together with Outreach Director Aicha Cherif, we discuss how love can be a strong motivator for voting. Eligible voters are moved to vote on behalf of their loved ones and give collective action a powerful boost.

The power of love and relational organizing

When people realize that their vote matters personally to others, they are more likely to show up and exercise this right. Ineligible voters, such as teenagers or formerly incarcerated people, can make an impact on elections by drawing attention to how election results concern them and move their network of eligible voters to show up at the polls.

Amendment 4

There are over 1.4 million people who are disenfranchised for life in the US, most of them for a small felony conviction. Amendment 4 is an initiative in Florida that aims to restore the right to vote to former felons. If we believe in second chances and the capacity of people to change for the better, a more representative voter pool would include those who have paid their debts to society.

Understand the issues

The disenfranchised have a variety of policy issues that are often overlooked by those who do have the right to vote, such as on immigration or youth. “Movers” bring attention to the issues that affect them through their messaging. A wider perspective and a deeper understanding on the policy proposals of candidates on the ballot are additional reasons to turn out on Election Day.

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Esther de Rothschild is the founder of The Love Vote, a platform where people who cannot vote use love to mobilize those who can. Aicha Cherif is the Outreach Director, as well as a mover.