I have been casting my vote in local, state, and national elections for quite some time.

This will be my first year doing so in the middle of a global pandemic. Yours, too.
2020 has tested all of us, and no one knows this better than you do. It hasn’t been easy, but you’re doing incredible work.

Now, I’m going to ask you to do one more thing. I know you’ve been asked to do way too much this year, but this one thing is important.
Please, vote.

Pennsylvania is getting a ton of attention from national political analysts trying hard to predict just how we will cast our ballots this year. And for good reason. According to political blog FiveThirtyEight’s presidential forecast, Pennsylvania is shaping up to be the state most likely to swing the vote one way or the other in the Electoral College.

But you don’t need me to tell you that Pennsylvania is important in this election, or that your vote matters. You already knew that.

And you sure don’t need me to tell you how to vote. That is up to you.
What I do hope you will do is take the time to learn about where all the candidates – from president to Congress to the state Legislature – stand on the issues you care about.

That is what this issue of Voice is all about. The cover story examines the history of voting in our state and why this hard-fought right is one we shouldn’t take for granted.

We give you the facts about the candidates running for president and spotlight PSEA-PACE recommended candidates for the state row offices. We want you to know what each candidate believes about the issues that impact your schools, your professions, and our union.
We want to do everything we can to help you be vote ready.

Voting is your opportunity to do something – to voice your support for a vision that you believe in. That is true whether you vote by mail or in person. It’s true no matter whom you support.
So, take this opportunity to make your plan to vote. That is what I have done.

This year will be an election like no other, but the one thing that remains the same is that we are a powerful voice in the electorate. As educators, support professionals, health care workers, students, and retirees, how we vote will send a message. We can demand that candidates respect us, value public education, and appreciate the important roles we play in our schools and communities – no matter what that role might be.

So, yes, I will be voting in this most unusual of elections. I have my plan. Do you have yours?

Email Rich Askey:
raskey@psea.org