Voting Wild

Nature-lovers, we have work to do

Loving the earth, seeing what has been done to it, I grow sharp, I grow cold.

Where will the trilliums go, and the coltsfoot?

Where will the pond lilies go to continue living their simple, penniless lives, lifting their faces of gold?

—Mary Oliver

So many of us are deeply moved by nature, and find inspiration and solace there. Yet few people make the connection between the relaxing beauties of nature and the hard work of making sure that they will be there for us in the future. And by hard work I mean the most important, best thing any of us can do for nature: vote.

During this turbulent year, a certain poem has often cropped up in my Facebook feed. It’s called The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry, and in unsettling times many people turn to it for support.

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

And that’s lovely, isn’t it? So soothing, so calming.

Except that in 2017, a Republican-powered Congress passed a joint resolution to block the coal mining regulation known as the Stream Protection Rule, aimed at limiting the dumping of coal mining waste into streams. And so the wood drake and the great blue heron were out of luck. They couldn’t find much to feed on in any of those streams polluted by mining sludge.

If we cherish the peace of wild things, we have to take forethought of grief. We have to get out the vote for legislators who will make laws to protect wild things. It’s as simple as that.

So in practical terms, what does that mean?

I think it’s so important for us nature-lovers to show our love by seeking out voters who are on the fence about voting and reminding them of the stakes coming up in November. Voting is a complicated process, and many, especially young people, lack the information they need to make it to the polls. Based on research conducted by Tufts University, lack of information about the voting process is young voters’ biggest barrier to voting.

So that’s our challenge: to be a source of accurate information.

And it’s really up to us. To make a ridiculously sweeping generalization, I’ve found that the staff at Boards of Elections tend to be long-time civil servants, elderly, white, and conservative. Technically both parties are represented, for sure. But from my limited dealings with Boards of Elections I don’t get the feeling that they’re bending over backwards to help Democrats vote.

Also they’re overworked, especially this year. If any election watchdogging is done, we have to do it ourselves. We have to get out of the garden and off the nature trail and do boring shit like become poll workers and campaign volunteers.

I’ve decided to take the plunge and volunteer in a swing state as a poll observer. That’s a person who watches outside a polling place, and answers questions and gives information. Any problems—polling machine breakdown, voters turned away for lack of ID, voter intimidation—you don’t deal with it yourself, you text the nearby Democratic headquarters, and they take it from there.

It’s a stretch for me, for sure—unfamiliar situation, long drive. But the wild things are worth it.

I realize that those of you who are kind enough to plow through this substack already are convinced and are planning to vote, and you know all this stuff already. But if you want to be a helpful source of information (Translation: nag your kids, bug your friends, annoy your colleagues) here’s a handy primer:

VOTING HOTLINE: 1 866 OUR VOTE. Call if you need help voting or see problems at the polls.

To vote in New York State you must register by October 26. There are several good sites where you can register to vote on-line: the League of Women Voters’ Vote411.org and RocktheVote.org. If you live in NYS, you will need your NY.gov ID number to register, which is a number you get whenever you do anything on-line with NYS. If (like most people) you can’t remember it, you have to reset your password, it’s a pain. It’s actually easier to register on paper—you can get voter registration forms at most local libraries as well as at the Board of Elections.

You have to be registered at your current address. If you’ve moved you have to register all over again.

Getting an absentee ballot takes time. You contact the Board of Elections, ask them to mail you an application form (not a ballot, an application form, joy oh joy.) Fill it out, mail it back, and then and only then they mail you an absentee ballot. Here’s a good site for finding out about absentee ballots. You can also vote by mail, but again, you have to apply to have the ballot mailed to you, and it takes time. The Post Office isn’t breaking any speed records these days

Early voting in NYS starts Oct. 26, and lasts almost two weeks. Every state has a different schedule. But too few people take advantage of early voting! Spread the word on social media and in person, to everyone you know. You can vote on the weekend! You can go to any polling place in your county! What a deal!

Does your state require ID? Will they accept the kind you have? Is student ID accepted?

Are you registered? At your current address? Are you sure? Don’t get an unpleasant surprise on Election Day—call the Board of Elections in your county and double-check that your registration is active. Or check vote.gov.

Do you know where your polling place is? It’s unbelievably hard to figure out sometimes, especially for first time voters.

And if you ever go to the polls and are told you’re not registered, can’t vote, need ID, whatever—insist on getting a provisional ballot. This lets you vote, and any problems can be sorted out later. Never leave a polling place without voting. But few people are aware that they have this right.

Hey, voting is hard. It’s a complicated system, and especially for a first-time voter, it requires patience and persistence to jump through all the hoops. It’s easy to think, why bother? But the wild things are depending on us.

Do you know anyone who finds peace and comfort in nature? A teen who loves the red gleam of a cardinal at the feeder? A neighbor who spends hours in the garden planting native species and luring pollinators? Can you nudge them in the direction of their polling place? Ask them if they’ve seen a creek with a wood drake or a wading heron recently…

Dear Friends,

Are you worried about the election of 2024 and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.

Every week I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.

Together, I think, we could really make a difference.

                “Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”

                                      --Noam Chomsky