Virginia Election Painful and Call to Action For 2022

There’s no easy way to say it — at the end of the day, Terry McAuliffe was just plain outmaneuvered in the Virginia election. Of course, it feels like we’ve been punched in the gut, but we know that history was against us. Not only are Trump and his followers whipping up chaos and confusion in elections across the country, but there’s also the fact that Virginians have a long history of electing a governor of the opposite party of the White House resident, regardless of who they voted for in the prior election. 

Although it is painful to look at the end result, we also took many positives out of this election experience. We must build upon the successes of our operations in Virginia and look to 2022 to expand and improve. There is no time to rest- we are already preparing for primary elections that start in less than four months. 

We must strengthen our driver programs in Texas, Virginia, Florida, Ohio, and Georgia in order to be ready to take even more voters to the polls in 2022.

One of our greatest successes in this election cycle was the amazing work of our volunteer drivers. We want to thank you again for those of you who donated to our special program for wheelchair-accessible rides. One of our best stories of Election Day was about the two wheelchair-accessible vans we were able to rent in Richmond with the generous support of our donors to transport nursing home residents to vote when their vote-by-mail ballots failed to arrive. Through the hard work of our Dispatch Team and the dedication of our volunteer driver Michael, these seniors were able to cast their ballots – thanks again for helping to make this happen.

Elsewhere in Virginia, volunteer driver Jill covered ground throughout the western hills, traveling from Charlottesville to Harrisonburg to Mt. Jackson and beyond. She was a brand new volunteer but jumped right in and logged a lot of miles to get voters to the polls in the rural part of the state. 

While it is tempting to hang our heads, and it sometimes feels like we are battling a right-wing tide that can never be stemmed, we encourage you to stay on this journey with us and continue to build for the future. 

Volunteer drivers like Michael and Jill touched the lives of so many voters yesterday and ensured their access to the polls. We will continue fighting against suppressive voter laws and against the transportation challenges that prevent voters from casting their ballots. 

Voting starts in just four months, but the work starts now. Can we count on your support for our programs of calling and driving voters?

Thank you in advance for your consideration. Please help us keep the Wheels under Democracy.  

by Sarah Kovich