Elections Archives

Last Day to Early Vote

Elections | 10/27/2020

Dominique Garrett Communications and Community Engagement Manager

We are 6 days away from the Nov. 3rd election. Early voting ends Thursday, October 29, and it’s going to take ALL OF US to voice our ballot at the polls to have the change we seek! We must use our vote’s power to shape an inclusive future that offers everyone a fair and equitable chance at life in the United States.

Yes, it’s raining and cold outside, but please don’t let that stop you from finding your nearest early voting location today to cast your ballot. I strongly recommend that you take some time out to let your voice be heard today to avoid the long lines on Election Day (November 3). If you can’t make it to the polls by Thursday, October 29, make a plan with your loved ones now to find your assigned voting location on Election Day by visiting www.govote901.com.

Remember, there is power in your vote! Please don’t allow anyone to deter you from voicing your ballot in this critical time of our lives. Many of our resources, i.e., health care and civil rights, are at risk of being violated, and it’s our job to protect what’s rightfully ours.

Action Alert: Help Others Make a Plan to Vote

Elections | 10/21/2020

Paul Garner Lead Outreach Coordinator

It’s no secret that in 11 days, we will be casting our ballot in an election that will decide our way of life for the next four years. A decision that will impact the future for not only us but many generations to come.

STAND & VOTE 2020 – Sign up today to help us spread the word!

Now more than ever, we must make our voices heard in the November 3rd election. From checking our voter registration status to knowing the nearest voting location in our neighborhoods, we must eliminate all possible obstacles that could negatively impact our voter experience within the next two weeks. We all have to make our plan to vote and stick to it!

That’s why we’re asking you to join us for our STAND & VOTE 2020: GOTV Member Phone & Text Bank! We’re going to look out for each other and ensure that everyone on our list is equipped with the information they need to make a plan to vote.

Phone banking sign-up times:

•Thursday (10/22)- 6PM (Training)-8:30PM

• Friday (10/23)- 6PM (Training)-8:30PM

•Saturday (10/24)-1PM (Training)-4PM

Text Banking sign-up times (Starting Next Week):

•Monday (10/26)- 6PM (Training)-8:30PM

•Tuesday (10/27)10AM Training, texts throughout the day

•Wednesday (10/28) 9AM Training, texts throughout the day

•Thursday (10/29, Last day of early voting) 9AM-5PM

As Nov.3rd approaches, powers that be and naysayers will do all they can to discourage us from exercising our right to vote as citizens of this country. Never forget that YOUR VOTE MATTERS and that you hold power to decide how this country will operate for the next four years.

We cannot afford to sit back and pass on our responsibility! Your voice! Your ballot!

Today is National Voter Registration Day

Elections | 09/21/2020

Dominique Thomas Communications and Community Engagement Manager

The countdown is on until Election Day on November 3.

But before we can cast our ballot for president, state representative, or school board member – everyone must be sure that they’re registered to vote. In past years, we’d go door-to-door or host voter registration events to make sure that everyone has a plan to vote. This year, things are different. So instead, it’s up to each and every one of us to spread the word and help friends and family register.

First, check to ensure your registration status is up to date by visiting our page on Proud Voter-Tennessee.

Then, reach out to a few people you know – for me, I know I owe a couple of family members and friends a call. Ask if they’re registered to vote. It’s that easy and can ensure that each of our voices are heard this upcoming Election Day.

You can also get involved by volunteering to help increase voter turnout! Stand has partnered with Continue the Dream – Voter Alliance to increase voter engagement by registering Memphians to vote and encouraging the largest turnout possible for this election. If you would like to help with voter registration and sharing critical voting information to all, please sign up here.

There is power in voting, and others are doing all they can to suppress our right as citizens to have a fair and equitable election. Never forget that YOUR VOTE MATTERS! Be the change you seek by registering to vote today!

Happy Voter Registration Day!

Let’s Get Ready to Vote!

Elections | 07/15/2020

Cardell Orrin Memphis Executive Director

Now more than ever, we must pay attention! Now more than ever, we must get involved! Now more than ever, we must vote! In the August 6 election, each of us will have an opportunity to shape the educational future for students in Memphis and Shelby County. Your participation in the Shelby County General Election is a chance to vote for education champions committed to building equity in education!

Pay Attention – Learn more about the candidates that Stand endorsed for the SCS Board

Get Involved – Check the opportunities (volunteer and paid) to get engaged in supporting these great candidates

Vote – You can still register to vote by mail (until July 30) or find your polling location.

Let’s start with the August election and carry this momentum through to November! Casting your vote for Shelby County Schools Board is one of the best actions that you can take toward improving the odds for all children in our community receiving the education they need and deserve.This election is too important to sit out! We believe that these candidates will be true education champions for the children of Memphis and Shelby County.

Whether you vote by mail, early vote (starting July 17), or find your way to the polls on August 6, make sure to exercise your right to vote and send a message to 10 friends to join you in voting!

Announcing Our Candidate Endorsements

Elections | 07/7/2020

Cardell Orrin Memphis Executive Director

Stand for Children Tennessee is pleased to announce our candidate endorsements for the upcoming Shelby County Schools Board election.These candidates were selected using a rigorous endorsement process that involved extensive surveys and candidate interviews led by our endorsement committee made up of parents, educators, and community members. We believe that these candidates will be true education champions for the children of Memphis and Shelby County.

The elections this year are too important to sit out! Protests echo across our community and this country, and the next step is to vote. The educational future of our children is at stake, and it is up to us to fill these seats with representatives who believe that all children in Memphis and Shelby County deserve access to equitable education and resources to ensure a prosperous future.We are proud to endorse education champions who are committed to helping improve student outcomes, advocating for necessary and equitable funding to address student needs, and increasing potential for college and career success. Head over to our education champion page on our website to learn more about the candidates in your district.

The deadline to register to vote is Friday, July 7, and the absentee ballot request deadline is Thursday, July 30. Check your voter registration status, now, and if you’re not registered, sign up today! Access information you need to vote: http://www.proudvoter.org

Congratulations!

Elections | 11/13/2019

Dominique Garrett Communications and Community Engagement Manager

Congratulations to our education champion, Memphis City Councilwoman-Elect, Michalyn Easter-Thomas! We look forward to working with you to make equity in education a reality for every child in Memphis, Tennessee!

Check out her campaign by clicking here.

Your Friendly Reminder

Elections | 11/6/2019

Dominique Garrett Communications and Community Engagement Manager

Early voting for the Memphis City Council Runoff Election is now open through Saturday! Voters in District 1 and District 7 have a second chance to change the narrative on the view of equitable education in Memphis and to change the educational future of our children. If you live in a runoff district, please use the few remaining days of early voting to let your voice be heard. Look up your City Council district here.

If you are unable to participate in early voting, I strongly encourage you to go to the polls on November 14th to cast your vote. Get ahead of the game by making sure you have a proper state-registered ID and looking up your assigned polling location. Take action by setting a reminder on your device to vote during your lunch break, or whenever the time permits. Let’s use this second chance wisely to elect officials who will fund students first!

Ready, Set, VOTE!

Elections | 10/24/2019

Paul Garner Outreach Coordinator

During the general election, Stand For Children endorsed a slate of Education Champions, candidates for Mayor and City Council who we vetted and endorsed based on their commitment to our schools and children.

In District 7, we endorsed Michalyn Easter-Thomas and are excited that she earned enough votes to compete in a runoff election. A runoff happens when no single candidate wins more than 50% of the vote.

Due to historically low turnout and less media coverage, runoff elections can sometimes be decided by just a few votes. That means your vote counts more than ever in the Memphis City Council Runoff Election, and it is so important that you cast your ballot a second time on November 14.

I’ve known Michalyn personally for the past 5 years, after meeting her at an event her nonprofit held in North Memphis. Michalyn is rooted in District 7, a public school educator who believes in the future of our children. She is committed and responsive to the community she seeks to serve as an elected leader. I hope you’ll join me in supporting her during the runoff election!

Early voting begins Friday, October 25th and ends Saturday, November 9th. Election day is Thursday, November 14th! For a list of polling locations, please click here.

Tell your friends and help spread the word! #AllInForMichalyn

Stand is All In for Michalyn!

Elections | 10/15/2019

Dominique Garrett Communications & Community Engagement Manager

Thank you to all our supporters who voted in the Memphis city election! Thanks to you Stand Education Champion Dr. Jeff Warren won a seat on the City Council for District 9-3! We’re enormously proud of all the candidates who took a chance to STAND for our children’s educations and made their future a priority in your campaign. But the work isn’t over! Memphis will hold a runoff election on Thursday, November 14.

We are still in the fight to get our education champion, Michalyn Easter-Thomas, elected as the Memphis City Council representative for District 7. Help her win this seat by doing the following:

Be registered to vote by October 15th. You can register online here.
Participate in early voting starting October 25th – November 9th.

If you can’t make it to early voting, then please vote on Election Day, which is Thursday, November 14th. The polls will open at 7:00 am and will close at 7:00 pm. A vote for Michalyn is a vote for your child’s future. Pledge to vote in the City of Memphis City Council runoff election.

Investing in Youth is a Must

School Funding | 10/1/2019

Dylan Moore Teacher and Community Advocate

Apparently, Memphis has “momentum.” As the City of Memphis celebrates 200 years and moves into its third century, many are excited to reflect on its history and to praise the city’s accomplishments. While I recognize the progress of the past two centuries, I would be remiss to not point out that Memphis’ homicide rate was the third-highest among the country’s 50 largest cities last year, 39% of Memphis children live below the poverty line (the second-highest rate in the nation), and Memphis ranks poorest among major American metropolitan areas. I cannot celebrate “momentum” if youth in Memphis are barely surviving the dangerous rapids of poverty, systemic violence, and educational neglect while our city invests far less than 1% of its $700 million budget in youth and education.

Many believe that the solution to creating better opportunities for our youth can be found in attracting more businesses to deliver more jobs or getting the Grizzlies to donate a basketball court or cracking down on schools and parents to “do better”. While these things can make marginal improvements to the city, we must first build a sturdier foundation on which to improve. What good are jobs when the population is ill-prepared for the jobs of tomorrow that could deliver them from the atrocities of poverty? What use is a basketball court when parents are too afraid to send their child to use it? What more can teachers do when so many of our students leave our classrooms to endure the traumatic and violent experience of poverty on a daily basis?

As an educator, I know that we cannot continue to apply the same solutions hoping to solve the problems that our youth consistently face. To do so is quite literally the definition of insanity. Our solutions must be bold and innovative – qualities that the city has never in its 200 years attempted to embrace.

We need direct, strategic investments in areas that will positively impact the future success of our youth if we want to produce more successful schools, safer neighborhoods, and a thriving city.

All students, regardless of their academic, social, or behavior struggles, deserve direct investment in the neighborhoods, programs, and schools in which they are raised. To enable that, the city should create a dedicated fund that is specifically set aside to support Memphis youth with greater equity. Such a fund will ensure that the level of investment in youth will not waver with each election.

Currently, the only dedicated funding for youth from the City of Memphis is 0.3% of property taxes for Pre-K only. One penny of the current tax rate of $3.19 amounts to about $1.3 million. While this is worth a nod, imagine the impact if the city increased its investment tenfold. Only 3% of the revenue generated from property taxes could generate about $13 million each year to invest in youth!

We ought to take a cue from other cities where youth funds have been provided by budget allocations or appropriating a set-aside of property or sales taxes. In 1991, San Francisco voters decided to set aside 4% of property taxes for the nation’s first children’s fund. Voters overwhelmingly renewed their decision in 2000 and again in 2014, guaranteeing funding until 2039. In Baltimore, 80% of voters decided to set aside $12 million each year from property taxes to invest in youth.

In 2004, the Memphis Youth Guidance Commission was created to serve as an objective, nonpartisan youth research and advocacy body for city government, but it has been mostly dormant since the 2012 school merger. This apolitical body could be a starting point for conducting research to determine funding priorities and ensure accountability for a fund to benefit youth and K-12 education initiatives.

Those opposed to such initiatives, like many incumbent members of city government, may remind us that, since 2012, “Memphis is out of the education business.” Their reasons over the years have included maintenance of effort (a state mandate to continue funding at a certain level) and lack of accountability from the school district. For that reason, I must point out that a fund administered by a third party allows for an innovative way to pay for youth and education programs that does not trigger maintenance of effort, can maintain a high standard of accountability, and has the benefit of increasing equity in local funding. The district and other public education-related non-profits could apply for funding to support targeted, evidence-based programs focused on areas such as early literacy, high school success, and college and career preparation. None of these things are being adequately supported by state and local funding to Shelby County Schools. Furthermore, I would argue that education itself is largely underfunded based on the needs in our Memphis communities.

Just last year, city leaders decided to allocate roughly $260 million (nearly 40% of the entire municipal budget) for the Memphis Police Department. This amount increases yearly, yet Memphis is still considered unsafe. It is clear that a constant increase of funding to the police department will not, by itself, actually improve the city. If the City of Memphis can afford a quarter of a billion dollars for the MPD (including dollars spent spying on activists and citizens who challenge injustice, killing Black citizens in need of mental health services, and over-policing communities while paradoxically leaving them underprotected), then surely it can spare $13 million (a meager 5% of its current police budget) to invest its youngest residents and the future of Memphis.

As an educator and community advocate with Stand for Children, I know we cannot afford to sit idly by while our government negligently ignores its moral obligation to our children. The need is clear. Funding opportunities are plentiful. A body to monitor this fund already exists. All that is missing is a government and elected officials willing to prioritize youth.

If the current occupants of city hall are unwilling to do what is right by investing meaningfully in our youth, then we must do the hard work of replacing them. As Marian Wright Edelman once said, “If we don’t stand up for children, then we don’t stand for much.” Stand up for Memphis youth with me by organizing and voting in the city elections on October 3.