FFRF chapters erect billboards in swing states
More than 20 volunteer chapters of the Freedom From Religion Foundation pooled their resources in order to erect voter awareness billboards on behalf of FFRF in all seven swing states.
These messages are a Freedom From Religion Foundation public voter awareness campaign, and are kicking off a multimedia voter campaign.
The swing state campaign is the brainchild of Judy Saint, who runs the Greater Sacramento Chapter of FFRF, who says she was losing sleep wondering how her California chapter and others could help get out the vote in crucial swing states. “This was the best thing I could do with our donors’ earnest contributions,” she said. “We have to save democracy.”
Saint adds, “As we fight Christian nationalism in this next election, our chapter decided to pull together all the national chapters of FFRF to put up at least one billboard in each swing state.”
This is the first time all FFRF chapters in FFRF’s nearly 47-year history have coordinated on a campaign.
Not just seven but 10 “Be a Voter” billboards are going up (including a “bonus” billboard in the important-but-not-swing state of Florida), thanks to the chapters’ impressive fundraising efforts, which yielded $32,000. FFRF almost matched that total. FFRF and its chapters sited the billboards near major public universities, to encourage Gen Z voters, almost half of whom have no religious affiliation but who are less likely to vote.
“Be a Voter — Protect Democracy, Wisconsin” was the first billboard to go up in August, just two blocks from Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., in time to greet students moving back to campus and those attending September’s over-flowing home football games.
A similar message in Pittsburgh, “Be a Voter — Protect Democracy, Pennsylvania” is up on Banksville Road. An identical message will soon go up on a billboard at a prominent bridge in Philadelphia near Temple University.
Two billboards saying “Be a Voter — Protect Democracy, Arizona” are already up in the Phoenix area, including a highly visible 12-foot x 12-foot board in front of a Whole Foods store at the corner of University Drive and South Ash Avenue in Tempe, close to Arizona State University. An identical message can be found on a digital billboard on Loop 202, west of Scottsville. Mars de la Tour, who directs the FFRF Valley of the Sun chapter, helped choose the locations and arrange a group photo.
The final “Be a Voter” billboards will be going up by late September or early October in Ann Arbor, Mich., Charlotte, N.C., Las Vegas, Nev., and Atlanta.
The “bonus” billboard in Florida can be found at Colonial Drive, west of Alafaya Trail, Orlando. Thanks to Central Florida Freethought Community Co-Founders David and Jocelyn Williamson for their help.
“We’re so grateful to Judy and the Sacramento chapter for their amazing initiative, and for the generosity of all of FFRF’s other chapters around the country, as well as for some non-chapter donors,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Our message to voters is: Vote like your rights depend on it — because they do.”
