The Future of Our Democracy Depends on Every Vote Being Counted 

New York – Planned Parenthood of Greater New York Action Fund (PPGNY Action Fund) demands every single ballot is counted and every voice is heard this election season. Under unprecedented circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic, New Yorkers cast their votes early, in-person, and by-mail in record numbers. Experts expected this delay. More than 101.1 million people across the country, including 2.5 million New Yorkers, voted early in-person and by mail this year to help protect themselves and others against the threat of COVID-19; many of those votes still need to be counted. The wave of early and mail votes is a powerful sign of democracy in action. 

Statement from Pascale Bernard, Vice President of Community Organizing and Political Affairs, Planned Parenthood of Greater New York Action Fund: 

The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges for New Yorkers, still we showed up at the polls to vote for new leaders, new visions, and new possibilities. A true democracy depends on every voice being heard. The stakes are too high for any of us to back down now.  

No matter what lies ahead, PPGNY Action Fund will always be by your side, fighting for you, just as we always have. We will do everything we can to defend your reproductive freedom, health care access, and rights. We will do it the way we’ve always done it: together

Even as this counting continues, it’s already clear sexual and reproductive health and rights were important in this election. The current administration — and their allies in Congress and in governor’s mansions and statehouses across the country — are out of step with the American people’s values. Seventy-seven percent of Americans don’t want to see Roe v. Wade overturned, 70% of Americans favor ending the global gag rule, and nearly nine in 10 women will use birth control in their lifetimes. PPGNY Action Fund mobilized more than 22,000 people to get out the vote. 

Regardless of the outcome of the election, we anticipate an uptick in attacks on sexual and reproductive health and the fight for racial justice. Resentment from anti-abortion extremists, white supremacist militias, and other overlapping groups fueled by xenophobia, transphobia, and racism threaten the safety of the communities we serve. This is especially true for Black communities that have historically been and continue to be impacted by interlocking systems of oppression. We want to say this loud and clear: Black Lives Still Matter. PPGNY Action Fund will continue the work to protect access to abortion, keep our communities safe, and fight alongside our partners for racial equity and reproductive justice. 

 

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Planned Parenthood of Greater New York Action Fund is the advocacy arm of PPGNY. The Planned Parenthood of Greater New York Action Fund engages in educational and electoral activity, including issue advocacy, voter education, and grassroots organizing to promote Planned Parenthood's mission. The Planned Parenthood of Greater New York Action Fund is a non-partisan, non-profit organization affiliated with Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.