About 40 percent of Sierra Club members are not registered to vote.

Let’s change that!

The disturbing truth, according to the National Sierra Club office, is that about 40 percent of Sierra Club members nationally are not registered to vote. Our strength is sadly diluted by this. If every member of the Sierra Club in Florida had voted in the last election, presumably for Al Gore with his strong commitment to the environment, , we would have a different President right now.

This summer, the Illinois Chapter of the Sierra Club believes it can send a voter registration form to every Sierra Club member who is not registered to vote. We need people like you to call these potential voters and remind them to mail in the voter registration form and to vote.

Registering every Sierra Club member to vote will increase our strength not only in the coming election, but in elections stretching into the future. This could be big!

So this month, with both the General Assembly and Congress in recess, the Bluestem network is focusing on the election and asking if you would be willing to make a different kind of call. Instead of calling a legislator, please join our fight to build the power of the environmental vote in Illinois and get every Sierra Club member participating in our democracy.

If you would be willing to help with this voter registration drive, please contact Linda Sullivan at 630-620-5257 or lsullivan23@hotmail.com with subject line “Voter Registration.” Be sure to leave your phone number on your message. You will be given a list of names to call and a script that you can use to the extent you want.

Here are some other ways you can help the Sierra Club affect the 2004 election:

1) Attend a fundraiser or make a contribution to the Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter Political Action Committee (PAC). These funds are used exclusively in Illinois to advocate for the election of pro-environment candidates to the General Assembly. Scheduled fundraisers include:

August 15 – A picnic in Des Plaines at the home of Tom Borchard. For details contact Eric at eepatt@attbi.com or Illinois.chapter@sierraclub.org. Speakers are expected to include Phil Craine opponent Melissa Bean and Reps. Elaine Nekritz and Rosemary Mulligan.

September 7- Downtown Chicago- Women’s Athletic Club. For more details contact Barry at Bmatchett@elpc.org or Illinois.chapter@sierraclub.org

Or you could go “On the Road with the Sierra Club.” Volunteers and staff around the country are working to organize volunteer opportunities in the battleground states. The first opportunity is September 18^th when the Sierra Club will travel to Milwaukee, WI to talk to other Sierrans about why their vote is so critical in this upcoming presidential election. Call the Chapter office at 312-251-1680 to participate.

We hope you can help make this a great election for the environment.