More than 20 volunteer chapters of the Freedom From Religion Foundation have pooled their resources in order to erect voter awareness billboards on behalf of FFRF in all seven swing states.
These billboards launch Freedom From Religion Foundation’s public voter awareness campaign, a full-scale marketing effort leading up to the Nov. 5 election.
The swing state campaign is the brainchild of Judy Saint, who runs the Greater Sacramento Chapter of FFRF and 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 remarks. “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 close to half-a-century 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 (pictured below), just two blocks from Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., in time to greet students moving back to campus and those attending September’s overflowing home football games.
A similar message in Pittsburgh, “Be a Voter — Protect Democracy, Pennsylvania” (pictured below) is up on Banksville Road, a quarter mile south of Parkway. 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-by-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 (pictured above).
“For us at the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s Valley of the Sun Chapter, placing a ‘Be A Voter! Save Democracy, Arizona!’ billboard near Arizona State University is more than just a message — it’s a vital opportunity to reach the next generation of voters in one of the most pivotal swing states in the nation,” says de la Tour.
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 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 (pictured below) 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 nonchapter donors,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Our message to voters is: Vote like your rights depend on it — because they do.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with about 40,000 members across the country. Our purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.
