These continue to be trying times for our nation. The coronavirus still holds America in its grip, and it is unclear when that will improve. The health and economic security of workers, including more than 1 million essential Teamsters working on the front lines, remain at risk.

This union and others have stood strong and made their voices heard in Congress advocating for the wellbeing of hardworking people during the past four months. But we must also again begin to look ahead towards November, when a consequential election will decide the future path of this country.

Leaning on lessons the union learned during primary elections held in the last two months — including empowering shop stewards on the job to post fliers and talk to fellow workers; increasing phone banking and texting efforts; and using social media to reach out to the membership – we must continue to expand our efforts to educate our members and encourage them to vote.

But in the age of the coronavirus, voting doesn’t look the same. That’s why we’re encouraging members to take advantage of more flexible absentee voting and vote-by-mail provisions to make sure they get their ballots in and counted. That allows them to vote from the safety of their homes when they are able to do so.

As leaders of this great union, it is imperative that we do everything we can to make sure that Teamsters vote this November. We must ensure that we elect leaders who will fight for working families – not corporations.