Part 4 of a 5 part series
The lessons I learned from the two Mrs. Jones that afternoon has led me never to skip an election or submit an incomplete ballot for nearly 60 years. I cannot express how important I believe voting is to democracy and to the millions who cherish it. Voting is not just a precious right; it is our responsibility as citizens. I will be forever indebted to these amazing women, and my children and grandchildren.
More particularly, these women answered my questions regarding where to go and how to obtain the publicly available demographic data and voting records. This information, collected and maintained by the County Election Bureau, was the information I needed to develop a Campaign Plan. Lastly, they made it clear to me that while neither of them would endorse the library project, they did wish us well. These women made me promise that I keep our conversation confidential. They sincerely believed that their role was to educate citizens about how to make good decisions and take full advantage of their right to vote.
They wholeheartedly agreed with my observation that the key to winning the referendum would rest on identifying our likely favorable voters and persuading them to vote. They pointed out that the referendum would be in a non-presidential election year. Turnout would probably be low (except for their precinct, of course). This being the case, we needed to mount a creative, highly focused campaign. And avoid stirring up the opposition.
My next stop was the Allegheny County Bureau of Elections, and the staff provided a treasure trove of Ross Township demographic data and recent precinct voting records. With Karen's background in social sciences and mine in government, political science, and urban planning studies, we quickly buried ourselves in the fascinating data. We discovered that while the nine Ross Township wards appeared on a map to be roughly equal in physical area, their populations ranged from several hundred to several thousand. A majority of the nine Township elected officials, representing a minority of the township voters, could and did control Township decision-making.
It was readily apparent that the five older developed Wards on the southern side of the Township had substantially fewer voters than the four most northern Wards. The representatives of the fewest people (that is, those from the southern Wards) held the balance of power. The Commission's vote to "kill" the library was crystal clear. But, the path to winning the referendum suddenly came into focus. We synthesized our findings and mapped out a plan.
Most of the people who attended the Township Commission meeting debacle, plus a few more that missed the event, came to the next meeting. We presented the information Karen, and I collected, plus more from my college textbooks and class notes. I reviewed the most salient advice I had gathered from my political experts, the two Mrs. Jones but without attribution.
Our citizen meeting the week after the failed Commission decision was successful. People went from defeatists to avowed "Yes We Can!" to get the referendum passed. We set up a structure, identified and delegated responsibilities, and set a schedule. Perhaps most crucial was one volunteer's brilliant idea to engage our children in the campaign. We recruited volunteers, primarily parents with small children, continuing to add more up to election day. Our plan was simple but required good coordination and careful record keeping.
With their wagons in tow and parents in the background, the children would go door to door visiting potential voters. The children would politely ask whoever answered the door if they would please contribute a book or two for the new library they hoped to build. Who could resist? This opening set up the opportunity for children to ask the householders to please vote for the library referendum. The parents would chime in if necessary, record the results and turn the information over to the election day turnout team. This team would record potential favorable voters, map their location and assign voter turnout tasks to block and building captains. The captains would contact the 'yes' voters to ask if they needed help to get to the polls and, on election day, to remind them to vote.
In the end, the children collected 60,000 books! The campaign plan worked! The massive turnout in the northern wards became apparent early on election day. With all the votes counted, it was a landslide. The children, their mothers, fathers, grandparents, and friends, a cast of hundreds, won the referendum!
The Township's six municipalities organized, financed, constructed, and opened the Northland Public Library in 1968 and the library celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018. Its collection has more than 200,000 items, and its circulation is second only to the Pittsburgh Carnegie Library.
Democracy works, but it requires work. Not just from a few but the many. You can't sit on the sidelines and expect others to do it for you. That was an important lesson I carried throughout my life.
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Join us next week for the last chapter in this month's series - A Toolbox for Life.
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