31 Jan UICUF Wants You To Vote!
- This year, we will be voting for everything from state legislators to US President, and UICUF strongly encourages all of our members to vote!
- Registration deadlines for the March primaries are coming up 2/18. Online registration is available until 2/29.
- It’s a great time to join our Committee on Political Education for as little as $1/mo.
- UICUF Officer and Rep elections will also be run this semester by members of our Election Committee. Contact UICUnitedFaculty@gmail.com to help with the elections!
Get Ready to Vote!
As a union that stresses democratic participation in our workplace, we’d be remiss if we didn’t urge every member to participate in local and national elections as well. For most, the next big round of contests will be the State Primaries on March 17th. Of course, in order to vote, you need to be registered, so this is our first reminder to make sure you take this necessary step. This is particularly important if you or anyone in your life has recently moved, or just turned 18. To vote in the Illinois Primaries you should ideally register by 2/18. If you’re uncertain whether you are registered, you can check online.
Do More with UICUF COPE
If you want to get more involved in how our union endorses and supports state and local candidates (we do not intend to independently endorse in national races), join our Committee on Political Education for as little as $1 a month. COPE is an independent group which, unlike UICUF, can raise and donate money to political campaigns. This gives our members the peace of mind knowing that dues never go toward paying for political candidates, while offering the opportunity for faculty to voluntarily pool resources in support of races that will affect higher education.* The COPE Board of Trustees is currently assessing which candidate(s) to endorse for the March 17 Illinois primary. Any questions about the UICUF COPE can be directed to uicufcope@gmail.com.
UICUF Officer and Rep Elections
UICUF will be holding our own elections this year, so look out for the official announcement by mail in the next two weeks. Since our internal elections are run by a committee of members who neither hold, nor intend to seek, elected positions within the union, we are currently looking for faculty to volunteer. This is a short-term commitment that is central to the democratic functioning of our union, and participating members will be supported by our experienced staff at each step of the process. Contact us at UICUnitedFaculty@gmail.com if you’re interested in joining this committee.
Tentative dates for UICUF’s election cycle are as follows:
- Notice of Elections sent by mail no later than 2/17
- Nominations closed and polling information posted by 3/30
- Elections held 4/13-4/14
We hope you will take the time this year to participate in the democratic process at all levels!
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*Contributions or gifts to the UICUF COPE qualified fund are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. A copy of our report filed with the State Board of Elections is available on the Board’s official website, www.elections.il.gov, or for purchase from the State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois.
We issue regular updates via email, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and on our website. We encourage everyone to like and follow us on social media. If you want to contribute your story, pictures, video, or other content related to the activities of the union, email us at UICUnitedFaculty@gmail.com. With your support, we are making UIC an even better place to work and learn!