CHICAGO, IL – Members of SEIU Illinois State Council including SEIU HCII, SEIU Local 1, and SEIU Local 73,will be hitting the doors and making phone calls in support of pro-worker candidates as part of “Purple Power Day,” a massive, nationwide SEIU Get Out the Vote push ahead of the November 5th election. They are urging voters to elect candidates Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, and U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin, who will stand with working families and move our country forward. 

“Our members know the stakes have never been higher,” said Greg Kelley, SEIU Illinois State Council President, and President of SEIU HCII. “Trump and the Republicans have shown us who they are—with attacks on workers, on women, on people of color, on immigrants, on reproductive rights and people with disabilities. And so have Vice President Harris and Tim Walz—by showing up for workers and working families, by standing up for the right to organize, and for reproductive and immigration rights and racial justice. And for an economy that works for working people. That’s why we’re showing up in unprecedented numbers to turn out the vote for these proven advocates.” 

“With only three days until Election Day, janitors, security officers, door staff, engineers, airport workers and more – no matter where we work or what language we speak – are all-in on getting out the vote and turning out in record numbers,” said SEIU Local 1 President Genie Kastrup. “For weeks, working people have been hitting the doors in Wisconsin and Michigan, calling their coworkers and doing the work to ensure we elect Kamala Harris as the next President of the United States. We know that our vote is our demand for Unions for All and we are ready to show that Trump’s divisive agenda won’t work here.”

“In America, voters pick our leaders; our leaders should not pick their voters. But MAGA Republicans across states are desperate to seize power with the ready help of the billionaire-backed justices they put on our Supreme Court. They are trying to veto our votes and sow doubts about the election so they can try to overturn the will of the people if they lose. They are attempting to pick their voters and silence the voices of Black, Brown, young, and new Americans by kicking eligible voters, most recently in Virginia, off of the voter rolls,” said Dian Palmer, President of SEIU Local 73. “This is why our members have been working to turn out the vote for Vice President Harris and Tim Walz in swing states like Wisconsin. In America, ‘we the people’ decide the outcome of elections, not politicians or the justices they appoint. We demand that election officials and the courts respect our freedom to cast our ballots, have them counted, and certify the results to ensure the people’s will prevails.”

As part of SEIU’s $200 million worker-funded campaign, this GOTV effort will mobilize 25,000 SEIU volunteers nationwide. The campaign targets SEIU members as well as high-potential, working-class voters in communities of color, with more than 40% of voter outreach aimed at people under 45 years old. SEIU is conducting outreach in seven languages to ensure all communities are reached.

Key Points in SEIU’s GOTV Push:

• Unprecedented Investment: SEIU’s $200 million GOTV campaign is fully funded by workers through voluntary contributions, making it a grassroots effort that stands apart from many other political efforts.
• Largest GOTV Program in the U.S.: With 25,000 SEIU member volunteers, 375 full-time staff, and 2.4 million pieces of mail sent, SEIU’s voter outreach is one of the largest single-organizational efforts to get out the vote this election.
• Multilingual and Inclusive: SEIU’s campaign spans seven languages and partners with 67 community-based organizations, ensuring voters of all backgrounds are informed and empowered to participate in this critical election.

Across the country, SEIU’s two million members form a powerful voting bloc that unites workers across race, geography, and industry. SEIU members in fields like healthcare, public services, and property services are joined by workers from Starbucks, fast food, and other not-yet-unionized sectors in this GOTV effort. Their work could be a deciding factor in the election, as seen in 2022, when a similar SEIU program resulted in a 27% increase in voter turnout among contacted voters.

Today’s action is part of SEIU’s nationwide push leading up to November 5, focusing on key Presidential battleground states like Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. In these states alone, SEIU has nearly 75,000 members registered to vote, and their voices could prove decisive.

About SEIU Illinois State Council:
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Illinois State Council (State Council) joins more than 150,000 members who power a wide variety of industries across the region, including: janitors, healthcare workers, childcare workers, and public employees across the Illinois.

About SEIU:
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) represents over two million workers across the U.S. and Canada, united in the fight for better wages, improved working conditions, and the rights of all workers.

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