Save Democracy and the Climate: Get Out the Vote!

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The clock is ticking as the impacts of climate change intensify -- and the scale of the climate crisis demands more than just individual action. The fossil fuel industries have been good at shifting responsibility to consumers to solve the climate crisis while lobbying against strong environmental laws to lower industrial global warming emissions. But progress is possible when voters are informed and empowered because elections determine whether our governments will enable or impede pro-climate actions. Join us as we use research-tested ways of catalyzing every type of voter so we can build on the number of voters who increasingly say the climate is important to them.  

Background

Research shows that majorities of registered voters prefer candidates who support action on the climate, want development of clean energy sources, and support policies to reduce the pollution that causes global warming. However, an estimated 11.2 million environmentalists did not vote in the 2024 presidential election, and that many more skip midterm, state, and local elections. The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication helps the public understand how climate change is already affecting our lives and reaches different types of voters with messages tailored to catalyze their vote for a more sustainable world. The Messages for Voters below is based on the Yale program’s research.

Why Now?

The clean energy gains from landmark legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act have been severely weakened through regulatory rollbacks and economic instability.  The 2026 midterm elections represent a critical “climate moment,” where the focus must shift from policy development to protecting the democratic institutions that enable climate progress. As Representative Jamie Raskin, a former Jewish Earth Alliance speaker, warns us, “This year’s midterms will be elections of incalculable significance.” We can do our part by getting out the vote using effective messaging.

Jewish Perspectives

Fresh in our minds from last month’s Pesach seder, the Haggadah offers one of Judaism’s great teaching models: it speaks differently to the wise child, the skeptical child, the simple child, and the one who does not yet know how to ask. So too in climate advocacy, we meet voters in different places; those already paying attention, those who care but feel unsure, those disillusioned by politics, and those not yet ready to engage. Jewish tradition reminds us that effective leadership does not speak to everyone in the same way; it meets each person where they are and invites them into deeper responsibility. The four species of Sukkot teach a similar lesson: a community is made whole not by sameness, but by bringing together people with different strengths, levels of knowledge, and capacities to act. Judaism has long understood that education must be paired with mitzvot, concrete opportunities to turn learning into daily action. In that spirit, our charge is clear: speak to every voter with wisdom, dignity, and urgency, and call them to the sacred work of protecting our climate and our future.

Learn More

It was a very good election for the climate, Grist

Climate Change Concern Near Its High Point in U.S., Gallup

Climate issues are kitchen table issues, Colorado Newsline

The Most Impactful Things You Can Do for the Climate Aren’t What You’ve Been Told, World Resources Institute

Messages for Voters

The Alarmed or Concerned Voter

The goal with knowledgeable and involved individuals is motivating them to act, particularly by providing opportunities for political advocacy. However, less than a third of this type of voter have contacted an elected official about climate change over the past year. Alarmed or concerned voters will respond to opportunities to act with others! Invite your concerned family member or friend to attend a Jewish Earth Alliance zoom meeting with you before the November election. Our briefings offer high-profile inspirational and informative speakers followed by calling or writing our representatives to advocate for legislation and policies that protect our climate.  

The Cautious Voter

This voter questions whether climate change is real and how scientists know it is human-caused. They are unlikely to find the answers, however, because close to 70 percent say they pay little or no attention to climate news or information. This voter also thinks that the greatest climate risks will be faced by future generations. Since reaching them by using traditional media may be challenging, an example of an effective communication strategy would be to draw the connection between how they vote now and the future wellbeing of their children or grandchildren. For example, “Let’s preserve the beautiful world we have now for future generations.”

The Disengaged Voter

The disengaged voter does not give much thought to global warming. They are unsure how much global warming will harm them, their family, or future generations. Yet, they tend to believe that global warming is somewhat dangerous. The disengaged say they need more information on global warming, but are unlikely to seek it. Consequently, ways to reach and engage this voter work best if they can be quickly understood. Such strategies include: using visual imagery, humor, and celebrity or highly credible sources; showing that climate-friendly behaviors, such as using clean energy sources, are more affordable; and showing, rather than telling, the threat of climate change by drawing attention to its impacts on places they know or live near or that have emotional significance to them.

© 2026 Jewish Earth Alliance