22222222The ERA Coalition LAUNCHES Elect Equality campaign to educate voters on where candidates stand on the Equal Rights Amendment–AND the all-important issue of gender equality at large as the 2024 election heats up.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: vochoa@eracoalition.org

Washington, DC – July 18, 2024 – Gender equality is essential to ensuring the United States of America fulfills the promise of democracy and freedom represented by the celebration of our country’s Independence Day. Last week, on July 4th, the ERA Coalition launched its Elect Equality campaign for the 2024 election cycle. The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is the only way to solidify gender equality in our Constitution, providing a new tool to advance rights and prevent further rollbacks, such as the historic loss of rights to autonomy.

The ERA Coalition is a powerful organization with 300 partners, representing more than 80 million people. Live on our website now – electequality.org – voters can find the stances of all candidates running for the Senate and the House of Representatives on the Equal Rights ERA—-from every state, every district, every party.

Elect Equality is a campaign designed to inform voters about candidates’ positions on the ERA. Candidates who indicate their support of the ERA through voting records or questionnaire responses are awarded a check for their support. But ERA Coalition Certification is an exclusive designation.  

Candidates who demonstrate a commitment to ensuring substantive gender equality through their voting record, public statements, and questionnaire responses on the ERA and related gender equality issues will be designated as ERA Certified. The ERA Coalition will announce the awarding of ERA Certified candidates to its broad partner network, promote on their social feeds, and have developed a badge that candidates may use to show their certification status on materials.  Find out what it means to be an ERA Certified candidate at the following link: https://eracoalition.org/electequality/what-does-it-mean-to-be-era-certified/. 

“Publishing the ERA is the ONLY action that would explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sex and gender,” said Zakiya Thomas, President and CEO of the ERA Coalition. “The Elect Equality campaign gives voters a chance to see their candidates’ positions on the Equal Rights Amendment. Our interactive tool helps voters stay informed before they head to the polls, with just a click of a button.”

Carol Jenkins, ERA Coalition Chair says. “Elect Equality asks, and answers, the definitive question for voting in Election 2024: Does your candidate believe in equality in all of its forms? Does your candidate believe in you?”

So far Elect Equality has received completed questionnaires from over 100 candidates -across the political spectrum- who are under consideration for certification. We are proud to announce our first batch of certified candidates, including sitting members Senator Jacky Rosen (NV) and Representatives Joyce Beatty (OH-03), Cori Bush (MO-01), Sean Casten (IL-06), Judy Chu (CA-28), Gerald Connolly (VA-11), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Bill Foster (IL-11), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Andy Kim (Running for NJ Senate), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Scott Peters (CA-50), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), Adam Smith (WA-09), Bonnie Watson-Coleman (NJ-12). We will be releasing additional batches of candidates on a regular basis throughout the election cycle pending a thorough vetting process.

“In my 30 years in Congress, we have never been closer to recognizing the ERA as the 28th Amendment to the Constitution!  With the Dobbs, Chevron, Idaho, and Mifepristone efforts at the Supreme Court to roll back our rights, it has never been more important.” said former Congresswoman Maloney. 

“If they can roll back our right to choose; they can roll back all other rights. The only way to protect women is to place them in the Constitution where they belong. Voters need to know where candidates stand.  The ERA Coalition’s Elect Equality Campaign certifies where candidates stand on the ERA. This will allow voters to ELECT EQUALITY up and down the ballot.”

“After 100 years of fearing for our job security, unaddressed sexual violence, denied bodily autonomy, and being relegated to a footnote in history—we say enough is enough. It is high time Congress affirms gender equality as the law of the land and enshrines the ERA as the 28th Amendment to the Constitution.” -Ayanna Pressley, lead sponsor of HJ Res 25 and co-chair of the Congressional ERA Caucus.

“As the Supreme Court destroys the rights of women on a daily basis, we’ve never needed the Equal Rights Amendment more than we do now.”- Congressman Gerry Connolly

The ERA is essential for safeguarding our fundamental rights from the whims of political change. To learn more about the Elect Equality Campaign, visit eracoalition.org/electequality.

###

The ERA Coalition is a movement of movements, comprising over 300 partner organizations nationwide, and representing 80 million individuals. We advocate for transformative change and spearhead both community and political movements aimed at securing Constitutional recognition. We increase public understanding of the need for codifying the equal treatment of people on the basis of sex in the Constitution, and the need to end sex inequality in all its forms. This is what unites us all.