Hoosier Action is putting the fundamentals of organizing to work in small and rural communities in Indiana as they head into city council races.
Hoosier Action launched and anchored their electoral efforts this spring and summer by conducting listening sessions starting in two small towns in southern Indiana in May. These sessions welcomed community members who would become new leaders, volunteers, and members, developing the work for the cycle with Hoosier Action around the issues that mattered most to community members. From these listening sessions, Hoosier Action staff and leaders developed issue platforms for the election. Community leaders and members trained with their core teams and the broader membership of the organization through orientation meetings, preparing for work in the fall and end of the year.
In Columbus, Indiana the Hoosier Action team led by Stephanie Zhang is the only program creating any interaction between real people and the upcoming election and the issues that matter to people. In New Albany, the leadership team has met with every candidate.
Hoosier Action’s powerful work in small and rural towns brings everyday community members voices into the election where the inclusive and participatory democracy is otherwise so thin.
This past week, the organization held two town halls. In New New Albany, 120 participants met with 16 candidates, and in Columbus, 120 people met with 14 candidates. Community members asked candidates about the issue platforms in front of the 120 voting community members.
Read more in The Republic and follow Hoosier Acton’s social media to find photos and next steps as they work towards Election Day on November 7.