2026 General Election – GOTV
In the weeks leading up to the 2026 General Election we’d like to share some helpful “Get Out The Vote” resources to help you make sure you are prepared to vote. The stakes are considerable for Florida. At stake is the future of education in Florida, and, if the recent past is prologue, higher education will not be exempt from further attacks. It is no secret that one party’s ideology has controlled the conversation around education in Florida. They have attacked academic freedom and the curriculum. They’ve installed loyalists on institution boards. And, thanks to a law that all but eschews transparency in presidential searches, the governor is basically making political appointments for university and college presidents.
The only thing standing in their way of entirely remaking education into a for-profit “education industry,” are teacher unions such as FEA and UFF. So, of course they’ve been attacking us by passing law after law meant to restrict our constitutional right (in Florida) to come together in a union and advocate for better wages and working conditions for our members.
While UFF, FEA, and affiliates are fighting theses attacks when possible in the courts, and despite some recent wins, the legal process is slow. The best, most direct way we can counter these attacks and end the ideological stranglehold on Tallahassee is to turn out and vote for candidates who share our values and support public education and labor unions, and not those who stand to profit from dismantling them.
GOTV resources
The West Central Florida Labor Council has put together a list of candidates that have been screened prior to endorsement, a process overseen each election year by the FL AFL-CIO COPE Convention. The WCFLC encompasses Hillsborough County and surrounding counties. It is a non-partisan process that aims to find the best candidate that supports both labor unions and public education.
Make a Plan
Make sure you are registered and have the information you need to vote.
- Check your Voter Status
- Make a Voting Plan
- FEA Voter Toolkit
- Share these resources with your family and friends!
Get involved
Would you like to get involved and help organize for a better future for education and workers in Florida? Here are some ways to do so in the lead up to the election. (Instructions and guidance will be provided):
- FEA phone banking – sign up
- Phone banking 101 – helpful how-to info
- WCFLC
- Phone banking via Zoom – Sign up for shifts (6:30-8pm – Tues, Wed, Thurs until the election)
- Canvassing – (Saturdays)
- St. Pete – 9/26
- Lakeland – 10/3
- Tampa – 10/10 (link forthcoming)
Documentary screening and panel discussion
There is a screening of the documentary First They Came For My College on Sun Oct 4 at 2pm (Sun-Ray Cinema in the USF region). This excellent documentary chronicles the hostile takeover of New College of Florida. Catch this limited screening and stay for the a panel discussion afterward. Hope to see you there!
