People can only vote once in the 2024 election, and concealed-carry groups are lobbying gun enthusiasts in battleground states to get their votes.
The National Concealed Carry Association’s Lifesaving Action Fund has launched a new “One Stop” aimed at apolitical gun owners. Online Tools It helps potential voters register and make plans to vote in November.
It’s part of a national effort to encourage gun owners to be more politically active. The online efforts run alongside in-person grassroots campaigns in key battleground states across the country, including Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Courtesy of USCCA
“The Second Amendment will be on the ballot in November – not just as a front-runner, but in state and local elections,” Katie Pointer Baney, executive director of the USCCA-FSL Action Fund, said in a statement Wednesday. “Responsible gun owners have a duty to vote in this election in record numbers.”
“Whether you’re a first-time voter who wants to request a ballot or you want to verify your registration before going to the polls or finding a polling location, our Voter Headquarters has all the tools 2A advocates need to make planning to vote smoother than ever,” she added.
The new effort to register gun owners to vote is similar to an earlier effort by Vote4America, which identified 10 million hunters and gun owners who were not registered to vote in key battleground states this election cycle.
Vote4America estimates that approximately 515,277 hunters and gun owners in Pennsylvania and 338,884 in Wisconsin are not registered to vote, meaning mobilizing gun owners could have a big impact in battleground states where every vote counts.
Poynter Baney said many gun owners are apolitical. “At the end of the day, most gun owners don’t subscribe to the politics of gun ownership,” she told The Washington Post.
Courtesy of USCCA
“They’re probably not very political or very divisive. Gun ownership is part of their whole community,” she said. “It’s not as politically thorny an issue as a lot of people, especially in Washington, see it.”
She told The Washington Post that while she wants gun owners to vote, she’s not necessarily trying to change their minds.
“I think our mission is really to say, ‘You’re right, I agree that gun ownership shouldn’t be a partisan or political issue, but at the end of the day, there are candidates and people out there who don’t believe in the fundamental right to own a gun,'” she said. “They don’t believe in their ability to carry a gun or protect themselves and their family, so we need to be involved on both sides to protect that right.”
The issue of apolitical gun owners was highlighted by Trump at the NRA’s annual convention in Dallas in May. Trump “Gun owners must vote. We want a landslide victory.”
According to Pennsylvania State Police, there are more than 1.5 million active concealed carry permits in the Keystone State as of July 1. According to the Wisconsin Legislature, more than 76,000 concealed carry permits were issued or renewed last year alone.
Both states have incumbent Democrats fighting to retain their senate seats. Electoral vote Both races are expected to be close, according to the Cook Political Report.
Sustained voter registration efforts over time have been shown to have a significant impact on public policy outcomes.
For example, in 2021, Florida Republicans gained a voter registration advantage in the former battleground state. Election CommissionGov. Ron DeSantis signed the state’s constitutional carry bill into law in 2023, after the 2022 midterm elections.
