Statement from UNITE HERE International President D. Taylor:

This election season, UNITE HERE got out on the doors first and stayed out longest. More than 1,500 UNITE HERE canvassers—many of them Black and Latino workers whose jobs and families were hit hard by COVID-19—knocked on the doors of over 2.8 million Americans to encourage them to vote. Thanks to their hard work in the battleground states of Nevada, Arizona, Florida and Pennsylvania, unprecedented numbers of Americans voted early, cast ballots by mail and voted at the polls in today’s election. We honor that work and the millions of American voters who overcame enormous obstacles to vote in this election by affirming our commitment to ensuring that every vote is counted.

Already the historic turnout in this election demonstrates that we are winning the fight to take back our country. Among the voters included in those record turnout numbers are youth, Black Americans, immigrants, and first-time voters—many of whom had to overcome unacceptable barriers to exercise their most fundamental right as an American: the right to vote. Their votes must be counted, because for our democracy to work, it must include all of us.

Now, we must ensure that each and every voice is heard. UNITE HERE is committed to make sure that every eligible vote is counted. We’re winning. We’re taking back our country. Let’s make sure every vote counts.

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UNITE HERE is a labor union with over 300,000 members working in the North American hospitality industry. Over 75% of its members are still out of work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, down from a peak of 98%. UNITE HERE is operating the largest union door-to-door canvassing operation in the United States, including the largest overall door-to-door canvassing operations in Nevada, Arizona, Florida, and Pennsylvania.