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SEA Members Vote 2008

Our Political Program

True to SEA's typical way of governance, decisions on political endorsements are made democratically through the participation of members.

The primary body for this process is our Political Education Committee, which any member can volunteer to serve on.  This committee has a long tradition of political diversity, and contains outspoken contingents of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents.

The Political Education Committee assesses political candidates through a number of means:  voting records of incumbent candidates, questionnaires, research of the candidates' backgrounds, and especially face to face meetings between the candidates and the committee. 

The key litmus test for any candidate to receive the SEA's endorsement is the combined view of their stands and votes (if any) on issues important to our members, the public that we serve, and working families everywhere.  For example, issues like health care (visit New Hampshire for Health Care to find out more).  Political party is not a consideration, and neither are candidates' positions on issues that are not directly germane to our concerns as public employees and working families. 

The Political Education Committee then makes its endorsement recommendations to the union's elected Board of Directors, who make the final endorsement decision.

You can get involved in guiding this process - it's as easy as joining a committee.  Members participate, members decide, members vote.  The members run this union.