As Election Day nears, more and more eyes are on the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. More specifically, the U.S. political sphere is paying close attention to Philadelphia and its collar counties. For both Presidential candidates, the path to victory becomes very narrow if they do not capture our state. With a huge portion of the state’s voters living in our city, it’s undeniable that the 2024 election, in large part, will be decided by those who live here.

Contrary to what Donald Trump and Elon Musk believe, Philadelphians and those who live in the surrounding counties will not be swayed by their gimmicks. When they treat the uniforms that workers wear as a costume and our workplaces as a backdrop for a photo op or when they try to scam workers into signing petitions in exchange for life-changing sums of money, they unknowingly reveal just how much they loathe the Philadelphian working class. They believe that pretending to be us and false promises of money is enough for our communities to turn a blind eye to their fascist agenda.

On the flip side, the Harris–Walz campaign has brought in labor leaders and progressive politicians, such as Shawn Fain and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, to stump for them in our city. Although this move is promising, and certainly more appealing than what the Trump–Vance ticket has done thus far, there are a few key issues that the aforementioned surrogates have championed but Harris hasn’t. To put it plainly, Harris must call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an arms embargo. Additionally, she must move away from right-wing dehumanizing talking points on the border. Philadelphia is a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, working-class city with vibrant Latino and Muslim American communities. For our city, these issues are not niche or fringe, they’re critical in the lives of our families and neighbors.

With today, October 21st, being the deadline to register to vote in the state of Pennsylvania, we recognize that from now until the moment the election is certified we will be engaged in a battle for democracy. We recognize that in order to build a working-class democracy in the future, the imperfect democracy that exists today must be defended. The Debbie Amis Bell Club of the CPUSA is prepared to stand alongside democratic Philadelphians to deal a decisive blow to the fascist threat and fend off a MAGA dictatorship. We call on our club members, members of our youth league, and all residents of the city to register to vote today if you have not done so already.

As Lenin said over one hundred years ago, “Democracy is of enormous importance to the working class in its struggle against the capitalists for its emancipation.” Therefore, not one inch should be conceded to the fascist right in any arena of struggle — in the streets or at the ballot box. Forward to victory, not one step back!

Image: People at a vote early block party by One Pennsylvania (Twitter/X)

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