This Is the Fight We Can’t Afford to Lose
The landscapes we love don’t get a vote. We must ensure the people who depend on them do.
We’re not here to tell anyone how to vote. We’re here because the right to vote freely and fairly is the foundation on which everything else rests. Every eligible American must be able to cast a ballot.
Add your name to the open letter urging Governors, Secretaries of State, Attorneys General, and federal leaders to protect ballot access for all Americans.
Signatories
Jeremy Jones
POW Founder & professional snowboarder
Jessie Diggins
POW Board & Alliance member, Olympic Nordic skier
Bill McKibben
Environmentalist, Author & Educator
Tommy Caldwell
POW Climb Alliance member
Bea Kim
Olympian & POW Snowboard Alliance member
Nick Russell
POW Snowboard Alliance member
Julia Kern
Olympian & POW Ski Alliance member
Jessie Grupper
Olympian & POW Climb Alliance member
Graham Zimmerman
POW’s Sr. Director, Athlete Alliance & Professional alpinist
Sierra Quitiquit
POW Ski Alliance member
Cam Smith
Olympian & POW Ski Alliance member
Dakota Jones
POW Run Alliance member
Voting creates a foundation for progress on every issue we care about. We cannot have a healthy business or resolve the climate and nature crisis without a healthy democracy.
Fair elections are foundational to protect everything we care about, our communities, our environment, and our democracy.
I am signing on to the letter because I believe in the power of our voice, the power of free and fair elections, and our right to vote. We have a responsibility to elect leaders who will protect our future livelihoods through a democratic process.
I am signing this letter because all Americans deserve the right to have the ability to vote. I am very excited to vote in my first midterms for clean air, clean water, and a healthy planet.
When competing, I expect we’re all given equal opportunities to perform at our best. Voting should be no different. Everyone deserves a fair playing field: showing up should be enough. Everyone’s beliefs should have a chance to be represented.
About the Campaign
What is Defend The Vote?
Defend the Vote is a campaign by Protect Our Winters (POW) and its alliance communities to publicly declare that access to the ballot is non-negotiable. It is a unified statement from the American outdoor sports community that voting rights matter to us, to our seasons, and to the places we love.
Is This a Get-out-the-vote (GOTV) campaign?
No, Defend the Vote is what comes before GOTV. Rather than asking people to vote, it lays the groundwork, establishing a public collective commitment to ballot access during the 2026 midterm election.
Is This campaign non-partisan?
Yes! Defend the Vote is non-partisan. It does not support or oppose any candidate, party, or electoral outcome. It stands for one thing only: the right of every eligible person to cast a ballot.
What is the open letter?
The open letter is a formal document addressed to elected officials at every level of government (local, state, and federal). It is written in the voice of our community, rooted in real experiences like shorter winters, thinning snowpack, and low-running rivers, and makes an unambiguous case for ballot access as a right. It will be formally delivered to elected leaders as a document representing the full weight of the outdoor sports community’s signatories.
You can read the full letter here.
Can anyone sign the letter?
Please do! We also encourage you to share it with your community. This letter encompasses athletes, brands, alliance members, seasonal business owners, and everyday members of the outdoor community.
Why is POW speaking out about voter rights?
Because climate change is already shrinking our seasons and threatening the places and livelihoods we depend on, and elections determine the policies that shape that future. Defending the right to vote is the most foundational step we can take. Without a secure ballot, there is no path to protecting the mountains, rivers, and snowpack our community relies on.
DONATE TO POW
Help us ramp up our Stoke the Vote efforts for the 2026 Midterm Election. We can’t do this without you!
Community Chapters
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POW MERCH
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