Elections have consequences, a term all too familiar in today’s polarized political landscape. The stakes have never been higher for conservatives and law-abiding gun owners as we weather attack after attack on liberty and the ability to take personal responsibility for our safety and that of our loved ones. With the gravity of the matter at hand and the significance of ramifications should we fail, we must ask if we are truly doing our part to secure a brighter future for tomorrow.
George Allen Urmston, CEO of Battle Tested Equipment (BTE), an Arizona-based defense, commercial and OEM manufacturer of armored vehicles, firearms, parts and accessories asked himself this question and responded by creating Shoot The Vote, an organization dedicated to urging hunters, shooters and everyday gun owners to get registered and vote to protect the Second Amendment. Teaming up with American Majority Action, the organization provides resources that make the process easier than ever, from registration and absentee materials to ballot tracking and getting involved to ensure others do the same.
In The Beginning
Urmston’s efforts to educate and get involved began before his inception of Shoot The Vote. Speaking with him, I get the impression that they took root long before. In addition to BTE, he owns the North Phoenix store, Cave Creek Guns, where during the 2020 Covid pandemic he experienced the industry-wide influx of new shooters and gun owners flocking to make their first firearms purchases. Urmston used this opportunity to educate customers about their Second Amendment rights, provided them with voter registration materials and even scheduled an instructor to teach firearm safety to new gun owners at no extra cost to them.
D–Day
Fast forward to the 80th anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 2024. Urmston, a longtime Trump family friend, was speaking with the 45th President when it was brought to his attention that a great number of hunters and gun owners simply don’t vote. Many are not even registered. Shocking as this might sound, Urmston did his research and discovered yet again that the former president knows what he is talking about. Based on his research, Urmston uncovered a number of states in which hunters and gun owners were, by their own hand, not being represented at the ballot box.
Speaking with Urmston, he cited the following states, and the number of hunters and gun owners not even registered to vote.
Arizona: 133,000
Georgia: 351,000
Michigan: 371,000
Missouri: 282,000
Montana: 52,000
Nevada: 60,000
North Carolina: 370,000
Pennsylvania: 515,000
Virginia: 277,000
Wisconson: 339,000
In his home state of Arizona, Urmston discovered unsettling statistics that further cemented his commitment to get more involved. In 2020, there were 130,000 more Republicans registered to vote in the state than Democrats, a number that should have swayed election results despite certain “voting irregularities.” Urmston also found that over 350,000 registered Republicans did not vote in the state’s 2022 midterm elections, many of them hunters and gun owners, accounting for approximately 30% of the 1.1 million absentee ballots sent out in Maricopa County
In light of the numbers, it is natural to ask, “why?” The answer, however, is about what you would expect in this climate, with conservatives overwhelmingly citing a lack of trust in the government and an underlying feeling that their votes don’t count. It is no secret that many Americans question the integrity of elections these days, and certainly, events and “irregularities” have taken place that would give rise to such thoughts and concerns.
The Response
In response to this, Shoot the Vote has organized resources and materials aimed at making an impact by means of sheer numbers, with the intent to drive broad-based pro-2A victories. Their website, shootthevote.org states, “A large portion of those who didn’t vote are gun owners, hunters, shooters. Don’t just cry about them coming for our Second Amendment. Do something about it.”
Shortly after the July 13th assassination attempt on former President and current Republican Presidential Nominee Donald J. Trump, Breitbart News reported Trump’s comments, stating that the assassination attempt against him did not alter his conviction when it comes to the Second Amendment. Trump has observed that Americans use guns for hunting and sporting purposes, but stressed the main reason people need guns is “for protection.” This sentiment was echoed by Urmston who conveyed that his personal conversations with President Trump indicated an invigorated re-commitment to the Second Amendment, one that we should expect to see play out in his next term, should Trump and gun owners prevail.
In our conversation, Urmston makes clear that a motto he lives by is “Esse quam videri,” a Latin term meaning “To be, rather than to seem,” which strikes me as appropriate as I learn more about his efforts and motivations. His disposition embodies the spirit of the faithful and patriotic American working hard to make a difference for future generations. With deep respect for the sacrifices made for this country, Urmston’s shootthevote.org states, “Your Grandfather didn’t sleep in a foxhole in a far away land clutching a picture of your Grandmother so you would surrender your guns.” I know he is right about this, and I also know that we can do more to educate and motivate Americans from all walks of life to embrace the freedoms that made this country great and will make it great again. Perhaps Urmston said it best, “Together we can make the 2024 election too big to rig.”
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