On 4 November, the US goes to the polls(*). As we hope for Barrack Obama to win, another historic vote is taking place. The people of San Francisco will be voting on Proposition K to decriminalise sex work and prioritise sex workers' safety and rights.

Prop K was put on the ballot by sex workers and supporters who collected the necessary 12,000 signatures. We have been working closely with our sister organisation in San Francisco, the US PROStitutes Collective (US PROS), which is part of the Yes on Prop K Coalition. Led by sex workers, the Coalition includes people from all walks of life: mothers and grandmothers, students, doctors, nurses, lawyers, women and community organisations, church people, gay-bi-trans activists. All have been working flat out to get a YES vote. Prop K has received widespread support, including from SF Democratic Party and the Green Party. It has become a national and international news story.

Opposition to decriminalisation is being spearheaded by the prosecuting authorities, property developers and those who benefit from the criminalisation of sex workers such as government funded "rehabilitation" projects. Like here, feminists engaged in a moralistic crusade against prostitution have been vocal, claiming that Prop K will prevent traffickers being caught.

Yet Prop K calls for the vigorous prosecution of rape and any form of violence and coercion, and that includes traffickers. But immigrant sex workers would no longer be targeted for raids and deportation. Those who have the least - often women of colour - and have been most severely affected by criminalisation, would be the first to benefit from Prop K.

In the UK we face government proposals to further criminalise sex workers and clients. This would push prostitution further underground and make women more vulnerable to violence.

Many people all over the world are hoping that the presidential election will mark the beginning of a transformation away from the politics of war, greed and repression. Sex workers in SF are also hoping that Prop K will change the course of law enforcement and end their victimisation.

A victory in San Francisco would follow New Zealand's successful five-year-old decriminalisation. It would set an important precedent in the US and far beyond for greater protection, well-being and safety for prostitute women and all sex workers.

For facts, statements, youtube interviews, media coverage and much more go to: http://www.yesonpropk.org/ and http://www.prostitutescollective.net/

(*) Proposition K lost by 16 percentage points

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