I’ve been joyously soaking up the energy of the resistance these past few weeks as we head into voting season. It’s been incredible to have a chance to work with so many different resistance and GOTV (get out the vote) groups, and I urge you to get involved as soon as possible so that you can make a difference in this upcoming election.
Here’s a roundup of a few of the most impactful groups that you can take action with and learn from!
VoteSaveAmerica: This is your voting bible. I’m serious. Copy http://www.VoteSaveAmerica.com and paste it into the notes section of your phone right now so that you have it when you need it.
You can find out if you are registered to vote, how to register, how to get involved with high priority campaigns, get a general overview of who’s running in your state, and get a tailored interactive voting guide so that you can dive into the background of every candidate for every position on your ballot, as well as those pesky propositions, and even save your selections and email them to yourself so you have it all laid out when you go to the polls.
Actions: Phonebanking, Textbanking, Canvassing, Friend-to-Friend outreach, Donating, Community Events
ACLU: Sign the pledge to be an ACLU voter, and you will get text messages with information about how to volunteer remotely (via text banking, which is my favorite thing to do while on the treadmill), and get more detailed information about your polling places, registration, and what you need to bring to the polls on election day.
Actions: Textbanking, Phonebanking
SwingLeft: Swing districts are where the last candidate to win only did so with a thin margin. Currently, there are about 64 seats in the House of Representatives that are targeted as swing districts for the 2018 midterms, and SwingLeft is laser-focused on connecting organizers to start early work in those districts.
Swing Left is one of my favorite groups. They recently got over 500 people in one weekend to make the 2-hour drive from San Francisco to Modesto to canvas for Josh Harder. They also have free trainings through their Swing Left Academy, with some trainings in person and others through webinars.
Actions: Phonebanking, Canvassing, Voter Registration, Resist-a-Thons
Bay Area Groups: SF Facebook, SF Instagram, Peninsula, South Bay, East Bay, Marin
Sister District Project: Another absolute fave of mine. The Sister District Project was formed to counterbalance the effects of rigged gerrymandering. They are harnessing the power of activists in deeply blue districts and channeling it where it can make a real impact. Metropolitan cities like San Francisco and New York or college towns tend to lean heavily Democrat. Whereas rural districts, like most of the country, are dispersed red districts that are cut off from much of the mainstream politicking. Sister District is changing that by looking towards 2020 as an opportunity to turn state legislatures blue, and ensure a fair redistricting process.
Actions: Textbanking, Phonebanking, Canvassing, Postcarding
Bay Area Groups: SF, Peninsula, South Bay, East Bay, Marin
Some of my finest work:
Indivisible: The Indivisible Guide is a practical guide to political advocacy, well, that actually works. It was written by former Congressional staffers and politicos on the most effective tactics for getting representatives to *listen* to you. Since November, over 5,800 community groups across the nation (at least 2 in each congressional district) use the indivisible guide for organizing against Trump. There’s an Indivisible group in almost every district, and they organize both protests and targeted get out the vote efforts.
Actions: Canvassing, Phonebanking, Postcarding, Letter Writing, Friend-to-Friend outreach, and Social Events with a bit of everything!
Bay Area Groups: SF, Peninsula, South Bay, East Bay, Marin
Planned Parenthood Action Fund: This advocacy wing of Planned Parenthood is a powerhouse. They reach deep into disadvantaged and marginalized communities to make sure folks’ voices are being heard. PPAF has state-specific and region-specific groups that you can volunteer with year-round, and get a reproductive rights friendly voting guides from during election season
Actions: Canvassing, Registering Voters, Phonebanking
Bay Area Groups: SF + Marin, Peninsula + South Bay + East Bay
Snapshots from canvassing with PPMM for Josh Harder:
If you ever have any questions about voting or getting involved, please reach out to me and I will be happy to help!
Darling and Daring 