It's Fall And The Midterms Are Upon Us
We are in the full swing of fall down here with cooler weather, leaves showing a little color, and the last hatch of baby chickens. Unfortunately, I’ve got the sinus infection, which seems to always follow the onslaught of fall allergies for me, to prove it.
But moving more slowly has been good, in a way, because it’s given me the opportunity to sit back and think about the big picture (with coffee in hand, of course). That’s hard to do right now, because the news is coming at us so fast, and so furious, and on so many fronts that it’s hard to keep track of it all. And it’s even harder to separate out the pieces of information that are the most important and stay focused on what really matters.
The news about Mar-a-Lago and January 6 is important. But right now, the impending election is what matters the most to me. There are over 300 candidates on state and local ballots across the country (and, of course, candidates for Congress) who are election deniers. I think that moniker is too kind. These are people who are so power-hungry that despite the clear evidence Biden won, they cling to the lies told by Trump. These are people who don’t care about a future where we progress towards a more perfect, more inclusive democracy. Many of them go so far as to want a white, Christian country, a vision that is profoundly anti-American. We must do everything we can to defeat them.
Click here to find election deniers on the ballot near you and across the country.
I’m constantly encouraged by the Civil Discoursers who leave comments or send emails telling me about what they’re doing to support the election. Some of you have signed up to work in your local polling places. Others are registering new voters or canvassing for candidates. And while some of you write to say that you fear that what you are doing isn’t enough, I want to reassure you that’s not the case. Every bit of effort goes towards our shared goal of reinforcing democracy. Tell me what you’re doing in the comments, you may inspire someone else!
Looking for ideas?
Voter ID: In states that require ID to vote, getting one that qualifies can be a nearly insurmountable barrier, especially for people who are older. ID laws disparately impact poor people and people of color. VOTERIDERS does great work in this area. Founded by the inimitable Kathleen Unger, the group’s missions statement is, “no eligible voter is prevented from casting a ballot that counts due to voter ID laws, either directly from lack of acceptable ID or indirectly because of voter confusion. VoteRiders educates voters and assists citizens to secure their voter ID. We inspire and support organizations, volunteers, and communities to sustain such voter ID education and assistance efforts.” So whether you need an ID for yourself or a family member, or want to start a neighborhood or community-wide effort, these folks are an amazing resource.
Postcard Writing Campaigns: Postcard writing is effective! Postcards to Voters is effective and easy to get involved with. I just signed up this morning by texting “join” to 484-275-2229. After a couple of texts back and forth with Abby, their address bot, I’m ready for training.
I confess to some anxiety about whether my postcards will be up to the standard set by the gorgeous ones on the website, but I think heartfelt will count as much as artistic. My plan is to get together with friends so we can pool our supplies and reach out to voters. And this feels especially important, if you, like me, live in a red state. It gives me a chance to help out in close elections elsewhere.
Being a Source of Reliable Information: Know people who need access to reliable information about how your local elections work? You can be the go to person for those around you with questions. One great resource is NBC’s Plan Your Vote: 2022, which fully lives up to its billing as, “Everything you need to know about the voting rules where you live, including registration, mail-in voting, changes since 2020, and more.” Mobilize.US is a comprehensive site that helps you find events and opportunities in your local area.
Poll Watching: Former President Jimmy Carter’s Foundation, The Carter Center, doesn’t observe U.S. elections, except in Indian Country. But that’s changing this cycle with the announcement that they will monitor the election in Fulton County, Georgia this fall. That’s not a step they would have taken lightly—they monitor elections in places like China and Brazil. They engage in countries where elections are at risk and representative forms of government are faltering.
The bipartisan poll watchers provided by The Carter Center will stand in sharp contrast to the thousands of people being trained by pro-Trump, “Stop the Steal” organizers. That training sounds more like an organized voter suppression than poll watching. The Stop the Steal types want to undercut confidence in the integrity of our elections, a central tenet of Trumpism, and by spreading widespread claims of abuses, they hope to do just that so they can carry on Trump’s legacy of claiming victory when they are defeated. So the fact that The Carter Center, which was invited to observe the election by the Fulton County Board of Elections, is getting involved in Georgia signifies just how important poll watching will be this cycle. You can use google to find poll watching opportunities through your Secretary of State’s office and other organizations. Be a witness for these elections.
Turn Out the Vote: One of my mentors used to say, all business is personal. Increasingly I apply that to voting—all turnout is personal. You can help make sure that voters who are less certain they’re going to participate get out and vote. Whether you know it or not, your role is important. Sometimes all it takes to get that wavering college student to vote is a bit of encouragement. Make a date to vote and go out for coffee afterwards with friends. This is something we can all do in our own way.
There are a lot of things grabbing at our attention right now, but I’m turning my focus to the elections, while trying to keep track of everything else. I look forward to hearing about what you’re doing!
We’re in this together,
Joyce
I was glad to hear you talk about postcard-writing to help get out the vote and support democracy. I have been doing this for a while, and I assure you that mine are not all that pretty. I think that postcards that are obviously written by a real person are more likely to be read.
Allow me to second Joyce about the postcards program.
This is a political strategy so old it is new again. It was old when I first used it 50 years ago to win three elections. It was called "Dear Friend" back then.
Originally, when the Democratic Party was more community-based with solid community groups and unions and such, we political campaign organizers went out and got the group to commit to sending a certain number of postcards, and their members would commit to certain numbers. The idea was they would send them to people they knew in the community. The campaign printed a postcard with a photo of the candidate and a short statement, with room for the sender to write. They were sent about a month before the election.
The reasoning behind them - which is still good today when they're being sent to strangers - is that the person receiving them is not going to send them straight to the trash can like happens to 90% of campaign mailers. They will pause and read them. And studies show that the post card will have more meaning to them than a mailer, because someone took the time personally to sit down and write them and then mail them. It's that "personal touch" that matters.
So, for those of you who may have wondered it it's more than a way to make otherwise-lazy lib'ruls feel good about doing something, yes. They work. They are worth your time. But be sure to get them done by the end of the month! Actually, the closer to the election, the more effective they are with people who were undecided or who might not vote (stress the importance of their vote in your message).
That is all. You may now return to your previously-scheduled net surfing. :-)