We are less than 2 months away from election day.
In the past, I have not discussed politics in any great detail on this blog. But this year is different. I firmly believe that too much is at stake right now for me to be silent and not use my voice in every way I can. I may not have the biggest platform, but it is still a platform. And one that I want to use for change.
To put it bluntly, I am concerned what 4 more years of the current administration would mean for this country.
Trump has proven over and over again that he is not up for the task of being president. I worry not just about his inability to lead as has been proven over and over again during this pandemic, but I also worry about who he might nominate for the Supreme Court in the future. I worry about how he will continue to deepen inequality in this country for marginalized groups. The rights that might be stripped away from the LGBTQ+ community. Continued gun violence. Reproductive rights. White supremacy. Continued hatred, bullying and racism.
I could go on and on.
My own point of view is that I don’t want to wake up on November 4th thinking there was something more I could have done to get Joe Biden and Kamala Harris elected to office. And maybe you feel the same way.
Below is certainly not an exhaustive list of all the ways you can get involved with the 2020 election, but I hope it at least gives you an easy place to start.
Please let me know if there are any others I can include as well.
How To Get Involved With the 2020 Election:
First things first: Vote.
I know this is stating the obvious. But I’m still going to state it. VOTE. Visit Vote.Org to check your voter registration, change your voter registration, request a ballot by mail, etc.
Also important for 2020: Figure out your voting plan. Of course, I know these are strange times and not everyone will feel safe or comfortable voting in person on November 3rd. If you opt for a mail-in ballot, make sure there is ample time for the vote to arrive on time.
My own personal plan? I’m either going to vote early in person (it’s not too far away from my apartment) or vote in person on election day. In the past, my polling center has always been super organized with short lines so I don’t see it as more of a risk than going food shopping.
I found this website which tells you what your options are for voting in your individual state and important deadlines! New York friends — make sure you register to vote by October 9th!
Apply to be a poll worker
The US Election Assistance Commission reported that the majority of poll workers in 2018 were over the age of 61. A group that is potentially more at risk of having COVID-19 related medical complications.
Many states are already reporting fewer applications for poll workers than in previous years. By becoming a poll worker you will help the election centers run more smoothly and efficiently and allow voters to get in and out safely during the pandemic. All states have a slightly different application process but you can learn more about signing up here.
Send Letters:
According to research via Vote Forward, voters who received a letter were significantly more likely to vote. In 2017 in Alabama, letter recipients had a 3.9% higher voter turnout. It is proven to be one of the best ways to boost voter turn out.
Vote Forward makes it easy to send letters with templates and all the information you need. You can choose how many voters you adopt at a time – 5 or 20 and then they generate a list with the addresses and a template to print out. Letters are to be sent October 27th — but feel free to write a bunch now so you’re ready to go then!
I personally am setting a goal to write 5 letters every weekday evening from now until October 27th.
Postcards to Voters is another organization focused on sending postcards and letters to voters.
Text Banking:
Text messages have a 90% open rate and a response rate of 10-24%. Also… I’m a cliche millennial that prefers to not make phone calls 😂
You can directly join the Biden/Harris texting team by filling out this form.
The ACLU is involved with both phone calls and text messages. You can sign up here.
Additional Resources:
Swing Left has a ton of resources on ways to get involved with the 2020 election. After entering your zip code, you will be given a number of ways to get involved through phone banking events and other fundraisers.
Vote Save America is organizing tons of events and initiatives all over the country. You can find local events and opportunities here.
Rally + Rise has a whole workbook that breaks down small ways you can get involved and take action from now until November. Also, I love that they are calling it #NoRegretsNovember. Amen to that.
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