Fewer Than 60 Days Until the Election, From The Homefront, Vol. 26

September 9, 2020

Dear Leading Ladies,

There are fewer than 60 days until the November 3 presidential election. We who reside in Massachusetts don’t live in a battleground state but we can still support the work of getting out the vote, particularly in Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. 

There are several ways to help get out the vote while staying safe during the pandemic. 

One way is to write letters, a proven effective method to encourage voting. Vote Forward volunteers send handwritten letters to unregistered citizens. Swing Left works with Vote Forward and also holds its own virtual letter-writing parties. If you prefer, you can send Postcards to Voters, or contact local activist groups for other writing projects.

The website Progressive.org also suggests texting voters. “Well-organized campaigns have lists of voters they want to reach with specific cell phone text messages. They could use your help—especially for getting out the vote in the last weeks before the election.” Contact campaign offices of candidates you support to receive numbers and guidance for texting. 

Yet another option is to call voters from your home. Indivisible is offering training and phone banking opportunities to call citizens in swing states and where voter suppression especially needs to be combatted. Contact the campaign of the candidate you support and see if they’ve arranged for at-home calling and/or virtual phone parties. If not, visit Swing Left’s virtual organizing guide.

Lastly, make sure your friends and family vote. As Progressive.org suggests, “Ask if they’re definitely planning to vote and if they’ve decided which candidates they’ll be voting for. These may be sensitive questions, but if you’re willing to raise the subject, you can explain your reasons for strongly supporting a specific candidate. Even if they disagree, your passion might have a delayed impact. You can do all of this on your own—or you can work with an activist group that uses a relational organizing platform—like Team by the Tuesday Company—to mobilize your friends and relatives.”

In the meantime, Leading Ladies hopes to place ads on Facebook in markets where getting out the vote needs the most encouragement. Look for details about this action soon.

For now, stay well, be safe, and have hope.

Therese,
Judy
Mary
Kim
Leading Ladies Executive Team