Sewing Circle: Postcards to Swing States, Canvassing, VP Debate
For the next 37 days or so, I’ll be focusing solely on election stuff for the Sewing Circle. After that, I’ll shift to local efforts and other ways to help out; it feels like planning for after November 5th is like trying to see beyond a black hole’s event horizon. Let’s do all we can to make that future bright!
New Postcard Campaigns!
TurnoutPAC, the organizers of Postcards to Swing States, had to close down its requests this summer as a flood of volunteers signed up. With 36 MILLION addresses already spoken for, Postcards to Swing States has secured four million more in close House districts and Florida. The cards are quick to write and the feeling of building up a stack to send is great. Volunteers will need to buy their own postage and mail cards in mid-October. Sign up here for a new batch!
Postcards to Voters has opened up four new campaigns, including two House candidates (NY and MI), Senator Sherrod Brown in Ohio, and a Florida county commissioner. All four have lots of addresses and lots of volunteers eagerly writing. You’ll need to provide your own postage and postcards. Sign up here or request more addresses if you’re already a PtV writer!
Join Canvassing Trips
Person-to-person conversations are the most effective means of getting out the vote, and Democrats across the country are organizing trips to swing states and close districts! MassDems, for example, is organizing groups to meet up in Maine and New Hampshire for doorknocking. Cambridge for Kamala arranges carpools to New Hampshire for the same.
Browse Mobilize for Opportunities
Many more opportunities to get out the vote are listed on Mobilize.us and it’s easy to browse through to find something that appeals to your time and skills. Whether it’s becoming a content creator, letter writing, or phonebanking, there are lots of ways to help.
Join or Host a VP Debate Watch Party
I admit, I can rarely watch debates, no matter how much I like a candidate. But this coming debate on October 1st between JD Vance and Tim Walz has real potential to move the needle, and there are lots of watch parties already organized. Join one or host your own!
And take heart - there is good news being made every day:
Coral reef restoration efforts are proving resilient against rising sea temperatures.
The governor of Kentucky has banned “conversion therapy”, a harmful practice aimed at LGBTQ youth.
Overdose deaths have sharply declined in the US.
We can do great things when we work together. Find that balance between pacing yourself for the long haul and ramping up to the big election, and remember: You are Not Alone.