Sewing Circle: Primary, Voter Protection, Tech for Campaigns
There’s exciting momentum in the air, and we need to translate that momentum into victory!
Vote in your local primary
In Massachusetts, we have a primary coming up next week on September 3rd. Be sure to vote because:
There are contested local races where this vote effectively decides the whole election (such as the Suffolk County Clerk of the Supreme Judicial Court election).
It builds the habit of voting and draws attention to turnout.
Most of all, it’s a chance to avoid being on the Inactive Voter list and to confirm your registration is all set for the November election!
Sign up for Voter Protection efforts
There are substantial threats of voter suppression and harassment being slung around, and people are going to need help resisting that. Common Cause is setting up volunteer roles, from in-person assistance to helping voters from home to staffing the ACLU’s “866 Our Vote” hotline for voters. New Hampshire Democrats are signing people up to be poll observers. Getting out the vote is vital, but making sure those votes can be counted is just as important.
Volunteer with Swing Left for MA and NH projects
The closer the election gets, the more in-person, local help is needed. Swing Left has a number of projects in Massachusetts that range from canvassing to letter-writing evenings to more poll observer trainings. Take a look and see what fits your strengths.
Sign up with Tech for Campaigns
At the same time, candidates across the country need help! Tech for Campaigns helps candidates, often state representatives hoping to turn their state blue. With Tech for Campaigns, they can find volunteers to take tech roles in their campaigns. You can either reach out to a specific campaign or apply for a general project and be assigned where your expertise is needed most.
hats!
And for a smile - Among all the “$GROUP For Harris” meetups, I saw tonight’s “Hats for Harris” crochet event, which sounds like an alternate incarnation of the Sewing Circle. Check it out on Zoom and take a peek at the pattern for the hat!
For this email’s good news, we could start with the amazing gains in voter registration detailed in this Twitter thread.
Or take heart from the defeat of several Moms for Liberty school board candidates.
Or cheer the way the EPA is protecting its funds against a possible Republican-led clawback.
We might even have renewables overtaking coal in the USA this year.
But most of all, I think the good news is the vitality, hope, and joy I’m seeing when people talk about the election now. It may be laced with fear and trepidation at times, but it’s fueling action and determination. And I think we can all celebrate that joy. Take a moment to let yourselves hope, because You are Not Alone.