November 5, 2024 - ELECTION DAY
Last chance to get out the vote
FIND LAST-MINUTE ACTIONS BY ZIP CODE
In these final hours before polls close, Swing Left is here to help us take the most effective action we can, wherever we are. When we enter our zip code into their tool, they’ll tell us the most impactful work someone in our area can do *right now* to make a difference in this election. Let’s find out how they recommend we go to work on Election Day here.
ONE LAST SET OF DIALS
If the polls are open, the phones are open, and plenty of organizations are giving us the chance to call voters every moment of the day, whenever we have a spare minute. Let’s sign up to dial with:
ONE LAST SET OF TEXTS
The team at Black Voters Matter has sent *millions* of texts already this cycle, and they’re anticipating Election Day will be their biggest day yet. First-timers with the organization can get register for a textbank training at noon today to do their part. And they’re one of many groups that’s making one last push to text out the vote, from For Our Future Michigan to the California Democrats to the Georgia Working Families Party to Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights. We can find a full range of textbanks to sign up for today here and join the Text Out The Vote Discord server for live updates on opportunities throughout the day here.
WHERE A LITTLE EFFORT CAN GO A LONG WAY
As many of us have learned, voters in most critical races have heard a lot from dedicated field staff and volunteers. But there’s one that’s gone enough under the radar that one additional contact could be huge. Dan Osborn, an independent labor activist, is running a surprisingly competitive campaign against Republican Senator Deb Fischer in a race without a Democratic nominee in Nebraska. A shock result here could reshape the Senate, and there’s tons of turnout work left to do. Let’s sign up for a phonebank shift with the Osborn for Senate campaign here.
CALL LATE INTO ELECTION NIGHT
While it’s tempting to spend Election Night anxiously refreshing and checking the TV for results, we can use this time to organize rather than agonize. We have a crucial House race going on in Alaska, where Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola is trying to earn reelection. Her last phonebank shift starts at 8pm on the East Coast. Let’s sign up for the late shift and use every minute we can to turn out voters.
PROTECTING OUR RIGHT TO VOTE
For those of us who haven't cast our votes yet and those of us who will be looking to support those voting today, let's make sure we have all the tools we need to beat the vote suppressors and ensure our ballots are counted. Let's consult and bookmark the ACLU's Know Your Rights guide to voting, which outlines a number of common ways folks can be denied their right to vote and how we can avoid and overcome these scenarios. And let’s put the phone number of the Election Protection Hotline into our contacts and call or text it if we need it.English: 866-687-8683
Spanish: 888-839-8682
Arabic: 844-925-5287
Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, Urdu or Vietnamese: 888-274-8683
CHEAT SHEET TO ELECTION NIGHT
If we’re looking to keep up with the full stakes of this election, the invaluable Bolts Magazine has prepared a cheat sheet of more than 500 races being decided today and why they matter for us to keep handy while tracking results. And they’ve turned a special spotlight on the prosecutor and sheriff elections that decide who gets charged, how immigration laws are enforced, and how people in jails are treated. These campaigns rarely get much attention and even informed people are going to the polls today not knowing much about the candidates. Let’s be sure to share the Bolts guide to crucial law enforcement elections on social media as soon as we can today - especially if we know folks who will be voting in some of these races.
WHAT COMES AFTER THE ELECTION?
While we hope for the best, we still have no idea what the outcome today will be. It is a difficult time for many, and we need to prepare ourselves. Americans of Conscience has prepared a piece that is part warning, part encouragement. Let’s read it.
POLITICS WITHOUT PANIC
And what’s worse: we may not know the official results of the election tonight. If we need to process the stress today and in days to come, we can get some respite from the meditation app Headspace for free. Let’s check out the resources at Headspace’s Politics Without Panic and sign up. No matter which direction this election goes, the more of us who are calm and sane, the better.
VOTE BEYOND THE HYPE
Every four years, Americans are hammered with the importance of voting in presidential elections. Our national obsession does not extend to midterm and local elections, and it shows in voter turnout. For example, turnout was 66.8% in the 2020 presidential election, 50.3 percent in the 2018 midterm election, 15% in that cycle’s municipal elections, and 5-10% in that cycle’s local school board elections. Yet all these elections affect our lives directly and have ripple effects across the country. As we wrap up the 2024 presidential election, let’s commit to shoring up our democracy by casting a ballot in every election we are eligible to vote in. Let’s sign up for election reminders to make sure we don’t miss a single one - including the too-overlooked local contests.
THANK YOU
“The moral arc of the universe bends towards justice, but only when brave and committed people grasp it and bend it down.” - Byron Rushing
Thanks to all of our subscribers and engaged Americans everywhere for doing your part for our democracy.
Been with you for a long time back, and a long time ahead....Thanx for all the tips and encouragement!