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Hey, US friends. Instead of doing a thread of campaigns with donation links I'm going to do a thread of campaigns with volunteer links and ask you to consider reaching out to them to help.
Money is important (sadly), but the value of volunteer hours is priceless. If you volunteer 5-10 hours now until the election how many unengaged voters will you talk to, giving them an opportunity to reclaim their democratic power?
(Spoiler: it's a lot.)
(Spoiler: it's a lot.)
A lot of these will be campaigns that don't use dialers (you'll need your own phone), don't have the funds to do text banking (it's EXPENSIVE), or that have shifted to low/no contact voter contact methods. We're all learning on the job. Come learn with us.
Polls can tell us useful information. But polls are a snapshot of a particular part of the electorate AND it's in the past. Volunteers owe polls nothing.
Bad poll? Polls don't vote and voters can be shifted—by us. Ignore the polls and do the work.
Bad poll? Polls don't vote and voters can be shifted—by us. Ignore the polls and do the work.
Person to person engagement is proven to work to shift voters to the polls. The more data you can give campaigns to know which voters support them, the easier it will be for those campaigns to turn those supporters out during GOTV.
If you talk to six people during a phone bank shift and get their support for a candidate, that's six people the campaign didn't know they could turn out and may not have discovered if not for YOUR shift.
What if you got a few friends to join you? You reach six, and your three friends five, eight, and four. That's 23 potential voters.
An election in VA a few years ago was so close they decided it by drawing from a BOWL (she won the next time she ran). https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-virginia-officials-to-decide-hotly-contested-house-race-by-drawing-a-name-out-of-a-bowl
An election in VA a few years ago was so close they decided it by drawing from a BOWL (she won the next time she ran). https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-virginia-officials-to-decide-hotly-contested-house-race-by-drawing-a-name-out-of-a-bowl
We need HUGE margins to quell the inevitable "rigged" convos. We can build those margins by turning people out for down ballot races. Those races are always won on the margins because of low turnout, but we can still win them and change our local governments—by volunteering.
Your volunteer hours go further than money in close races, because money can't replicate the value of person to person conversations. Money is (unfortunately) important in politics, but people power will always be stronger.
Our collective voices are stronger than money.
Our collective voices are stronger than money.
These are races need volunteers. All of these races (plus more) are listed on resource I started @ http://votevotevote.carrd.com
(When I get sad I go look up a candidate and add them to remind myself there are progressives out there who believe in democracy. It helps.)
(When I get sad I go look up a candidate and add them to remind myself there are progressives out there who believe in democracy. It helps.)
AR-HD59 / @ReginaldPrunty
I'm the field director, but it's my thread so I'm being greedy.
This is an absolutely flippable district. It'll help us work toward breaking the GOP supermajority in the AR House. #arpx
Volunteer: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1mWWX6nT096aTsPaDTYsOnVw4n0QyJa--sQC-WIxS0as/edit?usp=sharing
I'm the field director, but it's my thread so I'm being greedy.
This is an absolutely flippable district. It'll help us work toward breaking the GOP supermajority in the AR House. #arpxVolunteer: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1mWWX6nT096aTsPaDTYsOnVw4n0QyJa--sQC-WIxS0as/edit?usp=sharing
AR-HD90 / @kelly4arkansas
Kelly has been running an amazing digital campaign, including Tik Tok, doing so much to educate potential young voters about actual Democratic policies (we're hugely misrepresented here with fascist propaganda). #arpx
Volunteer: https://kellyforarkansas.com/volunteer
Kelly has been running an amazing digital campaign, including Tik Tok, doing so much to educate potential young voters about actual Democratic policies (we're hugely misrepresented here with fascist propaganda). #arpx
Volunteer: https://kellyforarkansas.com/volunteer
AR-02 / @xjelliott
Did you know Arkansas has never sent a Black representative to Congress? Wouldn't you love to send Joyce to Congress instead of a mediocre fascist? This race is flippable with volunteer power. #arpx
Volunteer: https://www.joyceelliott.com/getinvolved
Did you know Arkansas has never sent a Black representative to Congress? Wouldn't you love to send Joyce to Congress instead of a mediocre fascist? This race is flippable with volunteer power. #arpx
Volunteer: https://www.joyceelliott.com/getinvolved
US Senate, MS / @mikeespyms
Espy's race has gotten little national attention. Money would help in this race, but what would also help is volunteers reaching out to engage more potential voters.
Volunteer: https://secure.ngpvan.com/uF29pCoBokKmjNsDKzhM8A2
Espy's race has gotten little national attention. Money would help in this race, but what would also help is volunteers reaching out to engage more potential voters.
Volunteer: https://secure.ngpvan.com/uF29pCoBokKmjNsDKzhM8A2
TX HD-138 / @akilahbacy
There are so many state legislature races that are key to building a #GunSense majority in TX, but one I'm excited about is Akilah Bacy. Bacy is one of over 20 candidates that support more gun safety measures.
Volunteer: https://www.akilahbacy.com/contact
There are so many state legislature races that are key to building a #GunSense majority in TX, but one I'm excited about is Akilah Bacy. Bacy is one of over 20 candidates that support more gun safety measures.
Volunteer: https://www.akilahbacy.com/contact
US Senate, SC / @harrisonjaime
Money won't go as far in this race because there's already so much of it. What can go farther? Volunteers hours to do direct voter contact! Help them expand the number of voters they reach before election day.
Volunteer: https://go.jaimeharrison.com/page/s/volunteer-sign-up
Money won't go as far in this race because there's already so much of it. What can go farther? Volunteers hours to do direct voter contact! Help them expand the number of voters they reach before election day.
Volunteer: https://go.jaimeharrison.com/page/s/volunteer-sign-up
Governor, MO / @nicolergalloway
Now more than ever, we need competent state officials like Galloway who believe in public health who will protect us from grossly anti-science GOP legislatures until we can flip them.
Volunteer: https://www.mobilize.us/missouri/
Now more than ever, we need competent state officials like Galloway who believe in public health who will protect us from grossly anti-science GOP legislatures until we can flip them.
Volunteer: https://www.mobilize.us/missouri/
Secretary of State, MO / @yinka_faleti
Care about voting rights? This is the office to target when you do. Yinka Faleti is running to unseat the current (R) Secretary in MO. Volunteer hours in races like this have a massive impact.
Volunteer: https://www.yinkafaleti.com
Care about voting rights? This is the office to target when you do. Yinka Faleti is running to unseat the current (R) Secretary in MO. Volunteer hours in races like this have a massive impact.
Volunteer: https://www.yinkafaleti.com
IN SD-32 / @iambelindadrake
Drake received ~600 more votes in her primary than her opponent. Volunteer hours to turn people out could send a Black woman to the levers of state power.
Volunteer: https://www.belindadrake.com/volunteer/
Drake received ~600 more votes in her primary than her opponent. Volunteer hours to turn people out could send a Black woman to the levers of state power.
Volunteer: https://www.belindadrake.com/volunteer/
US Senate, KS / @BarbaraBollier
Volunteering to turn out voters for this race can help with the Presidency and all the progressive down ballot races, too, and may net us another Democratic senator. COMPETE EVERYWHERE.
VOLUNTEER: https://bollierforkansas.com/action/
Volunteering to turn out voters for this race can help with the Presidency and all the progressive down ballot races, too, and may net us another Democratic senator. COMPETE EVERYWHERE.
VOLUNTEER: https://bollierforkansas.com/action/
US Senate, MI / @GaryPeters
Polls say this election got closer. An influx of volunteers to help him activate voters would make those polls obsolete real quick. We need to win the U.S. Senate; this is one path toward that goal.
Volunteer: https://petersformichigan.com/volunteer/
Polls say this election got closer. An influx of volunteers to help him activate voters would make those polls obsolete real quick. We need to win the U.S. Senate; this is one path toward that goal.
Volunteer: https://petersformichigan.com/volunteer/
US Senate, KY / @AmyMcGrathKY
I'm being contrary here. I'm sick of "that race is a lost cause" due to polling. Did y'all know polls don't vote? That there's time to reach potential voters? That polls can't make calls? Mmmhmm.
Volunteer: https://www.mobilize.us/amymcgrath/
I'm being contrary here. I'm sick of "that race is a lost cause" due to polling. Did y'all know polls don't vote? That there's time to reach potential voters? That polls can't make calls? Mmmhmm.
Volunteer: https://www.mobilize.us/amymcgrath/
I could go on. This is only a handful of the races I'm excited for this cycle. If you'd like to see more, check out http://votevotevote.carrd.co (still in progress) to check if there are races near you to volunteer with. Adopt one! Heck, adopt three! Go wild.
Win or lose, volunteering is never a waste of time. Campaigns that lose learn important things. Trying MATTERS. Volunteers get trained, people get valuable experience for the next campaign (and the one after that), and grassroots organizers at every level make new connections.
As our federal government struggles with fascism, we have a better chance of creating change and building networks at the local level. Because those fascists didn't come out of nowhere with their hands on the levers of power. They were homegrown in your backyard and mine.
Volunteer for a race that excites you. Your excitement will come across to the people you talk to. People want to be EXCITED about our leaders, not resigned. You can help them break out of that resignation.
You help every progressive on the ballot when you do.
You help every progressive on the ballot when you do.
