5 Things I'm Doing Now Through Election Day

9/29/2020

Sigh.

Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2020 is a little over a month away.

There's a lot going on. Deep breath.

One thing that helps me stay grounded when everything is going haywire is taking the many things I'm reading and processing, and turning them into concrete action plans.

There are the many things I cannot control, and then there are the concrete steps I can take today to do my part.

In the last few weeks, the current President has forecasted his plans to steal the election.

My Jewish and Latin American immigrant friends whose families escaped coups and authoritarian regimes have long been sounding the alarm, but now the bells are ringing at a fever pitch.

I believe we're at an inflection point.

While I have never believed electoral politics would be THE thing that saved us, I DO believe it is one tool in holding the line. So many rights and protections have been eroded over the last almost four years. We cannot take another 4.

So with that preamble, here's what I've got for you below:

A strategic plan that outlines how my family and I plan to spend our time, talent, and money in these critical last few weeks before election day.

While we have young children which limits what tasks we take on, I've included links to many resources I've consulted which have additional ideas for those of you who have more flexibility and/or ability to move around in ways we can't right now.

My hope is that my plan inspires you to make your own plans.

My hope is that you join me and: EDUCATE & INSPIRE, DONATE, VOTE, GOTV, and PREPARE to CHOOSE DEMOCRACY & SAVE AMERICA.

Suerte! We can do this. We must.

EDUCATE & INSPIRE

DONATE

Donate Strategically to Secure the White House, House, and Senate
- BIDEN/HARRIS 2020
- HOUSE: Red to Blue (a fund supporting races that can flip house seats across the country. See below for the 5 specific races from this list that could help stave off a stolen election).
- SENATE: Get Mitch Fund (a fund supporting races that will help flip the Senate).
- ORGANIZATIONS & SUPER PACS: The orgs below are strategically spending to secure the WH, House, & Senate

VOTE

Plan My Vote
ACLU: Know Your Rights

GOTV

PREPARE: CHOOSE DEMOCRACY & SAVE AMERICA

Read (& Sign): Choose Democracy Pledge
Read: 10 Things You Need to Know to Stop a Coup
Read: Hold the Line Guide

VOTE FOR OUR FUTURE

Picture Books to Get Out The VOTE!

This election will no doubt shape my children's lives for years to come, so I begin my work with them. I'm reading to them about voting and beginning the lifelong process of learning about our civic life and responsibilities.

Over in my Bookshop, I've compiled a list of voting related picture books I'm sharing with my littles. Enjoy!

Are We Going to Win?

If you're feeling nervous about our chances, listen to this episode of the Democracy in Color podcast. Trust me, it will give you that motivating but of hope you need.

DONATE

Donate Strategically &
Secure the White House, House, and Senate

If the election is too close, and there are disruptions to the electoral college process, Congress may be called upon to decide the election.

Help Dems pick up important seats in the House & Senate for the sake of the election, but also for good governance in the next four years.

This article in Newsweek outlines exactly what Democrats would need if the election needs to be decided by Congress (and I hope it doesn't get to this):

The critical math is this: If the Democrats can win a net increase of five Senate seats, as well as flip one congressional seat in each of Pennsylvania, Florida and Montana, thus ensuring Democratic majorities in just over half the House delegations, the Democrats can prevail over any attempt to undo the election results through subverting the Electoral College outcome...

HOUSE RACES TO SUPPORT

There are three states--Pennsylvania, Florida and Montana—which, by flipping one House seat in each, become majority Democratic delegations. According to the Cook Political Report, there are two Pennsylvania House seats currently held by Republicans that are sufficiently up for grabs to be in reach (the 1st and 10th Congressional Districts), two such seats in Florida (the 15th and 16th Congressional Districts) and one in Montana (a state with only one House seat but a Democratic governor and senator).

(Note: This possibility outlined in Newsweek, is just one out of many possible scenarios. Plus according to other articles (see links below) getting the majority of delegations in the House might be a long shot. Still it's worth trying).

DONATE HERE
Below are direct links to fundraising pages for the 5 House candidates discussed above:

MT At-Large: Kathleen Williams

Red To Blue Fund: If you have more to give and want to support additional competitive Red-to-Blue House races, this fund supports and outlines competitive races throughout the country (including these 5 races).

BONUS: NJ 4th: Stephanie Schmid: Stephanie is a friend from college and she is running to flip NJ 4th, so we'll be supporting her campaign as well.

SENATE RACES TO SUPPORT

It is the newly elected Congress that will determine Electoral College slates, or determine the presidency if the election is thrown into the House chamber. The Democrats may lose the Democratic Senate seat in Alabama, and therefore would have to pick up four seats in the Senate to have a 50-50 party split. However, were these presidential election issues to land on Congress' plate, Mike Pence will still be vice president, and so the Democrats would actually need to pick up five Senate seats to have a clear ability to defeat Trump's potential Electoral College ploy in the Senate.

DONATE HERE

You can donate to the Get Mitch Fund which automatically gives money to competitive Senate races (you can also choose specific candidates from their list).

If you'd rather choose specific states or candidates to support, read this great FB post from friend of a friend Laura Hogan which outlines how to give strategically. Here's the main jist:

“Think strategically and give to candidates who a) have a chance at winning; b) aren’t already swimming in money; and c) can use the money efficiently.”

Many of the candidates Hogan suggests in her FB post are supported by the Get Mitch Fund. For your convenience I've included direct links to the fundraising pages of candidates Hogan recommends in her FB post:

Theresa Greenfield in Iowa
Barbara Bollier in Kansas
Mike Espy in Mississippi
Steve Bullock in Montana
Al Gross in Alaska
Reverend Raphael Warnock in Georgia*
Jon Ossoff in Georgia*

*In Georgia, getting the vote out for either GA Senate candidate will likely help GOTV for the other and vice versa.

Articles About the Worst Case Scenario

How to Defeat Trump's Plan to Overturn the Election in Newsweek
What Can Democrats do if There's a Disputed Election? in Slate
Here’s How The House Could Decide The Presidential Election—And Its Democratic Majority Wouldn’t Matter in Forbes

GIVE TO ORGS INSTEAD OF CANDIDATES

Listen to: Democracy in Color

Don't want to give to candidates, but want to make a difference?

There are plenty of organizations that are strategically focussed on securing the WH, House, & Senate:

The excellent Podcast Democracy in Color (my friend Sharline Chiang is a co-host) has outlined several in the following episodes:

What You Can Do Before Election Day (10/1/20)
- DONATE to the following orgs mentioned in the podcast:
  - Arizona Wins
  - New Georgia Project Action Fund
  - New Florida Majority 
  - OnePA
  - CASA in Action (PA)
- VOLUNTEER with the following orgs mentioned in the podcast:
  - Swing Left
  - Vote Forward

Pass or Fail?: Report Cards for Democratic Super PACs (9/3/20)
- See the Super PACs Report Card here
- DONATE to the following Super PACs that got high marks on the Report Card:
  - Fair Fight (Grade: A)
  - Progressive Turnout Project (Grade: A-)
  - NextGen America (Grade: A-)

Democracy in Color is a political organization focused on race, politics and the multiracial, progressive New American Majority.

VOTE

PLAN MY VOTE

This is your shot to say what kind of America you want to live in. Register, make sure you're still registered, and learn what you need to vote on November 3rd.

ACLU: KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

EXCERPT:

What are my general rights on Election Day? Your rights:

If the polls close while you’re still in line, stay in line – you have the right to vote.
If you make a mistake on your ballot, ask for a new one.
If the machines are down at your polling place, ask for a paper ballot.
If you run into any problems or have questions on Election Day, call the Election Protection Hotline:
- English: 1-866-OUR-VOTE / 1-866-687-8683
- Spanish: 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA / 1-888-839-8682
- Arabic: 1-844-YALLA-US / 1-844-925-5287
- For Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, or Vietnamese: 1-888-274-8683

Someone is interfering with my right to voteExamples of voter intimidation

Aggressively questioning voters about their citizenship, criminal record, or other qualifications to vote.
Falsely representing oneself as an elections official.
Displaying false or misleading signs about voter fraud and related criminal penalties.
Other forms of harassment, particularly harassment targeting non-English speakers and voters of color.
Spreading false information about voter requirements.
- You do not need to speak English to vote, in any state.
- You do not need to pass a test to vote, in any state.
- Some states do not require voters to present photo identification.

Your rights

It’s illegal to intimidate voters and a federal crime to “intimidate, threaten, [or] coerce … any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of [that] other person to vote or to vote as he may choose.”

What to do if you experience voter intimidation

In many states, you can give a sworn statement to the poll worker that you satisfy the qualifications to vote in your state, and then proceed to cast a ballot.
Report intimidation to the Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE or 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (en Español).
Report intimidation to your local election officials. Their offices will be open on Election Day.

GOTV

VOTE SAVE AMERICA

BE A VOTER. SAVE AMERICA.
Your one stop shop to get out the vote

This guide has just about everything you need for your GOTV efforts, and I link to different parts of it throughout this post.

SECURE EVERY LAST VOTE

The vote. It’s important. It’s powerful. Michelle Obama keeps telling you to do it. But the vote is facing a lot of problems this year — big structural ones. Here’s how to help make sure every last vote is counted, including yours.

MORE WAYS TO CHOOSE DEMOCRACY & SAVE AMERICA

This election is the most important election of our lifetimes, with consequences that will last long after November 3rd. Do more than just vote. Find out where you can volunteer, donate, and get involved where you're needed most.

POWER TO THE POLLS

America is facing a record shortage of poll workers this year due to the coronavirus. Our democracy depends on ordinary people who make sure elections run smoothly and everyone's vote is counted. You can make sure we have a safe, fair, efficient election for all.

MY POSTCARDS TO SWING STATES

One way I'm helping GOTV is by sending 200 Postcards to Swing States. While their campaign is complete, you might still be able to Write Letters to Voters with Vote Forward.

CHOOSE DEMOCRACY & SAVE AMERICA

If the thought of 45 trying to steal the election keeps you up at night, the most important thing to do is VOTE & GOTV. You might also consider DONATING to key candidates as outlined above.

The next most important thing to do is PREPARE for the worst. Here are some useful (and empowering) resources to help you prepare to stand up against any attempts at a coup.

Read (& Sign) the Choose Democracy Pledge:

We will vote.

We will refuse to accept election results until all the votes are counted.

We will nonviolently take to the streets if a coup is attempted.

If we need to, we will shut down this country to protect the integrity of the democratic process.

Sign Up for Updates: Protect the Results

We are building a coalition of voters ready to mobilize if Donald Trump refuses to accept the results of the 2020 presidential election.

We will stand together to ensure that if Trump loses the 2020 presidential election he will not throw our country into a constitutional crisis. We will honor the valid results of the 2020 election, ensure that every vote is counted, and show up to demand that the losing candidate put their ego aside and concede for the good of our country.

Protect the Results is a joint project of Indivisible and Stand Up America to protect the valid results of the 2020 election.
Indivisible and Stand Up America are committed to strengthening our democracy and supporting progressives and progressive causes. All Americans—Democrats, Republicans, and Independents—must be prepared to protect and defend the valid results of the election whether their preferred candidate wins or loses.

Read: 10 Things You Need to Know to Stop a Coup

This article empowers citizens to VOTE to help ensure the best case scenario while proactively preparing for the worst case scenario. Read the full article for details on each of these 10 Things:

Don’t expect results Election night.
Do call it a coup.
Know that coups have been stopped by regular folks.
Be ready to act quickly — and not alone.
Focus on widely shared democratic values, not on individuals.
Convince people not to freeze or just go along.
Commit to actions that represent rule of law, stability, and nonviolence.
Yes, a coup can happen in the United States.
Center in calm, not fear.
Prepare to deter a coup before the election:

10. Prepare to deter a coup before the election:

The best way to stop a coup is to never have one. People are doing lots of good work on issues of voting rights, urging turn-out, stopping repression, uncovering fraud, and getting people to commit to democracy. That may be enough.

One of the easiest things you can do is to sign the pledge to Choose Democracy and get a lot of people across the political spectrum signing the as well!

Because the best way to stop a coup is to deter it.

Read: Hold the Line Guide

Everyone has a role they can play to ensure that voting is accessible and safe; that people turn out to vote; that the rules are applied fairly; and that the results are respected.

We conceive of these efforts in two stages:
Stage 1: From now until Election day (Nov. 3, 2020)
Stage 2: From Election day to Inauguration day (Jan. 20, 2021)

This guide focuses primarily on Stage 2, covering the period of time starting from Election day and continuing through to Inauguration day. It attempts to answer the question of how to prepare and what to do in case attempts are made to subvert the election results. At the same time, we recognize that Stage 1 is critically important as well, and deeply related to Stage 2, so we begin by dedicating some attention to Stage 1, before diving more deeply into Stage 2.

Li Yun Alvarado's Blog