NEWS FROM THE COCONINO COUNTY DEMOCRATS

May 20, 2024

In this edition: See Coconino Democrats in action registering future voters, sign up to help in our outreach efforts and in voter protection, learn how to talk to voters about Israel and Gaza, read about how deep fake technology may impact this year’s campaigning, and much more.

Dear Democrats and Friends,

We are counting down to Election Day 2024: less than 6 months away!

The Coconino County Democratic Party is fully engaged in making every day count.

Voter outreach continues with a hugely successful voter registration drive at Flagstaff

High School which yielded 120 new voters. This effort will continue at Coconino High

School today, and we will reach more FUSD High Schools this Spring. We’ve

retained two voter outreach leaders: Deydrek Scott will be canvassing on Indigenous

Lands, and Joan Arrow will be working with NAU students. Thanks to your generosity

during our Roosevelt-Kennedy Gala fundraiser, we are able to provide a stipend to our

two organizers. We are actively seeking a Latino Voter outreach coordinator; please

send your recommendations to info@coconinodemocrats.org.

The May Action Meeting featured a talk about the Murdoch Center and local community history by Councilwoman and volunteer Executive Director of the Southside Community Association, Miss Deborah Harris. We learned about Miss Cleo Murdoch and Dr. W.C. Riles, and the important role they played in desegregating schools in Flagstaff. We regret that due to technical difficulties, we were unable to broadcast the meeting via Zoom. The Center is freshly painted, and the WiFi will be back on next month.

Starting on May 20, you may display campaign signs in your yard. We have Biden-

Harris yard signs at the office. Yard Signs for Jonathan Nez are available for a $25

donation; we have a few or you may find them on his website. Watch the newsletter for breaking information about the Coordinated Campaign and how you can get involved in the race to elect more Democrats and save our Democracy.

Blue Arizona 2024,

Laura

Gaza and Israel: Having the Hard Conversations

Watching the news from the Middle East, from the horrifying events of October 7 to the continued bombardment and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, has been heartbreaking and frustrating to all who care about peace and human lives. Several of our members wrote to commend this post by Jay Kuo in his newsletter, The Status Kuo. We are sharing it here to remind ourselves – staying silent will not make this tragedy disappear, or diminish the political repercussions.

Will The War in Gaza Sink Us In November?

How to talk to folks who say they won’t vote for Biden over the war in Gaza.

THE BIG PICTURE

AND

JAY KUO

APR 30, 2024

Most of us know someone on the left who is dug in against voting for Joe Biden because of U.S. policy toward Israel and Gaza. For them, the continued support of Israel and the flow of weapons is a dealbreaker, and they say they can’t support a president for reelection who would back a genocidal campaign against the Palestinians.

No amount of “but he’s a good man” or “the alternative is an even worse nightmare” reasoning seems to move them from their position. And it appears they are not alone. As protests emerge around the country on college campuses and in some cases turn ugly, many wonder whether the damage will deal a mortal blow in November.

After all, if blue voters, particularly young voters who have formed such a key part of Democratic electoral victories in the past three elections, stay home instead of voting to reelect Biden, it could usher in another Trump win. This is particularly worrisome in key battleground states like Michigan, where there are large numbers of Arab Americans who cannot see themselves voting for Biden.

Click Here to Continue Reading

Breaking News!

The Arizona Coordinated Campaign is opening an office in Flagstaff on May 25, 2024.

We’re all invited to celebrate the grand opening at

121 E Birch Ave, Suite 207

12 pm – 2:30 pm

Saturday, May 25, 2024

Let’s give a rousing Coconino County welcome to Curtis Kimmaman, Northern Arizona

Regional Director, and the 2024 AZ CC Flagstaff Office!

Clean Elections Funding

For the price of a latte at your local coffee shop, you can help one of our Clean Elections candidates earn their campaign funding! We have Democratic candidates for LD 7 and for the Arizona Corporation Commission running under the Clean Elections rules. That means they are collecting a minimum number of $5 donations in order to qualify for base funding – while committing NOT to take PAC or corporate funding. $5 for some genuine choice on our ballot – a great deal, right?

Go to the Secretary of State website where these donations are collected (link below) and donate to any of our candidates you want to see out on the campaign trail!

AZ Secretary of State eQual for Clean Elections Contributions

Calling Everyone — Please volunteer!

Flagstaff Hullabaloo is a creative community festival at Wheeler Park taking place on June 1 and 2. We participate with a booth where we will register new voters and collect signatures for the Arizona for Abortion Access petition while children enjoy sign painting. Join us to engage voters in courageous conversations and help us swing Arizona blue in 2024! Click here to volunteer.

Deep Fake Technology and Our Elections

Over the past few years it has become increasingly difficult to know if a photograph or even a “recording” is a genuine depiction of reality. Campaign season, with all its social media and advertising, is likely to expose us all to carefully crafted but FALSE sounds and images. Here are two pieces to give you an introduction to what we are facing – and what election officials want us to think about.

First is this piece from the Arizona Agenda – a video of GOP Senate candidate Kari Lake that is actually a fake Lake: see what you think!

Arizona Agenda Deep Fake of Lake

And Arizona’s Secretary of State Adrian Fontes has been incorporating deep fakes as a topic in training election officials around the state. Read this piece from the Washington Post (gift link, free to read) about the preparation Arizona elections directors are receiving.

Arizona election workers trained…

Observing at the Polls and in the Elections Center:

Helping and Representing Voters

Help keep our elections safe, secure, legal, and transparent! Learn more about roles with the ADP Voter Protection Team here. Poll observers are the eyes and ears ensuring that any difficulties at a polling place are detected and corrected quickly. Meanwhile observers who watch the receiving of ballots on Election Night, and the tabulation of ballots at the central Elections Center, are our best defense against distrust in our elections. The Arizona Democratic Party supplies training and excellent support for our observers. Our huge county has dozens of diverse polling places – help us cover the ground so that all registered voters can exercise their right to vote! Use the link below to sign up on ADP’s webform – you will be contacted about training and then the Coconino Democrats will work with you on assignments for the primary, the general election, or both.

KEN KAEMMERLE
10/31/1945 – 2/23/2024
MEMORIALMay 31, 2024
Museum of Northern Arizona
3101 N Fort Valley Road, Flagstaff2:00 PM to 3:30 PM

RSVP to Darrelldboomgaarden0426@gmail.com

Join the Coconino Democrats and other community organizations in a memorial celebrating the life of Ken Kaemmerle, husband of Linda Guarino. Plan to arrive at 2:00 PM with Memorial program to start promptly at 2:15 PM. The Memorial Program will consist of individuals sharing stories/memories of Ken. Please park in the back lot at the Museum – follow “Special Event” signs and enter through the back doors of the museum – they will be open and volunteers will be there to direct people. The Museum is generously hosting this event so there will be no entry charge.Light appetizers and refreshments provided. Bring pictures or other memorabilia to be shared on the memory tableand your stories to share. Per Ken’s wishes, do not bring flowers but rather donate to the● Museum of Northern Arizona in Ken’s name if desired.○ To do this: contact Tory Foster, MNA Development Director, at TFoster@musnaz.org or at 928-774-5211 Ext 227 – should be able to make a donation via credit card in Ken’s name with Tory.● If you prefer to donate to Riordan Mansion State Historic Park in his name, use this link for Riordan Action Network/Northern Arizona Pioneers’ Historical Society: https://www.azgives.org/index.php?section=organizations&action=newDonation_org&fwID=3050

Help the Coordinated Campaign recruit effective organizers!

The Arizona Democratic Party seeks to hire full-time organizers to fuel its Coordinated Campaign through this election cycle. People with deep connections to local communities and commitment to our democracy are being hired now. If you know of good candidates – or if you are interested yourself in stepping up! – use this link to learn more and to apply.

Organizer Positions

Support A Refugee Family in Flagstaff!

Long-time Flagstaff resident Jim Labelle has contacted the Coconino County Democrats to introduce the new Flagstaff Welcome Corps, part of the US State Department Welcome Corps Program in conjunction with the AZ State Refugee Resettlement Program (RRP). See https://refugeewelcome.org/state-resources/arizona and welcomecorps.org.

The goal of this program is to welcome our first refugee family to Flagstaff (if integration is successful, others will follow). The family will be chosen by the US and State of Arizona…..these are families that are currently outside the USA (generally in their home countries), who have applied for refugee status due to war, trafficking, etc., and who will be placed in Flagstaff after receiving appropriate documentation to enter the USA under refugee status. We are seeking volunteers from all backgrounds and faiths who can lend a hand in the following areas:

1. Housing and Donation (secure and negotiate rental housing, utilities, furnishings)

2. Welcoming and Orientation (help with school enrollment, tour guide, faith and culture integration, etc.) – people with language expertise beyond English and Spanish may be especially helpful!

3. Employment (help securing employment opportunities for the family, who will have the legal right to work upon arrival in Flagstaff).

If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity to assist a family in this very tangible way, please contact Jim at

jim.labelle@tmeins.com

Arizona for Abortion Access Ballot Initiative

As you know, the Coconino County Democrats office has been circulating the Arizona for Abortion Access (AAA) ballot initiative petitions. We serve as a home for the alliance of groups gathering signatures and promoting this key proposal for reproductive rights. And as you also know, the Arizona Supreme Court last week highlighted the urgency of this measure by ruling that the virtual ban on all abortions (even those stemming from rape or incest), dating back to before Arizona’s statehood, is current law in the state.

We continue to collect signatures for this initiative, not just to ensure it makes it onto the November ballot, but to inform and activate voters to build turnout in the general election. If you haven’t yet talked to friends and neighbors about the initiative, please consider filling just one petition page and returning it to us to be notarized and submitted!

The AAA Campaign requires that all petition circulators must first complete an official petition circulator training. Right now there are online trainings available by registering with Healthcare Rising and/ or Arizona’s List.

Check out Arizona’s List, Healthcare Rising, our website calendar & our Mobilize page for news, updates, and training information.

You can stop by on TUESDAYS and Fridays between 11:30 AM-1:30 PM to pick up petitions and also to have them notarized.
New approach! Indivisible provides a free tool that gives you a list of 10 neighbors who are likely to sign the petition. You do not need to be a member to use this tool! You’ll get a sample script and optional print out to leave behind if no one is home. Here’s the link to get your list: https://indivisibleproject.formstack.com/forms/neighbor_to_neighbor_az_signatures

New this spring: First Fridays with the Coconino Democrats!

Visit us at the Historic Ice House June 7, from 5PM-8PM, to view the ongoing art displays, and stop by the Coconino County Democratic Party office to SIGN THE ARIZONA FOR ABORTION ACCESS PETITION and learn how to get involved. Pick up a temporary tattoo or make a button from one of our designs!

Getting this initiative onto the 2024 ballot will be key to turning out the vote and winning all races from re-electing Biden to flipping our legislature. We value your help!

A Message from the Arizona Democratic Party

We are quickly approaching our May 18th State Committee meeting and ADP would like to honor those that have left us since January 29th, 2024. Submissions need to be received by no later than May 15th 2024 at 5pm.

Please email your memorial request to info@coconinodemocrats.org before 5 pm TODAY (Wednesday May 15) so that Chair Laura Carter can submit it for recognition at the State Committee Meeting this Saturday.

Coconino County Democrats volunteer to serve dinner at the

Flagstaff Family Food Center Kitchen on the First Thursday of each month.

We serve meals from 3PM to 6PM at their kitchen,

located at 1903 N. 2nd Street, Flagstaff, AZ.

We’re looking for folks to serve meals on

June 6 and July 4, 2024.

Volunteer at Family Food Center!

Calendar of Events

To share an upcoming event in our bi-monthly newsletter or the monthly events calendar on our website, please email us the details by Friday prior to each newsletter.