How to reach Joe Manchin
Joe doesn’t really care what we think of him here in Chicago—we can’t vote for him, or against him. But he cares what his constituents in West Virginia think, and that’s the idea behind our Wednesday Phone Banks, a joint venture of Indivisible Chicago and Common Cause. We don’t call senators, we call their voters and get them to send our message.
This week we’re calling a list of West Virginia voters who are likely to lean progressive (according to the Common Cause data team). We’ll ask them to call Manchin’s office and urge him to cosponsor the For the People Act, HR1/S1, the landmark legislation drafted to end partisan gerrymandering, limit the influence of big political money, and make it easy for everyone to vote. Regrettably, we need this bill to counter the unconscionable voter suppression measures just enacted in Georgia and coming soon to other state legislatures.
Our phone bank technology is designed for instant action. When we reach like-minded people, we’ll patch them directly to Manchin’s senate office. Joe will get the message: his voters want him to do whatever it takes to pass this landmark bill.
The dialing platform and voter lists come from Common Cause, but the phone bank experience is strictly Indivisible Chicago: the same leaders and Zoom format we’re known for, same emphasis on training and resources, same gang of friendly and welcoming volunteers. To fit everyone’s schedule we alternate between Wednesday afternoons and evenings. We have sessions slated through April with more to come. See the lineup and sign up here.
Rally to Demand Democracy
Want to know more about the For the People Act? Wednesday evening from 7-8, Indivisible Chicago hosts a virtual public forum on the bill and the crucial role it plays in the larger progressive agenda. Speakers will include Dan Weiner, deputy director of the Brennan Center’s Election Reform Program, which puts activists on the ground in key states where voting freedom is being challenged; and Jonah Minkoff-Zern and Barbara Arnwine, from Public Citizen’s Democracy Is For People campaign, who will update us on the strategy for passing the bill. Sign up here and we’ll send you a link to this online event.
Then the following evening, we’ll rally (remember rallies?) to demand passage of the bill, including abolishing the filibuster if that’s what it takes. Whether your issue is climate change, policing, racial or economic justice, gun safety, immigration reform, or all of the above and then some, it all starts with the freedom to vote in fair elections. Join us 5:30 PM Thursday, April 8, at the Federal Plaza and add your voice to the movement. Find details here.
Visit us at bluebeginning.org. Email us at bluebeginning2017@gmail.com. Check in with our Facebook group for news, events, and action opportunities posted by our members.
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