Election Day, November 8, 2022
August 1, 2022
There’s good news coming out every day: Democrats are gaining momentum for the midterms. But that doesn’t mean we can relax! We need to bring this baby home and make sure that Dems are elected up and down the ballot in November.
Pennsylvania
Changing rules and outright efforts to confuse or intimidate voters make voting harder. Voter assistance hotlines are critical to answering voters’ questions about how, when, and where to vote. In 2020, the PA Dems ran the busiest hotline in the country. In the last couple of months of the election, many hundreds of voters called daily. Being a hotline operator requires a commitment to learning material and new technology, but it is one of the most rewarding things you can do!
- Join the PA Voter Protection Team and sign up for the Voter Assistance Hotline training on Aug 4 or Aug 18.
North Carolina
Talking directly with voters by phone is one way to boost voter turnout—by as much as 3%, which is the margin of victory in many battleground races. In NC, most races are won or lost by about 1%. That is why it is so important that we make the calls our partners need in these critical states. And we’ll be making those calls together at Lean Left’s PowerHour Sundays starting August 7th.
- PowerHour Sunday, August 7, 3-5 pm. Come spend an hour with other activists at this dedicated working session (no training at these sessions!). On August 7th, we’ll be calling NC Dems who have volunteered as poll observers in the past, and we’ll be inviting them to once again serve as voter protection heroes: the eyes and ears on the ground at voting sites, making sure every vote counts.
- Questions about PowerHours? Want to know more about making calls to NC voters? Need tech help or a refresher on the calling tools we’ll be using? NC Office Hours are Friday, August 5, 12, and 19 at 3 pm. Office Hours will be especially useful if you need tech help. We can get you signed up and ready to go so your working session on PowerHour Sunday is productive and rewarding! Drop in on Friday using this link.
New Hampshire
The radical right-wing has infiltrated every nook and cranny in New Hampshire. We can be sure that they will try their hardest to disrupt the primary election on September 13 and the November 8 election. Recruiting poll observers and voter assistance hotline volunteers is crucial to seeing citizens are not harassed or stopped from voting.
- Every Monday from 4 to 6, the Dems Voter Protection team provides information about recruiting poll observers and hotline staff. Sign up here.
- Then join us at the Sunday PowerHour on August 7. You can drop in anytime between 3 and 5. This is dedicated time spent working together to get critical election tasks done. These work gatherings will be held every week until the November election. Sign up here. If you need more information about the Sunday PowerHour or the NH recruitment effort, please contact Rebecca.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin voters face some of the most challenging voting obstacles in the country. Added to perhaps being the most gerrymandered state in the country, WI Supreme Court banned drop-boxes and any form of third-party assistance to returning a mail ballot, including putting another voter’s sealed envelope in a mailbox! Fortunately, the WisDems have a strong voter protection team. If you are interested in voter protection in Wisconsin, there are several ways to get involved. These actions vary over time.
- Ann is a member of the WisDems Super Vol team, please email her to learn more.
We are starting up our PowerHour Sundays on August 7! Drop in from 3 to 5 PM. If you’ve been trained or have been making calls with any state, think about joining us for an hour or two. Get the work done and feel great all week long! More information here.
Fund the Movement
July Beneficiary
North Carolina
Building Electoral Power in
Marginalized Communities
This month Lean Left is supporting Advance Carolina and NC A. Philip Randolph Educational Fund. Together, these organizations connect year-round with rural black voters and then mobilize them to vote in November.
BIG NEWS! Every dollar donated this month will serve as a kick-off match for a September 13th event (7-8 pm EST) featuring the leaders of Advance Carolina and the A. Philip Randolph Educational Fund, with guest speaker NC Governor Roy Cooper! So, if you have not yet made your July donation, please do! Lean Left is a co-sponsor of this event, along with other groups around the country.
Why are our dollars so important to the work these grassroots groups are doing? Rural black voters could make the difference in November:
- When asked which voter groups needed to be mobilized, Cheri Beasley, candidate for U.S. Senate, replied, “rural black voters, particularly in northeastern North Carolina.”
- Republicans are two seats short of a supermajority in the Senate and three seats short of a supermajority in the House. If Rs win a supermajority in Nov, they will override Gov Cooper’s vetoes.
- Most elections in NC are won by less than 1%; historically, voters of color tend to undervote (more than 1 million did not vote in 2020).
Or contribute through your Giving Circle!
Lean Left Vermont has raised more than $325,000 since 2017!
To learn about the campaign in North Carolina click here!
