Feel Good Friday - American Association of People with Disabilities

July is Disability Pride Month, which traces its roots to the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, making this a fitting moment to spotlight American Association of People with Disabilities.

Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., the mission of American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) is "to increase the political and economic power of people with disabilities." AAPD was founded by a coalition of disability rights leaders, including Justin Dart, often called the father of the ADA. The organization remains disability-led today and advocates for the civil rights of more than 70 million Americans with disabilities. AAPD has been especially vocal this year about federal funding cuts threatening Medicaid and other disability protections, a reminder that the full inclusion the ADA promised is still very much a work in progress.

AAPD's Summer Internship Program is one of its most compelling initiatives. Since 2002, the program has placed college students, graduate students, and recent graduates with disabilities in paid ten-week internships with Congressional offices, federal agencies, and nonprofit and for-profit organizations in Washington, D.C. Interns receive a stipend of at least $20 an hour, transportation, and fully accessible housing, removing many of the financial barriers that keep disabled students out of competitive internships, while a career mentor helps guide their next steps. 

The REV UP Voting Campaign builds the power of the disability vote by increasing civic engagement and election accessibility through coalitions in twenty states. AAPD also invests in the next generation of disabled leaders alongside their ongoing policy advocacy on healthcare, housing, education, and employment.

If you're in the D.C. area, AAPD is hosting its 2026 ADA Anniversary Celebration on July 22, marking the 36th anniversary of the ADA. This year's event will recognize the progress made since 1990 and honor the leaders whose advocacy made the ADA possible. 

No matter where you live, you can support AAPD's work by making a donation that helps fund their advocacy directly, and amplify their message on social media. Follow them on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and help build the political and economic power of the disability community.

Happy Disability Pride Month!

Feel Good Friday - Somos Votantes

We’re in the middle of National Hispanic Heritage Month and you may have heard we have an election coming up in a few weeks. A perfect time to discuss the work of Somos Votantes.

Founded by Melissa Morales in 2019 and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, Somos Votantes and it’s political action arm, Somos PAC are the “largest independent Latino civic and voter engagement programs in the country.”

Morales worked in the U.S. Senate while she was in law school and didn’t see many Latinos in government. A desire to see her community represented in politics is what inspired her to create Somos Votantes. This is a Latino-led, Latino-focused organization that runs non-partisan programs designed to increase the participation of Latinos in local and federal elections and to advocate for progressive policies. 

Specific work they do includes sharing information with the Latino community about the resources available to them through President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, and non-partisan, mobilization programs to educate voters on the mechanics of voting and maximize Latino participation in elections.

In the last five years, Somos Votantes has knocked on nearly 4 million doors, sent over 10 million pieces of mail, invested over $4 million in Latino-targeted TV, nearly $1 million in Spanish-language radio, and over $4 million on paid digital ads. They held 100+ community organizing events, engaged more than 20,000 small businesses and were the biggest independent contributor of real-time, qualitative data on Latino voters. They’ve been busy!

The best way to stay abreast of Somos Votantes’ education and outreach efforts is to connect with them on social media by following their Facebook and Instagram pages. If you want to help them increase voter participation among Latino communities, you also can support them with a donation. And if you haven’t done so recently, now would be a great time to check your voter registration status!

Feel Good Friday - Voter's Edge California

The U.S. midterm elections are only four days away and today’s Feel Good Friday is here to prepare you for the polls with a little help from Voter’s Edge California.

As you’ve likely gathered from the name, Voter’s Edge California (VEC), is “a comprehensive, nonpartisan online guide to elections covering federal, state, and local races in the state of California.” It’s a joint project of MapLight and the League of Women Voters of California Education Fund that began in 1996 as the election information site, smartvoter.org.

The purpose of Voter’s Edge California is to help you “get the facts before you vote.” Start by entering your street address and zip code on the VEC homepage. You’ll get a personalized ballot that includes in-depth information on candidates and measures for the state, your county, your city, and your district. 

You can read candidate biographies, top priorities, and answers to questions, as well as see photos, policy videos, endorsements, and detailed information about who funds their campaigns. I found this useful because, while at a state level I only have to decide between a Democratic and Republic candidate for each position, there are ten people running for Mayor of Oakland and this site helped me learn more about all of them.

With the ballot measures, you can read unbiased explanations and find out who supports, opposes, and funds them. The site lists the top 10 donors for both the “yes on” and “no on” campaigns and also shows a breakdown of how much money is coming from inside and outside of California. Fascinating when you dig in to the funding of the gambling measures on the ballot. There are also explainer videos from CalMatters that give one-minute overviews on the state measures.

While researching everyone and everything on your ballot, you can use VEC to keep track of your choices and make filling out your ballot much easier. There’s also information on how to mail back your ballot, drop it off, or vote in person and then track it once you’ve voted.

If you like what Voter’s Edge is doing to help people in California make more informed choices you can support them with a donation. You can also help your fellow voters get educated by sharing this information on social media. Like the Voter’s Edge California Facebook page and follow them on Twitter @VotersEdge (if you’re still on Twitter) and Instagram @votersedgeca.

Feel Good Friday - Mi Familia Vota

We’re in the middle of National Hispanic American Heritage Month and there are only 40 days left until the midterm elections. Sounds like a great time to highlight the work of Mi Familia Vota.

Established in 2000, Mi Familia Vota (MFV) is “a national civic engagement non-profit organization that unites Latino, immigrant, and allied communities to promote social and economic justice through citizenship workshops, voter registration, and voter participation.”

These programs operate in seven states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, and Texas. The web pages for each state show you registration and early voting deadlines as well as contact information for the local office in your chosen state.

To increase voter registration and participation within these states, MFV partners with Spanish language media, schools, and community, faith-based and labor organizations to provide non-partisan information to Latino voters. While voter registration efforts are in high gear now, they also take place year round. In the 2020 election cycle MFV contacted 7 million voters through phone calls, text messages and door knocks and got 550,000 people registered!

MFV also mobilizes the Latino, immigrant and allied communities to lead both local and national coalitions in the fight for voting rights, healthcare and access to COVID-19 vaccinations, environmental issues, education, reproductive rights, workers’ rights and immigration reform with a path to citizenship. Their political work includes a campaign highlighting the ways Governor Greg Abbott has failed the Latino community in Texas, which you can learn about in this short video: ¡Basta Abbott!

Finally, MFV has a year-long Youth Development Program that provides high school students with unique real-world experiences and training exercises that teach them how to influence change in their communities and understand the importance of building political power.

If you’d like to support the work of Mi Familia Vota, you can become a volunteer, make a donation and amplify their message on social media. Follow them on Facebook at this link, on Twitter @MiFamiliaVota and Instagram @mifamiliavota.

Bonus note for all of us in California: the deadline to register to vote online is October 24th (in person November 8th) and early voting begins October 10th. De nada.

Feel Good Friday - Voting Resources

In case you don’t have your countdown clock set, there are only 52 days left until the Midterm Elections in the United States. The outcome will determine which party controls Congress and you get a chance to influence that outcome with your vote.

In preparation for these upcoming elections, I’m recapping several voting-related posts that will help you get informed, motivated and involved. Links to the organizations and to the original posts are included so you can learn more about the organization that interest you.

Get Informed

TurboVote is “a tool that helps you vote, no matter what.” Since 2012, TurboVote has helped 9 million voters keep track of voter registration, absentee, and vote-by-mail rules for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. www.heymissk.com/2020/10/feel-good-friday-turbovote.html

Ballot Ready provides personalized ballots and nonpartisan information to voters in all 50 states. Start by entering your address on the website’s home page and Ballot Ready displays a list of your federal, state and local representatives. www.heymissk.com/2022/08/feel-good-friday-ballot-ready.html

Get Motivated

EMILY's List elects pro-choice Democratic women to office. Their vision is to balance the voice of power by having the government more accurately represent the people it serves and to "elect leaders who ignite change”. http://www.heymissk.com/2022/07/feel-good-friday-emilys-list.html

Fair Fight is leading the charge to protect voting rights. They promote fair elections around the country, encourage voter participation in elections, and educate voters about elections and their voting rights. http://www.heymissk.com/2019/02/feel-good-friday-fair-fight-action.html

Get Involved

Vote Forward is a nonprofit organization that builds tools “to enable Americans, wherever they may be, to encourage fellow citizens to participate in our democracy.” Their mission is “to empower grassroots volunteers to help register voters from under-represented demographics and encourage them to vote.” http://www.heymissk.com/2020/09/feel-good-friday-vote-forward.html

Swing Left is “building a lasting culture of grassroots participation in winning elections for the Left by making it as easy as possible for anyone to have maximum impact on the elections that determine the balance of power in our country.” http://www.heymissk.com/2020/08/feel-good-friday-swing-left.html

I hope the reminder about these organizations inspires you vote in November!

Feel Good Friday - Ballot Ready

With only 81 days until the midterm elections in the U.S., it’s time for another voting related Feel Good Friday post, this one focused on Ballot Ready.

Launched in 2015 by two University of Chicago classmates, the mission of Ballot Ready is “to make democracy work the way it should by helping voters across the U.S. exercise their right to vote and vote informed on every race and measure on their ballots.”

How do they do it? Ballot Ready provides personalized ballots and nonpartisan information to voters in all 50 states. Start by entering your address on the website’s home page and Ballot Ready displays a list of your federal, state and local representatives. You can select a representative and find out what it is they do - I’m looking at you California State Board of Equalization - get their contact information and links to sites where you can learn more about them. The information Ballot Ready provides about candidates and issues is comprehensive and nonpartisan. You can read more about their research process here.

From the home page of the website, you can also check to make sure your voter registration is current and, when it gets close to an upcoming election, research your ballot and get connected to resources to help you vote. If you’re ready to take your participation to the next level, you can also host a Ballot Party. These interactive events help you and your guests research your ballots together using Ballot Ready’s resources, then leave informed and prepared to vote. Use this toolkit to plan, promote, and host a party.

For those of you who like to educate others there is a Super Voter program, which provides resources for you to inform other voters about an election, a candidate, a ballot measure, or making a safe and easy plan to vote. Teachers can use these four, ready-to-use lesson plans designed to help students in grades 8-12 learn about the voting process while engaging with technology.  

In addition to using Ballot Ready to prepare for upcoming elections and track your ballot, you can help other voters out by spreading the word on social media. Follow Ballot Ready on Facebook at this link, on Twitter @BallotReady and Instagram @ballotready. #VoteInformed 

Feel Good Friday - Common Cause

It’s Feel Good Friday and midterm elections for the U.S. Congress are 109 days away. Is it too soon to talk about voting? Absolutely not. Let’s kick off this conversation with a post about Common Cause.

Founded in 1970 by former U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, John Gardner, Common Cause is “a nonpartisan grassroots organization with 1.5 million members & supporters dedicated to building a strong democracy & holding power accountable.”  

As they describe on their website, the work they do “leads and defines the democracy reform movement, promoting solutions already succeeding in some communities to shift power to the people and away from wealthy special interests and partisan ideologues.” Their most notable accomplishment was reforming the 26th Amendment, which legally changed the voting age from 21 to 18, giving more adults the right to vote. Common Cause has also influenced 17 states to adopt automatic voter registrations, including Colorado, Georgia, and Maryland. You can read about more victories and their impact at this link.

 

The campaigns led by Common Cause fall into one of six categories:

• Voting and elections – working to ensure that every eligible citizen has the freedom to vote and that their votes are accurately counted. Specifics include expanding vote-by-mail, modernizing voter registration and mobilizing election protection volunteers to help people cast their votes without obstruction, confusion, or intimidation.

• Gerrymandering and representation – helping the public play an active role in redistricting, fighting felony disenfranchisement, and demanding a fair and accurate Census.

• Ethics and accountability – holding politicians and judges accountable to strong ethical standards, so they serve the people instead of their own self interests.

• Money and influence – demanding transparency and accountability from big corporations and special interest lobbyists, empowering small-dollar donors to make an impact in campaigns and holding elected officials accountable to voters.

• Media and democracy – advocating for broadband access, net neutrality and freedom of the press.

• Constitution, courts and other democracy issues – advocating for the Freedom to Vote Act, petitioning to end the filibuster and demanding representation for the 700,000 people living in Washington D.C. 

If you want to help Common Cause build a democracy that works for everyone, there are many ways to get involved. First, make sure you’re ready to vote! Check your registration, find your polling place or track your mail-in ballot with these voting tools.

 

Next, scroll to the bottom of this page to find a chapter in your state so you can participate at a local level. No matter where you are, you can volunteer to phonebank or write letters to the editor, make a donation, shop for merch, and spread the word far and wide. Follow Common Cause on Facebook, Twitter @CommonCause and Instagram @ourcommoncause.

 

Feel Good Friday - EMILY's List

I don’t often repeat Feel Good Friday blogs, but when I do, it’s to remind you about EMILY’s List.

I first wrote about EMILY’s List on June 9, 2017 and the recent overturn of Roe v. Wade inspired me to raise them up again and highlight the impact they have on U.S. elections.

 

Founded in 1985 by Ellen Malcolm, the work of EMILY's List is summed up by their mission statement: “We elect pro-choice Democratic women to office." Their vision is to balance the voice of power by having the government more accurately represent the people it serves and to "elect leaders who ignite change".

As explained in the history section of the website, "the name "EMILY's List" was an acronym for "Early Money Is Like Yeast" (i.e., it makes the dough rise)." That dough has been rising for over 30 years and now EMILY's List is the largest national resource for women in politics and one of the largest financial resources for minority women seeking federal office.

 

While fundraising is the beginning, it’s certainly not the end. EMILY’s List has a program called "Run to Win" that recruits and trains women how to, yes you guessed it, run for office and win.

EMILY's Lists supports women's campaigns with finances, they also provide research and strategic assistance to secure election victories.

Since their founding, EMILY’s List has helped elect 159 Democratic pro-choice women to the House, 26 to the Senate, 16 to governors' seats, more than 1,300 women to state and local office and, of course, one to Vice President. 

If you want to see more pro-choice Democratic women in positions of power around the country, run for office! If you're reading this blog, you've got my vote.

 

While you’re considering that and designing your logo, there are other ways you can support EMILY’s List. Attend an event, make a donation to recommended candidates, like their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter @emilyslist and Instagram @emilys_list.

Feel Good Friday - Election Integrity Partnership

I was looking forward to posting a variety of Feel Good Friday topics again but, given that the election isn't over yet, we’re going to stick with the voting theme for another week and highlight the work of the Election Integrity Partnership. 

As they explain on Twitter, the Election Integrity Partnership is “a coalition of research entities focused on detecting and mitigating attempts to prevent or deter people from voting or to delegitimize election results.” 

 

Created in July of this year, the EIP consists of “four of the nation’s leading institutions focused on analysis of mis- and disinformation in the social media landscape: the Stanford Internet Observatory and Program on Democracy and the Internet, Graphika, the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Research Lab, and the University of Washington's Center for an Informed Public.

 

The researchers at these institutions work with election officials and other stakeholders to find instances of election-related misinformation, analyze reports from public sector and NGO partners and send their findings to the appropriate partners and agencies to mitigate the impact. The EIP website includes a page with detailed policy analysis and a rapid response section that addresses issues such as how the media is handling Trump’s false claims of victory.

 

In this November 1^st NPR story with one of EIP’s researchers, they advised that we might not have election results on Tuesday and emphasize the uncertainty is expected and does not mean the process is illegitimate. Since then, researchers have been hosting multiple briefings each day to share rapid analysis and resources on the election. You can find links to those recordings and read their latest tweets on the EIP home page. If you’d like to get their updates with the rest of your social media, follow them on Instragram and Twitter @2020Partnership.

 

Here’s hoping this election comes to a fair and peaceful conclusion and next week we can focus on animals. 

Feel Good Friday - Vote Smart

It’s the last Feel Good Friday before the election and here’s something to feel good about – Vote Smart.

 

Vote Smart is a political research organization that has been providing non-partisan, unbiased information to voters since 1992. Their mission is “to provide free, factual, unbiased information on candidates and elected officials to ALL Americans.”

 

How does it work? As explained on the website, over 7,000 volunteers spend time “researching the backgrounds and records of thousands of political candidates and elected officials to discover their voting records, campaign contributions, public statements, biographical data (including their work history) and evaluations of them generated by over 400 national and 1300 state special interest groups.” There are multiple ways you can find the information you’re looking for. Watch this 4-minute video to get details on the programs or keep reading.

 

I Spy is a collection of information on over 40,000 politicians that includes their bios, votes, positions on the issues, ratings from special interest groups, speeches, tweets, and funding sources. All you need to do is put in the name of the politician you’re interested in and start reading! You can trust the information on the site because Vote Smart posts a BULL icon by comments that have been proven false by FactCheck.org, PolitiFact or the Washington Post.

 

Political Galaxy is a flashy and fast way to select a politician and an issue then find out where they stand by viewing their special interest ratings, votes and speeches. You can also get this information on the mobile app, On Point. With millions of facts at your fingertips, you really will be able to vote smart. 

 

Finally, you can use the very engaging Vote Easy resource to determine which candidate most matches your views on the issues. Go to this link and either “click on a candidate’s sign to see their positions on key issues OR compare your issue positions to those of all the candidates.” While you probably don’t need this to make your decision on your vote for president, it may come in handy for the congressional races. It’s also fun to use. 

 

If you’d like to support the work of Vote Smart, there are several ways you can help out. Put your researching skills to work by becoming a volunteer, make a donation or share these resources by liking the Vote Smart Facebook page and following them on Twitter @VoteSmart.

Feel Good Friday - Vote Save America

Only two Feel Good Fridays left before election day so it’s time for more voting resources. Today, we’ll focus on Vote Save America.

Vote Save America is a project of Crooked Media, the team that brings you the Pod Save America podcast and many others. As explained on their website, Vote Save America is “a website, an initiative, and a community to help guide you with each step you need to take throughout the year to have the impact you want.” Provided the impact you want to have is a more progressive national agenda and a new President.

 

Like many of the organizations we’ve been sharing in recent weeks, Vote Save America’s site includes information on registering to vote, requesting an absentee ballot and important deadlines for every state and US Territory. For example, you can find everything you need to know about California here.  

 

There are also resources to learn more about the records of the Presidential and Vice Presidential nominees and their stands on issues including: coronavirus response, healthcare, economy, education, foreign policy, climate, criminal justice reform, guns, voting rights and election reform, immigration and reproductive rights. Even if you know who you’re voting for, these pages are worth a look. In the coronavirus response section, policies listed under Biden include “enacting a universal mask mandate” and under Trump say “being a dick to Dr. Fauci”. Actual policies are included too.

 

Last, Vote Save America provides creative ways to volunteer, including becoming a poll worker or partnering with Fair Fight as a hotline volunteer or poll observer. You can also Adopt a State and get resources to help organizers, volunteers and candidates in six key battleground states: Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

 

If you’re reading this blog, I’m confident that you’re voting in this election. If you want to step up your participation use the links above to find the right volunteer opportunity. If you’ve got more money than time you can donate to one of Vote Save America's targeted campaigns: Get Mitch or Die Trying (elect key Democratic Senators and flip the Senate) or F*ck Gerry(mandering) Fund (flip state legislative races so new, fairer maps can be drawn in 2021). Last you can spread the word on social media by joining their Facebook group and following them on Twitter @votesaveamerica.

Feel Good Friday - Democracy Works

As we count down to election day, we’re keeping the voting theme going. Last week, we shared the story of TurboVote. In today’s Feel Good Friday we’ll talk about their parent organization, Democracy Works.

The vision of Democracy works is to “make voting a simple, seamless experience for all Americans so that no one misses an election.” It’s the brainchild of Seth Flaxman and Kathryn Peters who, after missing several elections when they were graduate students, were inspired to build a reminder system. In 2010, they launched this system under the name TurboVote. 

As explained last week, TurboVote is a tool that provides voters with information they need to register, details on where and how to vote and reminders about important deadlines. Democracy Works also collects and standardizes election data that is used to produce polling place and ballot data. That data is then used in Google searches and by election officials, universities, organizations and companies who want to embed an interactive tool on their own sites.

 

Finally, Democracy Works helps election officials “build new tools and share technology, as well as best practices, so they can best serve their voters.” That includes adding intelligent bar codes to mail ballots so they can be tracked and providing a reporting tool that feeds directly into the USPS to help escalate concerns related to election mail.

 

All of these programs help Democracy Works achieve their mission of serving voters, powering elections and building a better democracy. If you want to be a part of it you can support Democracy Works with a donation and by amplifying their message on social media. Like their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter @demworksinc. And for goodness sakes, #vote!

Feel Good Friday - TurboVote

Hard to believe that Election Day is finally less than a month away! Let’s celebrate with a Feel Good Friday post highlighting the work of TurboVote. 

A program of Democracy Works, who we’ll profile next week, TurboVote is “a tool that helps you vote, no matter what.” Since 2012, TurboVote has helped 9 million voters keep track of voter registration, absentee, and vote-by-mail rules for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

 

TurboVote’s website includes a page titled How to Vote where you can look up information for your state. Resources on how to register include instructions and links on who can vote, how to register, how to check your status and a list of key dates and deadlines. For example, in California the online registration deadline is October 19^th but you have until November 3^rd to register in person.

 

Once you’ve got your registration taken care of, you can research how to vote. TurboVote explains where you can find your polling place and what you’ll need to bring with you if you vote in person. They also provide tips on voting by mail and resources to find your ballot measures online.

 

Best of all, if you sign up with TurboVote, they’ll send you text and email reminders about registration deadlines, upcoming elections and where to vote!

 

So how do you get involved? Research information on voting in your state, get reminders by signing up with TurboVote and stay in the loop by liking the TurboVote Facebook page and following them on Twitter @TurboVote.

Feel Good Friday - Black Voters Matter Fund

It’s Feel Good Friday and we’re continuing our voting rights/election theme with the Black Voters Matter Fund.

 

Headquartered in East Point, Georgia, the goal of Black Voters Matter (BVM) is “to increase power in marginalized, predominantly Black communities. Effective voting allows a community to determine its own destiny.”

BVM works to achieve this goal while keeping five core beliefs in mind:

• Respect and support local infrastructure
• Black voters matter every day
• Black voters matter everywhere
• Messaging must be authentic and speak to the issues
• Leadership of Black women must receive recognition and investment

 

Their work focuses on increasing voter registration and election turnout. BVM also advocates for voting rights and access issues such as expanded early voting, resisting voter ID and strengthening the Voting Rights Act. Last, they work with other groups to help them develop infrastructure, provide staff training and network development.

 

The BVM website has a voting toolkit with information and links on how to register, request an absentee ballot, check your registration status and get election reminders. There are also state-specific resources for people living in FL, SC, TN, GA, LA, NC, PA, AL and MS. Most fun, the Black Voters Matter “Blackest Bus in America” is currently on the road as part of a national voter outreach initiative. Watch a short video pinned on the BVM Twitter page to see where the bus will be next.

If you’d like to support the work of Black Voters Matter, you can volunteer for an activity such as phone banking, writing post cards or fundraising. You can also make a donation or raise awareness by wearing some BVM merch, liking their Facebook page and following them on Twitter @BlackVotersMtr.

Feel Good Friday - Vote Forward

As promised, I’m spending the next few Feel Good Fridays focused on voter education and election-related organizations. For all of us feeling sadness, fear or anger right now (or for the last four years), I have a lovely antidote – action. 

Vote Forward is a nonprofit organization that builds tools “to enable Americans, wherever they may be, to encourage fellow citizens to participate in our democracy.” Their mission is “to empower grassroots volunteers to help register voters from under-represented demographics and encourage them to vote.”  

It began in 2017 as an experiment by Scott Forman during the special election for U.S. Senate in Alabama. Using a randomized, controlled trial he found that turnout among people who received get out the vote (GOTV) letters was 3.9 percent higher than for turnout in the control group. That was a big enough success for Scott and some friends to build the Vote Forward platform. As he explains, “we believe our democracy depends on everyone participating, so we volunteered our time and expertise to achieve that goal.”

 

So how does it work? You can watch this short video or keep reading.

 

Start by going to the Vote Forward website and clicking the link to “send letters”. Fill out a short form and get approved within 48 hours. Once confirmed, decide whether you want to send 5 or 20 letters (you can always go back for more) and either let the randomizer send you names or pick a state to target from this list of social campaigns.

 

I chose the randomizer and now have the names and addresses of 20 registered voters in Florida! Next step is to print out the letters (or go to your local copy shop), add a personal note and wait until the send date of October 17th to pop them in the mail. If you’re wondering why October 17^th, Vote Forward found there is a sweet spot for GOTV letters, not too soon and not too late. You can read the full explanation and get mailing tips here.

Are you ready to join me? Vote Forward set a goal of sending out 10 million voter turnout letters in 2020 and the current count is 8.23 million. I got my list of voters on Thursday and I already feel better even though all I’ve done so far is print out the letters and buy stamps.

 

If you don’t have time to write, please consider a donation to Vote Forward and help them meet their goal of 10 million letters by spreading the word on social media. Like their Facebook page and follow them on Twitter @votefwd.