Happy Friday, Activists!
Fresh to your inbox - the Friday roundup of our events and actions. Sign up for one or two - or more! You can check out this week’s important Calls To Action at this link to Tuesday’s newsletter.
But first, on Tuesday we promised you that today we'd have the details for our FUN evening together. So here here you go!
QUIZZO NIGHT!
Have you played Quizzo before? It's super fun. We will have a professional Quizzo Master lead the game. You can join a team or start your own, to go on to fame and glory! Prizes will be awarded!
We'll provide all the food and there will be a cash bar.
When: Tuesday, November 16, 6:00 pm
Where: Black Sheep Irish Pub, 247 S. 17th St, Philadelphia, 19103, Second Floor. We'll have this private room to ourselves. The windows will be open so we have good ventilation.
The Rules: You must: (1) be vaccinated; (2) bring proof of vaccination; (3) wear a mask in the building when you're not eating or drinking.
(This party is brought to us through a generous grant from Indivisible national.)
18 DAYS UNTIL THE NOVEMBER 2 ELECTION
Are you ready? Below you'll find several resources to provide you tons of information about the extremely important judicial and other races, including local judges and candidates. Enjoy!
YOUR ELECTION RESOURCES
1. Here is our resource on the backgrounds of the statewide judicial candidates – PA Supreme Court, PA Superior Court and PA Commonwealth Court. Check them out at this link. We recommend voting for all the Democrats on this list.
2. Read the ratings by the Philadelphia Bar Association – just for the Philadelphia-based candidates – at this link. This one includes the local judges up for retention.
3. Read the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s ratings and backgrounds for all the statewide judicial candidates.
Supreme Court ratings are at this link.
Superior Court ratings are at this link.
Commonwealth Court ratings are at this link.
4. The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania held forums for the judicial candidates and you can see the videos at this link.
5. See a good roundup of all the races – including District Attorney, City Controller, etc., in this Philadelphia Citizen article at this link.
6. Here'sa comprehensive list of voting options and the current map and list of drop boxes, with a few more added, in a great Billy Penn article at this link.
7. The Philadelphia ballot has four ballot questions. You can read an explainer about them at this link. An explainer for Question #3 and the reasons for this change is at this link.
Make sure your voting status is up to date.
1. Voter registration -- You can check it at this link. Find all voting information at vote.pa.gov or at this link (it's a new web address, same information.). The deadline to register is October 18.
2. Vote By Mail -- As a reminder, you must sign up every year to vote by mail for elections that year. In Philadelphia, the mail-in ballots were already mailed out, so you should see yours very soon if you signed up to vote by mail. If you didn't sign up for this year you'll need to go to the polls, unless you sign up immediately. Sign up at this link. The deadline is October 26 but don't wait to the last minute!
3. Ballot drop boxes – Find a map of the locations at this link. All the drop boxes are available 24/7 and are monitored by security cameras. You can only drop off your own ballot unless you fill out this form.
4. Check your ballot status with the state ballot tracker at this link.
5. Ballot Questions -- The Philadelphia ballot has four ballot questions. You can read an explainer about them at this link. An explainer for Question #3 and the reasons for this change is at this link.
6. Want to be a poll worker? Sign up here to learn more.
Here is your lineup of actions and events, with a new one!
CANVASSING
Studies show canvassing is the gold standard for getting out the vote and changing peoples’ view about how often they vote. Join us for some of the easiest canvassing we've found, simply persuading infrequent voters to vote in more elections. Try it out!
Before each event we'll have a short training so you can see how deep canvassing works. And you can go with a buddy.
Canvassing in Philadelphia – Queen Village Area
This Sunday, October 17, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.
We’ll meet at Cianfrani Park at 8th and Fitzwater Streets. We’ll have a training first and then hit the streets! You can have a buddy to go with you!
Canvassing in Philadelphia -- Oxford Circle Area
Saturday, October 23, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
You can see below the neighborhood where we'll be canvassing. Our friends from Indivisible Upper West Side, NYC will be canvassing with us here too! They're a really fun group so join us!
We'll meet at Country Club Diner (address in confirmation email) and have a short training first. We provide all the information and materials you need!
We have a carpool going to this location too, so let us know if you would like a ride.
VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVES
Registering voters is critically important to turning out the vote so let’s get it done! Sign up for a two-hour shift:
TOMORROW Saturday, October 16, 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm
This is a really successful location for us, so sign up!
Philly AIDS Thrift
TOMORROW, Saturday, October 16, 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Voter Registration on Procrastinators' Night!
We'll be in apartment building lobbies registering voters right before the registration deadline of October 18. Join us on October 17 to get every last person registered for the November 2 elections.
1. Park Towne Place Apartments
Sunday, October 17, 5:00 to 7:00 pm
2. The Drake
Sunday, October 17th, 5:00 to 7:00 pm
35 DOORS PROJECT
We’re really getting rolling with this project! Our Neighborhood Leaders are out already engaging with their neighbors to talk about voting and elections. Join this project to be a Neighborhood Leader interacting with voters at 35 addresses in your neighborhood. We'll provide you everything you need -- training, materials (handouts, door hangers, voter registration forms), information about the upcoming elections, and other support. You’ll go to doors a few times per year and become the local neighborhood election expert! We’ll also provide the addresses in coordination with you.
If you want more info or to sign up email us at this link!
POSTCARDS
Almost 33,000 voters! That's how many voters we're reaching out to so far. We are writing to persuade infrequent voters (read: they never vote in midterm elections) to get out and vote next year to secure Democratic victories for the open U.S. Senate seat and the open PA Governor’s seat. But we have many more to write to, so join us!
Here’s how it works –
The hand-written script is only two sentences plus you’ll also write the address. We recommend you order enough cards to write over the next two months.
The packet you receive will include the postcards and the list of addresses. We’ll email you all the instructions and the script. Please order your postcards in multiples of 50.
We ask that you donate $7.00 per set of 50 postcards to cover our costs. But don’t let the donation stop you from ordering the postcard packets. On the other hand, if you can, please consider chipping in a little extra to cover the cost for those who cannot.
Here’s how to sign up –
1. Email us at this link to tell us how many postcards you want.
2. Purchase your 40-cent postcard stamps online at this link or at your local post office.
3. Donate $7.00 per set of 50 postcards at this link. (Plus an extra $5.00 if we are shipping to you.)
Here’s how to receive your postcards –
* If you are in the Philadelphia area, we will deliver the postcard packets to you or you can pick them up. If you haven’t written postcards with us before, please give us your address.
* If you are outside the Philadelphia area, we can ship the packet to you. Please add $5.00 to your donation for shipping costs.
CARDS & COCKTAILS!
Write your cards with the group!
Next Thursday, October 21, 6:00- 8:00 pm
OUR NEXT TWO MEETINGS
1. Deb Ciamacca – Candidate for PA House from Delaware County
You know how important it is to flip PA legislative seats to bring progressive change to our state. Deb Ciamacca is a fantastic candidate who is working hard to do just that. A former Marine and former teacher, she is already canvassing for next year’s election. She will bring her stories from her “listening tour” to this meeting. You’ll learn what it’s like to talk to MAGA voters and learn what’s on their minds, plus her strategy for getting out the vote. Deb has some amazing stories and you’ll be inspired by her story and her energy to make positive change.
When: Tuesday, October 19 at 6:30 pm
Where: Zoom
2. Women’s Reproductive Health – Where Do We Go From Here?
This will be an amazing and timely meeting. Our speakers will be Kathryn Kolbert and Julie Kay. They just authored a new book: “Controlling Women: What We Must Do Now to Save Reproductive Freedom.”
In 1992, Kolbert argued before the United States Supreme Court in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the seminal case that challenged five abortion regulations in Pennsylvania. The ruling modified but upheld the rights established in Roe v. Wade.
Our speakers will talk to us about what this landscape looks like after the recent rulings on the Texas anti-abortion law and the cases scheduled to come before the Supreme Court next year. And they’ll offer what we should be ready to do in light of those realities. We are partnering with Turn PA Blue on this event.
When: Thursday, November 11, 7:30 pm
Where: Zoom
AND BEFORE YOU GO... MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM
From now until October 31, all the funds we raise will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to a maximum of $500! So if you can, please donate even a little to double your contribution and help us maximize this generous matching grant. Thank you!