Stiffen Their Spines

Happy Friday, Activists!

Today we're back to advocating for our elected officials to do the right thing.  And more election opportunities for you below, including a Logan Square canvass tomorrow morning.  It's a long one again today, but it's a busy season!  

Be sure to check out yesterday's newsletter here with the wonderful photos and videos from No Kings and helpful election information.  

CALL TO ACTION

To recap, Republicans shut down the government rather than pass a funding bill to stop Trump’s healthcare cuts, price increases, and authoritarian misuse of our tax dollars. Funding ran out at midnight on October 1, and the government will remain in a Trump Shutdown until a bipartisan agreement that can clear the 60-vote filibuster is reached.

Democrats must continue opposing any budget that lets Trump’s healthcare cuts and price increases take effect, or that hands him a blank check to keep terrorizing our communities.  And we need to hold Republicans accountable for shutting down the government and throwing the country into chaos – all to appease their wannabe king.

Here's what's at stake and an explainer to use for your message to our senators:  If Republicans get their way and the ACA subsidies go away, the estimate from the Kaiser Family Foundation is "that the annual out-of-pocket premium for the average subsidized household will more than double from $888 in 2025 to $1,904 in 2026."  Plus, 

higher premiums mean around 3.8 million people will drop out of coverage. And they tend to be younger and healthier.  That results in higher premiums for everyone else because the risk pool is older and less healthy.  Just like the days before the ACA!

And for our Democratic senator, John Fetterman, we need to impress upon him that he must stand with his Dem colleagues and take a stand against how the regime is harming people and what the skyrocketing cost of healthcare will do to his constituents.

As for the authoritarian takeover, Sen. Fetterman has been particularly out of touch. You can tell him that he needs to get his facts straight by reading this article in the Bucks County Beacon about the PA Statewide Indivisible statement in response to the senator's accusations about fascism.

Call Senator McCormick and tell him Republicans are responsible for ending the shutdown and own all the devastating impacts caused by it.  Demand they stop the partisan games and do their jobs - negotiating a bipartisan budget deal that protects healthcare and ends this Trump Shutdown.

Here are the contacts to call and write:

Sen. McCormick – Phila office 215-405-9660; D.C. office 202-224-6324; email link

Sen. Fetterman – Phila office 215-241-1090; D.C. 202-224-4254; email link

For outside PA:  Find your senators’ phone numbers and emails at this link.

BALLOT &  ELECTION DAY INFO

Here is our all-encompassing informational piece (thank you Christy!) about this election, how the unusual voting works and why.  And of course the candidates on the ballot, with some helpful information about them. The most important races are of course the statewide judicial races for PA Supreme Court, Commonwealth Court and Superior Court.  Check it out for yourself and share with your friends and neighbors. 

The important deadlines --

October 28 -- Deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot by 5:00 PM.  

Sign up for a mail-in ballot here.  

Mail-in Ballot and Election Day tips --

1.  Election Day is Tuesday, November 4th. Polls are open from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.  If you are in line by 8:00 you can still vote.  Find your polling place at this link.

2.  If you have signed up to vote by mail, you can check your ballot status at this link.

3.  Your voted Mail-in Ballot must be received by the Election Board by 8:00 pm on Election Day.  Avoid any trouble with your ballot by filling it out correctly.  Here's is Spotlight PA's complete guide to filling out and returning your mail ballot.  Again track the status of your application and ballot at this link.

4.  Mail your ballot or drop it in a drop box.  Here is the list of drop boxes for Philadelphia.

5.  Find your polling place at this link.

6.  If it is the first time you have voted in your division (at your polling place) you must show ID.  This is the long list of IDs you can use.

7.  More information is at Linktr.ee/VotePHL or call these numbers – 877-868-3772 or 215-686-3469.

8.  Want to vote at the polls after receiving your mail-in ballot? You can!  Take it to the polls (with the envelopes) and they’ll take care of you. 

9.  If you have any problems at the polls at all, you can always vote on a provisional ballot. It will be counted. 

GET VOTERS OUT FOR THE NOVEMBER 4th ELECTION

Here's what you can do to help elect and retain our good justices and judges. 

Donate directly to the justices campaigns on their websites -- 

Dougherty's is here;  Donohue's is here;  Wecht's is here.

CANVASS TO VOTERS

Canvassing is the gold standard for convincing voters to vote.

NEW!  Canvass tomorrow in the Logan Circle area in Philly with the 8th Ward Dems.  Join us as we canvass tomorrow with the 8th Ward Dems in the Logan Circle area to help save our PA Supreme Court.  We'll knock doors and talk with neighbors about the importance of VOTING YES to keep our PA Statewide Courts fair and independent.  See you there!

When:   Saturday, October 25, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Where:  Rob Stuart Memorial Dog Park, 2115 Winter St., Philadelphia

Sign up here for the details.

You can also canvass to voters in Northeast Philly now!  

Sign up here to see the dates and for more information.

PHONE BANK TO TALK TO VOTERS! 

You can phone bank and talk to Pennsylvania voters about what you saw on our video meeting with the justices!  Our friends at Red To Blue with One PA are hosting virtual phone banks to get out the vote.  So sign up and make a difference!  They will use the easy Scale to Win autodialer and will provide plenty of training and support for new callers.

When:  Every Thursday, 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Where:  Zoom

Sign up here.

HELP CURE BALLOTS!

Many voters make mistakes with their ballots that need to be corrected in order to be counted.  Historically, PA Democrats have used mail ballots more than twice as often as Republicans. If the ballots are not fixed, or "cured," they are not counted.

Our friends at VoteProPros are running ballot cure canvasses.  Voters are first contacted by phone but if they don't answer then the cure canvassers go to their homes to explain how to fix their ballot and that's where you come in.  You will have the chance to actually help a voter have their vote counted when it otherwise wouldn't be. 

Canvassing is starting now and goes to Election Day so sign up here to volunteer.

BE A POLL OBSERVER ON ELECTION DAY

Poll observers will be placed outside of key precincts to watch for, report, and triage issues voters have while attempting to vote (e.g. long lines, being turned away, electioneering, etc). This is a non-partisan role that will not involve talking to voters about who is on their ballot.   Sign up here

JOIN LEAFLET PHILLY

Our Leaflet Philly project is going strong.  If you sign up by next Wednesday, October 8th you'll be able to participate in this month's leaflet campaign to get out the vote.  But we always need more of you taking this action with us.  It's fun, it's easy, and it doesn't take a lot of your time.  Read all the details and how to sign up at this link.

JOIN OUR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR TEAM!

Do you like to write?  Are you mad as hell and you're not going to take it anymore?  Well, no need to scream about it when you can use that energy to write a moving letter to the editor!

You can join this fantastic team and learn the best techniques for getting your views published.  We can help you write so you can effectively send your thoughts to folks willing to consider another point of view. 

We'll give you all the tools you need for success!  And even if you're just not sure, you can sign up and find out more to make a decision.  Sign up here.  Or just get answers to your questions by emailing us here. 

PROTEST AT ONE OF THESE

1.   Avelo protests! Bring your signs and tell Wilmington to stop hosting Avelo when it flies our neighbors to detention camps for ICE.

Where:  Wilmington Airport, 151 N Dupont Hwy (near the intersection of Rt. 13 and School Lane), New Castle, DE 19720

When:  This Saturday, September 27th, 11:00 am to Noon.

Sign up here.

2.  Springfield protest - Bring your signs on your favorite topic!  

Every Saturday 1:00 - 2:00 at the intersection of Baltimore Pike and PA Route 320. 

3.  Tesla Takedown Protest

Every Saturday - 11:00 - Noon

Tesla Takedown Devon - At the Tesla showroom, 470 Lancaster Ave, Devon, PA 

4.  Every Friday -- 11:15 am - Join Fridays@Fetterman's for the weekly Friday vigil for peace in Gaza/Palestine outside of Senator John Fetterman's office at 200 Chestnut Street from 11:15 am to 12:15 pm. Register here  

5.  Every Friday, 5:00 - 6:00 pm -- Protest at Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick's office at One Summit Square, Langhorne, PA. Bring signs about whatever you want. There's a lot to complain about!

6.  Every Wednesday 4:00 pm -- Join this resistance group at #WeThePeopleWednesdays for Singing for Sanity at Richard Allen Lane train station, Cresheim and Allen Lanes.

More information is here.

7.  Every Monday at Noon -- Join our friends at Peace, Justice, Sustainability NOW for Monday's at McCormick's, in front of Senator McCormick's office at 20th and Market Streets.

Are you outside the Philadelphia area?  You can see all the protests planned by Indivisibles in your area at this link. 

And One More Thing:

Want to promote the No Kings campaign?  You can always sign up to get our No Kings t-shirt to wear any time!  

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