The following email was sent to this blogsite by Heidi Fiske, who has posted here before. 
USA Today Graphic
It's about the two important January 5 runoff elections in Georgia, both for the U.S. Senate.
From Heidi Fiske:
Dear democrat,
You hoped your political work would be done November 3 but no... the most game-changing actions you can take this election cycle may be what you do NOW. This is about how and where to help.
If Biden is to be effective we need to control the Senate, and that won’t happen unless Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock win their runoff Senate races in Georgia on January 5. If they lose, Republicans control the Senate 52-48. If they win, it is 50-50 and VP Harris can break any tie.
Don’t send money to the campaigns yet...
One of the savviest political activists I know states: "My advice is to wait. There is so much money pouring into Georgia that it is almost impossible to know who can use the funds effectively.” And a few very large donations are expected within a week.
It may be a somewhat different story for groups seeking to register voters (registration ends next week, December 7) and to get out the vote, especially in particular communities— actions that both Republicans and Democrats agree are key to winning these races (as opposed to persuading people to change their vote). If you give to any such group, be sure it is one with an ongoing presence, so that if the money isn’t used in these races, it will work in 2021-22.
… but do volunteer, provided...
Georgians can be downright rude about out-of-staters “parachuting in, telling us what to do as if they know more than we do,” says SE Georgia organizer Amanda Hollowell. And their frankness is a good thing, because they’re telling you how to be effective. Here’s some of what they say:
- While the election is of national importance to you, the issues that are going to get Georgians fired up and to the polls – especially in rural communities of color – are entirely local: notably health care access; COVID; environmental justice; criminal justice reform; and treatment of immigrants. “Take back the Senate” cuts no ice here. Says Black Voters Matter’s Wanda Moseley, “it’s not about what the nation needs. It’s about what black voters need. If it isn’t about that they won’t come out. Period.”
- Two important groups to get on board are Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), who cast 91.3% more ballots in 2020 than 2016, and Hispanics: who cast 72.2% more. But each group is varied, and the differences are important, so let the locals teach you how to approach them.
- Georgia has many ways to suppress the vote. You will need to understand them, because your major value may be helping people navigate the system.
- Don’t come to work on the ground. First, there’s COVID. Second, plenty of people already do it. Finally, obvious out-of-staters trying to exert influence may raise hackles. One exception: poll watching if you are a lawyer
- There are places where digital outreach does not work “because lack of broadband aligns exactly with Black and brown communities.”
- However you are interacting with Georgians, take it slow and be a friend, not an official. “Georgia voters are tired, overwhelmed,” says Fair Fight’s Hillary Holley. “They want to hear from people they trust, so come at them with grace.”
Groups to work with
Well over forty highly credible progressive organizations are fighting this fight in Georgia. The few listed below match one or all of the following criteria: They use out of state volunteers; were recommended by several reliable sources; and/or reach special cohorts. Shown in alphabetical order.
America Votes americavotes.org
AV assembles national and state-based coalitions to advance progressive policies and increase voter turnout for Democratic candidates. In Georgia it coordinates the activities of a dozen or more local and national groups so that all bases are covered and none are duplicated.
volunteer opportunities https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdfKPID0RoAGR2KUsg1sWHioMFVKfk0lTSUzQ-xVWElv1pjOg/viewform?gxids=7757
You can check off any of thirteen organizations for which to volunteer (including several listed separately here), or choose among these activities: phone banking, texting, canvassing, writing postcards.
Asian American Advocacy Fund
AAAF advocates for national, state and local policies that will improve the lives of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders and all immigrant populations in Georgia. Though this cohort is small, in a race that may well be won at the margins these energized voters could play an important role. (As noted, they increased their votes more than 91% between 2016 and 2020.).
volunteer opportunities
phone banking, text banking, postcards
Black Voters Matter https://blackvotersmatterfund.org/
“At BVM, we … are NOT an electoral organization. We are, first and foremost, a power building organization.” BVM works year-round in many communities to make sure that the issues that matter to black communities have political heft.
volunteer opportunities https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/d448cd331da240798d118262a8b2f824
texting, phone banking, postcard writing, social media campaigning,
Fair Fight https://fairfight.com/
Fair Fight is a national voting rights organization founded in Georgia by Stacey Abrams. It is the leading voting rights groups in Georgia. Count on them to know the landscape everywhere and to offer fine training.
volunteer opportunities https://fairfight.com/join-our-fight/
poll worker, “line warming,” calling voters, texting voters. Can always use lawyers
Flip the West https://www.flipthewest.com/
“Harnessing grassroots power to take back the Senate. Current target: Georgia."
volunteer opportunities (phone banking) https://www.mobilize.us/flipthewest/event/362350/
(post card writing) https://www.mobilize.us/flipthewest/event/362341/
phone banking and postcard writing
MomsRising https://www.momsrising.org
Million-member organization targeting voting blocs that turned significantly more progressive between 2016 and 2020: suburban white mothers; unmarried white mothers; and low propensity voters of color. Helping to get out the vote in Georgia now.
volunteer opportunities https://action.momsrising.org/survey/MRAdvocacy_2020/
call leaders, write postcards, text, share MomsRising social media with your networks
Poder Latinx https://poderlatinx.org/
“Votar es poder.” Presently seeking bilingual volunteers for Georgia
volunteer opportunities https://poderlatinx.org/contact
register voters and get out the vote
Postcards to Voters https://postcardstovoters.org/
This is the original postcard program, founded, in Georgia, by “TonytheDemocrat."
volunteer opportunities https://postcardstovoters.org/volunteer/
Voto Latino https://votolatino.org/
national organization devoted to uniting and empowering the Latinx community. Now very active in Georgia
volunteer opportunities https://votolatino.org/article/volunteer-with-voto-latino/
text banking, trainings and webinars, general advocacy and call to action alerts
Volunteer with each campaign
Ossoff campaign http://tinyurl.com/OssoffVolunteer
Warnock campaign https://secure.warnockforgeorgia.com/page/s/website_vol
And
Inspire everyone you know in Georgia ...
… to vote for these two candidates, and to get all their friends out to do so. Check your contact list for “GA” “Georgia” and zip codes beginning “300.” Revel in your old yearbooks as you look for forgotten classmates. After the wearying fights in 2020, it will be difficult to get people to the polls December 14 to January 5, so every vote will matter!
Talking points
- Biden cannot be effective, hence this country cannot move forward, unless Democrats control the Senate. McConnell has proved this again and again since 2009.
- Here we have two fine Democratic candidates vs. two appalling (and, in the case of Perdue, corrupt) Trumpers
Organizations that can train you to leverage your Georgia contacts:
Galvanize your Republican friends
Use the take-no-prisoners arguments and ads of the Lincoln Project, founded by Republican strategists determined to defeat Trump. One might have expected them to support a Republican-controlled Senate to offset a Democratic President. But to their great credit, they also are fighting as hard as we are to have a Democrat-controlled Senate, because they want to defeat anti-democratic Trumpism. https://lincolnproject.us/
Resources
Excellent, non-partisan guides to all the candidates’ positions. These are also available in Spanish from campuselect.org :
Thanks to: Evan Kost, (AV coordinates GOTV groups nationwide and in select states) https://americavotes.org; Jane Whitney (wise readable commentary): www.conversationsonthegreen.com; Deepak Puri, founder of the DemLabs (free/affordable apps for political work): https://thedemlabs.org/. Also: Richard O, Craig K, Ellen BN, Victor K, Trey B, Chris B, Daniel S, Sally M, Larry H, Paul L
Heidi
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