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Volunteers Taking Back Democracy |
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In This Issue ● Victory for Democracy in Ohio ● Swing Blue Volunteer Picnic ● Postcards to Rural Voters in Virginia ● Stop the Radical Right in NH ● All In for NC: Mecklenburg 201 ● Amplify This: Candidates Need Early Donations |
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You are what democracy looks like! On Tuesday August 8, Ohio voters decisively rejected Issue 1, which would have made it nearly impossible for majorities of Ohio citizens to amend their constitution. |
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This victory means that a majority of Ohio voters can pass an amendment in November ensuring reproductive rights. In 2024, they can mount a campaign to outlaw partisan gerrymandering, requiring fair election maps. Ironically, the Republican overreach that led to this election has energized Democratic voters, with the consequence that Democratic organizers have more early funding, new volunteers, and a head start on organizing for the important races of 2024. |
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We are so grateful to all of the volunteers who stepped up to make this victory for democracy possible. Swing Blue volunteers: |
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Let's celebrate! Join us for a virtual party, to share stories about voter interactions, talk about the outcome, or whatever you want. Activism is a team sport, and we're grateful to everyone on our team! |
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Mon, Aug 14 @ 5:30 pm EDT |
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A contact in Geauga, Ohio sent us this picture of our ad in their local paper, the Geauga County Maple Leaf. (You can click on it to see a bigger version.) |
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We couldn't help noticing that the "Yes On Issue 1" ad from the Geauga County Tea Party, at the lower right corner of the picture, is nowhere near as eye-catching or compelling as our ad!
Geauga County went for Trump in 2020 by 23 percentage points, yet voters there REJECTED Issue 1, 52.2 - 47.8!
Many thanks to all who made this ad and the win for Ohio citizens possible! |
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Swing Blue All-Volunteer Picnic |
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Join Swing Blue Alliance and grassroots groups from Greater Boston at Beaver Brook Reservation on August 20, in Waltham, MA. Play political trivia, make DIY political buttons, enjoy delicious food, discuss the 2023/2024 campaigns, and just meet up In Real Life for a change! |
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Family-friendly event, with free parking, free volunteer rides given and public transportation available. If you can, please bring a folding chair and a potluck item. We'll supply everything else, including tables, drinks, and standard picnic supplies. |
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Hope to see you there! |
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Sun, Aug 20 @ 4 pm - 6 pm EDT rain date: Sun. Aug. 27 |
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Activism with Impact in Virginia |
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Virginia's state elections are this November, and every seat in the legislature is up for grabs. Republicans currently hold a 52-48 majority in the House of Delegates and Democrats hold a 21-19 majority in the state Senate. |
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Swing Blue Alliance's postcard campaign for Virginia combines support for three dynamic candidates in rural districts with a mission-critical experiment to test the impact of handwritten postcards. |
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Volunteers will send postcards to voters in the rural districts of candidates Jade Harris for VA State Senate, Esther Nizer for VA House of Delegates, and Mary Person for VA House of Delegates. We know that these are great candidates, and we know that driving up rural voter participation is important for the future of democracy. Our experiment will test whether postcards increase rural voter participation and help rural candidates get more votes! |
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Hosts can now order Virginia postcards from the e-store. And all are welcome to join us at an informative launch event on 8/15 tto hear more about the importance of this campaign from our super-star partners on the ground and our research team. Meanwhile, if you're interested in being involved in any way in our work in Virginia, let us know by filling out the Interest Form. |
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Tue, Aug 15 @ 7 pm - 7:45 pm EDT |
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This 9/19 Special Election Can Stop The Radical Right in New Hampshire |
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Republicans took control of the New Hampshire state legislature in 2020, and lost no time in implementing their anti-voting rights, anti-abortion and anti-environmental agenda. We worked hard in 2022 for Democratic candidates in NH, and picked up 22 legislative seats. But this left Republicans still in control with a razor-thin majority. Help us build on our 2022 momentum to take back the NH House. |
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Democrat Hal Rafter is running in a special election on September 19 for a seat in the NH House, to represent House District 1. If Rafter wins, it will result in a tie in the number of representatives and eliminate Republican control of the NH House. |
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Swing Blue Alliance volunteers are joining with NH Democrats to knock on doors in Nottingham and Northwood NH (between Dover and Concord) the weekends of Aug 26-27 and Sept 9-10. Come along! |
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Not up for a late-summer trip to scenic NH? Join us to turn out NH voters by phone on Tuesdays. |
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Tue, Aug 15 @ 5 pm - 7 pm EDT Every Tues until 9/12, and Mon, 9/18
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The weekends of 8/26-27 and 9/9-9/10 @ 12 pm - 5 pm EDT |
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Mecklenburg 201 |
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Come to the August All in for NC meeting to hear the latest on what's happening in NC's most important county. |
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New county party chair Drew Kromer will moderate a panel of elected leaders and grassroots activists who are on the forefront of building Democratic power in the county:
Co-sponsored by Democracy Alliance, Lean Left VT, Markers For Democracy, Swing Blue Alliance and Together We Elect. |
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Mon, Aug 21 @ 4 pm EDT |
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Sundays @ 6 pm - 8 pm EDT |
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Amplify This: Candidates Need Early Donations |
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Down-ballot candidates rely on small donations, and they can't wait until a month or so before the election to spend on their campaign. Please consider donating now to one (or all!) of the three Virginia candidates that Swing Blue Alliance is supporting: |
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Our Mission Swing Blue Alliance (formerly Swing Left Greater Boston) is the largest all-volunteer Democratic grassroots organization headquartered in Massachusetts. We use proven methods to protect our Democracy, work on competitive local and national elections, and strengthen the Democratic party at the grassroots level. |
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Your contribution will help fund the operations of this volunteer-produced newsletter, which goes out to over 15K subscribers. |
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