Volunteers Taking Back Democracy

In This Issue
●  Freedom to vote: what's next  ●  Introducing Win Blue NH   
●  Building an activist network in Pennsylvania   
●  Controlling incoming email  ●  Improving outgoing email 

Wed, Feb 2 @ 7 pm ET

Come out from under the snow and join the nearly 250 people who've already signed up for the Groundhog Day event.

Even in a losing campaign, you can build power for the future, according to Karen Hobert Flynn, President of Common Cause.

When Senators Manchin and Sinema joined all 50 Republican senators in blocking passage of the Freedom to Vote/John R. Lewis Acts, they were in effect endorsing state voter suppression laws. Their votes will make it more difficult for millions of Americans to vote in local and national elections.

Since the Civil War, citizens have fought against voter suppression laws. Finally, in 1964, Congress adopted the 24th Amendment, which eliminated the egregious poll tax, and then passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Since then, Republicans have consistently sought ways to undermine voter protection.

Swing Blue Alliance and other groups across the country will not give up. Advocacy for the voting rights won over many years of struggle will persist. While efforts to affect change at the federal level failed this week, we are turning our focus to states and local jurisdictions that control election administration.

SBA volunteers are committing to call voters through Common Cause's new voter protection phonebanks. We’re also developing plans to support other voter protection initiatives for the midterm and future elections.

Stay the course!

Mondays @ 4 - 6 pm ET

Multiple other days and times during the week

NH Organizing Off to a Great Start

Did you miss the Win Blue NH Volunteer Kickoff last week? Over 125 people attended this eye-opening introduction to SBA’s new initiative for New Hampshire. At the meeting:

• Paula Joseph reviewed NH’s political landscape, SBA’s recent successes in 2021, and Win Blue NH’s plans for 2022.
• K.R. Epstein, Congressman Chris Pappas’ Organizing Director, described the campaign’s deep canvassing approach, which is more effective than traditional canvassing.
• Rebecca Riccio explained the role of volunteers in the fight for Democracy and encouraged attendees to step up and join.

Kickoff takeaway

If we hope to keep the US House and Senate under Democratic control, NH needs to reelect Congressman Chris Pappas and Senator Maggie Hassan. Join the many participants of the kickoff meeting who have already stepped up. Find a letter writing, voter protection, or deep canvassing opportunity that works for you.

What’s the most effective way to reach out to voters in these polarized times? 

The answer is deep canvassing, a research-based technique that enables people to connect on a more emotional level and have deeper, more meaningful conversations. The deep canvassing approach encourages volunteer and voter alike to find a common ground.

Deep canvassing enables volunteers to apply a process called active listening, which encourages voters to talk about their own personal experiences and feel heard. As a result, voters discover relationships and/or inconsistencies between their values and their actual votes.

 Join a training session and learn how the Pappas campaign is applying the power of deep canvassing in NH.

Thu, Feb 10 @ 5:30 - 7 pm ET

Sat, Feb 12 @ 11 - 12:30 pm ET

Wed, Feb 23 @ 5:30 - 7 pm ET

Building an Activist Network in PA

The Corps reaches out to people who have been politically active in the past, re-energizing them to get involved again with local organizations. Every returning activist has the opportunity to grow the cadre of volunteers in their area.

Currently, Volunteers T*B*D is recruiting volunteers on behalf of Democratic county committees in central Pennsylvania. Why Pennsylvania? The state’s primaries are just around the corner, on May 17. It's a major election cycle in which voters will decide the state’s governor, 1 senator, 17 members of Congress, 25 state senators, and 203 state representatives.

Join the Volunteers T*B*D Calling Corps every Friday.
Each session starts with training. Once you feel comfortable, you can begin making calls as soon as you arrive.

Fridays @ 2 - 3:30 pm ET

Learning Corner

 Email Inbox for Activists

The introductory class will explain ways to find the info you need to start volunteering quickly and easily. The focus will be on Gmail and tricks you can use to prioritize important messages, as well as to unsubscribe from the "noise."

Future sessions will address the needs of advanced users and people who use other email applications. Classes will also cover topics such as best practices for Google Docs, Slack, calendars, and more.

Saturday, Jan 29 @ 11 am ET

(If the class is full, you'll have the opportunity to sign up for a future date.)

This training is offered by volunteers at the MAssachusetts Grassroots Information Center, a Slack workspace for exchanging information, encouraging connections among groups, and building activist momentum across the state. Join the News-MAGIC Slack space today.

Outgoing Email for Activists

Wow! Someone has actually noticed and opened your email. How do you ensure your message actually gets across? There are easy ways to "communicate kindly" with busy people. Read these hints from Professor Todd Rogers at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a leading scholar in applying scientific analysis to voter behavior in elections.

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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