Dear Family & Friends,
Hi. I’m writing the sort of email that I’ve never written before — about the upcoming elections in November which I believe will be the most important of my lifetime. My view is that our country needs to elect Joe Biden, take back the Senate and help Democrats win local elections that are important to address issues around redistricting.
I had hoped that by now I would be knocking on doors in swing states – plans no longer possible because of the pandemic. Instead, I am volunteering remotely and contributing to various campaigns. It occurs to me that some of you, like me, may be looking for ways to get involved. So I’ve decided to reach out and share with you what I’m doing, in case you’d like to join me.
I am volunteering remotely with Swing Left Greater Boston . While there are many organizations doing great work, I really like Swing Left’s focus on 12 “super states” — critical states that are swing states for the electoral college and have toss-up senate seats and/or important state-wide elections Focusing time and money on these super states is really impactful. I’m also impressed by the staffers and volunteers I’ve had the opportunity to engage with.
- If you go to Swing Left Greater Boston website you will find multiple ways to volunteer remotely such as making phone calls and writing letters. (I’ve chosen to focus on helping Democratic voters in Florida sign up to vote by mail – an option which is especially critical in the time of COVID to ensure everyone can vote easily and vote safely.)
- If you’re interested in learning more about Swing Left, its strategy and virtual activism you can sign up for one of their workshops by registering through Mobilize. I attended this workshop last week and thought it was really helpful.
In addition, I have made political contributions through Blueprint. I love Blueprint because it allows me to identify priorities, and it then allocates my donation to state & local races and to civic organizations based on my priorities. Many of these I wouldn’t know about myself. It is a very data driven organization — their algorithm identifies races up and down the ballot where contributions will make the biggest difference. (Blueprint’s research shows, among other things, that half of political contributions are made to races that are won or lost by over 10 points – in other words many contributions would be more effective if directed elsewhere.)
So that’s what I’m up to. Thanks for reading this email. I know many of you are already involved and don’t need any advice from me! Some may not share my political views. But perhaps you’ve been thinking of doing something and will find this info useful.
Best,
Sara Ann