Let's Get Out (Every) Vote!
Time to "Do Something!"
Happy Halloween! A quick update from the Bakersfield area as we head into GOTV weekend. I continue to be both concerned and heartened by my conversations with voters here. Concerned, because there’s a sizeable chunk of voters who are so disillusioned with politics that they’re not going to vote, or are planning to support Trump and Republicans as a sort of protest vote over Biden’s handling of the economy (the #1 issue for the voters I talk with in this working-class area).
Yet I’m also heartened by the number of enthusiastic Democrats, as well as conversations where our interaction seems to nudge voters closer to voting. I definitely don’t think Democrats have this election in the bag. But the good news is that what we each do between now and November 5 could collectively tip the balance.
One interaction that made me smile was a conversation with a middle-aged man, “Gustavo,” who told me he doesn’t vote. “I have God,” he said. “I’m a Christian.” I said, “I’m a Christian, too – but I believe that I’m in a partnership with God. God does part of the work, but expects me to pull my weight, too. God’s not going to brush my teeth or fill out my income taxes.” Gustavo, slightly offended, said, “Well, I do those things, too.” I said, “Yeah – and I see voting as something similar. God can’t vote for me – that’s up to me.”
Gustavo still wasn’t convinced, and when I tried to ask him about what two or three things he’d change about the country if he were in charge, he waved me off and said, “Nah, I’m good. But have a good day. And be careful out there. Do you carry a Taser with you?” I said, “No, I don’t.” He said, “Well, you should. It’s dangerous.” I said, “I carry dog treats. And remember, God is watching over me – and so is my mom, who is looking down on me from heaven!” He didn’t really have a comeback for that. We said a pleasant goodbye as I went on to knock on the next door.
“Do Something!”
As amazing as it is that so many people aren’t voting in this “most important election of our lifetimes” (in 2020, it was 34% of eligible voters!), I see certain analogies for folks who haven’t yet stepped up to “Do something!” in the words of Michelle Obama. Perhaps they (or maybe you) are hoping that God, campaign staff, or other volunteers will take care of it. But many races – from the presidency down to Congress and school boards – are too close to call.
This isn’t a guilt trip or a scare tactic – rather, think of it as an invitation. The party isn’t over yet! The results of November 5 are still to be determined by how much we do between now and then. While one voter once told me jokingly that “God is a Democrat,” I think we’re going to need to do the heavy lifting to make sure the results come down on the right side of history.
Many of you are already knocking doors or making calls – thank you so much for all you do! Some of you may have written hundreds, even thousands of postcards this cycle – amazing! Now it’s time to channel your dedication and talent into directly talking with voters. And perhaps some of you are still on the fence, or have that gnawing anxiety in the pit of your stomach as you refresh the New York Times and 538 websites yet again. Well, the great news is that it’s not too late to get involved. In fact, we need you more than ever for this final push.
Consider that less than 43,000 voters in three swing states decided the results of the Electoral College in 2020. In many cases, that came down to two or three votes per neighborhood. This is a game of inches! Just think – there are more than 1,500 people on this mailing list. If a couple hundred of you who haven’t yet been phone banking or canvassing stepped up, and managed to talk with two or three voters by phone or in person before November 5, that’s potentially 400-600 neighborhoods flipped from red to blue. And that could make all the difference.
Changing Hearts and Minds
Think it’s too late to help people change their minds? My conversations this past week suggest otherwise. For example:
“Ana” was a twentysomething woman who told me she was a Democrat, but couldn’t support Rudy Salas because she was pro-choice and he wasn’t. I said, “Oh, actually the other guy is against abortion rights – he’s actually said he’s in support of a national abortion ban.” She looked surprised, then said, “Oh! I didn’t realize that.” Clearing up this roadblock seemed to bring her relief, and now she was on board with voting for Salas.
Just yesterday I spoke with “Graciela,” who moved to her newly built suburban subdivision about a year ago. (About 10 minutes earlier I’d talked with one of her three teenaged kids, who politely took the flyers but said his mom wasn’t home yet. A few minutes later when I was leaving another house, I saw a car pull up in her driveway and walked over to talk with her as she got out of her car.)
Graciela said she’d never received her ballot, but was a Democrat. Because she was fairly new in town, she didn’t know where her polling place was. I showed her the photo on my phone and told her it was in front of the town’s swimming pool, and she recognized the place. She’s off on Tuesdays from her job at an Amazon warehouse, so she’s definitely going to go vote on Election Day. One of her kids has a preexisting condition, and she wants to make sure she’ll always have medical insurance. Graciela is also hoping to become a medical assistant one day, and liked the proposal of Flor Olvera, board candidate for Kern County Community College District, to expand job training opportunities in her town for people like herself and her kids.
“María” emphatically and rather bitterly told me she wasn’t going to vote. “My vote here in California doesn’t matter, because with the Electoral College, California is sure to go for Kamala Harris,” she said. I replied, “That’s true – but if she’s elected, and I really hope she is, she’s going to need the House of Representatives to be controlled by Democrats to get anything done. And to do that, we need to elect Rudy Salas for Congress. This is one of the closest House races in the country, and it really could come down to your vote.”
She paused, frowned, then said, “Um, how do I vote if I already shredded my ballot?” I told her where her polling place was and what hours it was open, and showed her a picture of it on my phone. She said she would be able to go on Election Day. I also asked if there were other voters in the house, and she said (still with a bit of an edge), “Just my mother – but unless you speak Spanish you won’t be able to talk with her.” I said, “Oh, I speak some Spanish.”
She sent her mom to the door, and her mother promptly told me that she’d already sent in her ballot and voted for Democrats. I said, “Would you be willing to put in a good word with your daughter? We really need every vote this time.” She kind of rolled her eyes and implied that she was treading lightly on this issue, but I’m hoping she might gently encourage her daughter to follow through.
Every day I have at least a couple conversations like this – and you can, too! This is how we’re going to win elections – one conversation at a time.
Many Ways to Contribute
Not sure how to plug in? This Grassroots Connector post has a great buffet menu of choices. And even if you hate talking about politics with strangers, there are other ways to get involved:
Ballot curing: Help likely Democratic voters who have potential issues with their ballot or voter registration make sure their vote is counted!
Nonpartisan calls through the Center for Common Ground: reach out to mostly older, Black voters in the South (who experience huge voter suppression and may need a ride to the polls or information about what they need to bring with them).
Nonpartisan calls through the Environmental Voter Project.
Here’s to getting out every single Democratic vote in the final days of this election! Thank you for all you do!
With gratitude,
Elizabeth Chur
Hi Rosemary, that's right - 34% of *eligible* voters didn't vote in 2020 - i.e., citizens 18 years or older who aren't barred from voting because of past felony convictions, depending on the laws in their state (California recently changed the laws to allow all citizens who are not currently incarcerated to vote, even if they are on parole, etc.) The main point is that we are leaving a lot of votes on the table. Rather than only chasing down the elusive swing voters, I really devote a lot of time to engaging with people who start off saying, "I don't vote."
Just tonight (out with the trick-or-treaters), I spoke with one young man who said he was 0/10 on voting and didn't like slick career politicians. But he was intrigued by the local candidate for community college board and her plan to expand vocational training opportunities locally. By the end, he was 3/10 on voting, and said I'd given him a lot to think about. I also slid in a reference to how we needed Congressional representation (i.e., the Democratic candidate, Rudy Salas), to bring home tax dollars to help support those efforts.
Thank you for all *your* work, Rosemary! And let's go talk with even more voters before November 5! :)
Hi William, Belated thanks for your very kind and heartfelt words. Thanks for all the amazing canvassing you did - I know how heartbreaking the results are. I agree, the struggle continues - and also, my experience is that these conversations with voters are a key part of the way forward. It also has helped deepen my belief in the goodness of others through actually have in-depth conversations with so many people. That in itself is worth the effort! I appreciate being in community with so many other volunteers like you. Thanks so much for all your hard work, and your willingness to continue these efforts in the time to come.