5 things Friday
‘Tis The Season — Voting Season. Here are your antiracism action steps for October 21.
It's that time of year again—VOTING time. Time to dig in, do some homework, and turn in your ballots. Even better, find an issue or two that you are passionate about and do some advocacy work around getting the info out to others, whether it's just talking with family and friends or signing up to canvas, call or fundraise. This week we've got some info on where to start your research and how to sign up to support causes that need our attention.
Here are your 5 Things!
CHECK THIS. Are you registered to vote??? I know, it's seems like a no brainer, but regular old life events could snag your registration status (have you moved recently) so best to double check. This is also a great link to send out to those young bucks in your life who just turned 18.
KNOW THIS. Who is on the ballot this time around? This state by state non-partisan guide from guides.vote will help you understand who is who and which elections to pay attention to.
READ THIS. We live in an age when huge amounts of information are available with the swipe of a touchscreen. We’re also seeing a growing presence of disinformation—intentionally false or misleading content—that is widely available and can have a major impact on our decisions, including whether or not—and how—we vote.
DONATE TO THIS. Black Voters Matter advocates to increase power in marginalized, predominantly Black communities. Effective voting allows a community to determine its own destiny. "We agree with the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. when he said, 'Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.” Black Voters Matter advocates for policies to expand voting rights/access, including expanded early voting, resisting voter ID, re-entry restoration of rights and strengthening the Voting Rights Act. We also advocate for policies that intersect with race, gender, economic and other aspects of equity.
VOLUNTEER FOR THIS. “I’m always surprised by how uplifting phone banking is. I’m usually anxious about showing up, but then it ends up being so fun to join a handful of people in doing powerful work together. The other day, I was in a really terrible mood and after talking to a few people in the phone bank, the mood was totally lifted.” (Jordan R.,, SURJ volunteer) Have you phone banked?? I know, it sounds scary, but we've done it and what Jordan says is true. Here's a full schedule of phone and IRL door-knocking volunteer opportunities with Seed the Vote.