ACTION ALERT: Vote Forward’s Plan to Save Democracy
Chris Bowers / Daily Kos
Daily Kos is running our largest, multi-pronged Get Out the Vote campaign ever to cancel Trump’s voter suppression. For every volunteer he recruits to intimidate potential voters, we’ll recruit two volunteers to help people vote. For every lawsuit he files against state and local governments to keep mail-in ballots out of the hands of voters, we’ll send 100,000 letters to members of Congress from their constituents demanding full funding for voting by mail. For every lie he spreads about voting by mail, we will debunk it on every communication channel we have. We need your help to pull off this massive effort.
Vote Forward is the all-time most popular Get Out the Vote activity among the Daily Kos community, and it is easy to see why.
Here are five reasons why it’s so effective:
1. Everyone can participate no matter where they live. With Vote Forward, you do not have to live in a swing state in order to reach swing state voters. Everyone can write letters, no matter where they live.
2. Socially distanced. No face-to-face contact is required. You are writing letters to swing state voters, explaining to them why you believe it is important to exercise your right to vote. The only time you even have to leave your home is when you drop the letters in the mail.
3. The perfect GOTV activity for introverts. Introverts need not fear, as you never have to talk or text with anyone.
4. Work on your own schedule. For many of us, the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown our schedules into chaos, making it difficult to attend either in-person or virtual meetings. However, with Vote Forward, you can write as many or as few letters as you like, and you can write them whenever you like. You work on your schedule, not someone else’s.
5. Statistically proven to be effective. Perhaps best of all, writing letters to infrequent, but strongly Democratic, swing state voters really works. Studies have shown that these letters increase turnout by 1-3%. In 2016, this would have been enough to swing Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — and thus the election itself.
Due to delays in mail delivery, Vote Forward is still determining the best date to put your letters in the mail. Here is their latest update on the topic:
We’ve heard your concerns about The Big Send mail date, and we’re doing everything we can to ensure your letters are timed for maximum effect.
Many experiments have shown that GOTV messages sent too early are ineffective. Really! Trust us on this. Please send your letters on the official Vote Forward mail date in October, not earlier.
That said, we are indeed preparing to set a new, earlier October mail date for The Big Send. We only want to change it once, so we will announce the new mail date in late September.
For now, the best thing for volunteers to do is to write and stockpile letters at home. You will hear the final word on the best date to put the letters in the mail in two or three weeks.
Chris Bowers is the Executive Campaign Director of the Daily Kos
