Election results will be here in less than two weeks, and the consequences couldn't be any clearer. White supremacist nationalists are sending bombs to Democratic political leaders, donors, and CNN; murdering black people in grocery stores after trying to enter a predominantly black church; and attacking a synagogue in the deadliest targeting of the Jewish community in American history. It's been a difficult week to be hopeful, but now is the time when our vote and our efforts can mean more than ever.
Please read through our suggestions for how you can help "Get Out the Vote" both here at home and in close races across the country. Our Blue Wave will only happen if you're willing to jump in and make a splash!
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"Anger can be very useful. Despair is what they want. Try to think of something concrete you can do — no matter how small — and do it."
-Matthew Yglesias
WHAT’S AT STAKE IN THIS ELECTION
Though Congress will not be in session until after the midterm elections, the current GOP majority has promised the following agenda if they retain control of Congress:
- Cuts to Medicare and Social Security to offset the massive deficit caused by Trump’s tax gift to the wealthy
- Weakening or outright repealing the pre-existing coverage requirements by insurance companies which will drastically reduce access to healthcare for the over 20 million people who have been able to receive health insurance since the beginning of Obamacare
- Indefinite detention for children and their caregivers seeking legal asylum
- Undoing of environmental protections that have taken years to establish
- Judicial appointments reflecting the extreme right-wing values of recently appointed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh
- An end to investigations into Trump and the 2016 election
- And finally, a huge GOP advantage for redistricting in 2020, enabling its hold on power for many future election cycles
Most importantly, we need to keep our own district Blue by helping to re-elect Salud Carbajal and our local candidates. This is a close race and you can help in canvassing, phone banking, and getting out the vote. Use the ISB’s Activist Buddy Network, to find a partner to join you in this work, or recruit a friend to come with you.
Finally, if you have Spanish-speaking friends, the League of Women Voters has provided a Spanish language version of the State of California Voter Guide. You can find it HERE.
OUR FOCUS: Get Out the Vote!
Our energy and efforts this week must be on helping to reach out to voters and win a Blue majority in Congress this November. In previous issues we have highlighted pivotal swing districts in California. There’s still time to help these outstanding House candidates.
Katie Hill - CA 25
Katie Porter - CA 45
Andrew Janz - CA 22
TJ Cox - CA 21
Mike Levin - CA 49
Harley Rouda - CA 48
Ammar Campa-Najjar - CA-50
Some GOTV events around the Santa Barbara area and SoCal this week:
Phonebank for Beto O’Rourke--Senate, Texas
When: Tuesday, October 30ᵗʰ at 2:00 pm PDT
Where: Starbucks, 1990 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara CA 93109
Bring your cell and laptop.
Out-of-District Canvassing Opportunities:
Canvass in Santa Clarita for Katie Hill (CA-25): here or here.
Canvass in Simi for Katie Hill (CA-25): here or here.
Canvass for CA-24 (Salud Carbajal), CA-1 (Denney), CA-4 (Morse), CA-7 (Ami Bera), CA-10 (Harder), CA-21 (Cox), CA-22 (Janz) here.
Canvass for CA-25 (Hill), CA-39 (Cisneros), CA-42 (Peacock), CA-45 (Porter), CA-49 (Levin), CA-50 (Campa-Najjar) and beyond here.
Canvass for CA-21 (Cox), CA-22 (Janz), CA-23 (Matta) and more Central Valley events here.
Indivisible Phone Banking this week:
- Voters in CA-22 for IndivisiCandidate Andrew Janz
- Voters in CA-48 for IndivisiCandidate Harley Rouda
- Voters in CA-50 for IndivisiCandidate Ammar Campa-Najjar
ISB MIDTERM REMINDERS
- Conditional Voter Registration: The deadline to register was Monday, Oct. 22, but if you (or a friend or family member) missed the registration deadline, you can still register and vote conditionally at the Santa Barbara County Elections Office (4440-A Calle Real, Santa Barbara) from now until Nov. 6. Your ballot will be processed once the county elections office has completed the voter registration verification process. More info here. If you’re uncertain if you’re registered, check your voter status here.
- If you vote by mail, you should have received your ballot by now. Fill it out, sign and date the back of the return envelope, and mail it or drop it off at one of the election offices/24 hour drop-off box listed below. More helpful tips here.
Santa Barbara: 4440-A Calle Real
Santa Maria: 511 E. Lakeside Parkway
Lompoc: 401 E. Cypress Ave., Room 102 (24-hour drop box is at 100 Civic
Center Plaza)
- If you usually vote at your polling place, but you know you’ll be unable to do so on Nov. 6, request a One Time Vote By Mail Application here. Deadline is Tuesday, Oct. 30.
- If you are registered, but your polling place doesn’t have the correct information to determine that fact, or there is conflicting information about your registration, ask to be given a provisional ballot at your polling place on Election Day. You will be allowed to vote, given a tracking number to follow your ballot and your vote will be counted just like any other.
- Long ballots are intimidating, but don’t let that stop you from voting. There’s lots of help available. Indivisible Santa Barbara has published our voting recommendations on our website HERE. Indivisible Ventura has put out their own voting guide HERE, which also includes links to other voting guides. And check out Indivisible CA’s guide to the State Propositions HERE. Use them to think through your voting choices.
- When you go to the polls on Election Day and need help, or if you see someone trying to discourage eligible voters, just call 866-OUR-VOTE for immediate help (and more language options at commoncause.org/866OURVOTE). Please share this number with your friends.
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1. OCT. 31: Last Chance to Comment on Roll Back of Power Plant Emissions
Ghosts and vampires are not the only things we have to worry about this Halloween; this is the last day to comment on proposed plans to undo Obama-era rules limiting harmful emissions from fossil fuel power plants and substitute much weaker rules that won't do nearly as much to reduce emissions and the harms they cause. For more details, more ways to comment, and suggestions for what to say, check out Indivisible East Bay’s information below. Comment HERE before 9:00 pm Oct 31.
More Info
2. NOV. 6: Stop Trump’s Attempts to Imprison Immigrant Minors Indefinitely
The Trump administration is trying to circumvent a 1997 court settlement known as Flores v. Reno that limits the detention of migrant children to the least restrictive settings and for no more than 20 days. If Trump gets his way, immigrant children, many of whom are seeking asylum, would be imprisoned with adults for months or even years. Comment to DHS and HHS HERE before Nov. 6.
More Info
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Senator Dianne Feinstein
Washington, DC: (202) 224-3841
San Francisco: (415) 393-0707
Los Angeles: (310) 914-7300
San Diego: (619) 231-9712
Fresno: (559) 485-7430
Email
Senator Kamala Harris
Washington, DC: (202) 224-3553
San Francisco: (415) 355-9041
Los Angeles: (310) 231-4494
San Diego: (619) 239-3884
Sacramento: (916) 448-2787
Fresno: (559) 497-5109
Email
Congressman Salud Carbajal
Santa Barbara: (805) 730-1710
San Luis Obispo: (805) 546-8348
Washington, DC: (202) 225-3601
Email
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CALIFORNIA:
Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson
Santa Barbara: (805) 965-0862
Oxnard: (805) 988-1940
Sacramento: (916) 651-4019
Email
Assemblywoman Monique Limon
Santa Barbara: (805) 564-1649
Ventura: (805) 641-3700
Sacramento: (916) 319-2037
Email
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Even if you can't make it out to canvass the streets, keep in mind that this is the week where the streets are coming to you! When you hand out candy to the cherished kids of our neighborhoods, consider asking the parents at the back if they plan to vote and feel free to share any of the resources we've acknowledged here. There's nothing spookier than an apathetic constituent!
Don't BOO - Vote!
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