Hi <<First Name>>,
Testify tomorrow and help expand early voting in Montgomery County! The Montgomery County Council is strongly in favor of adding a 12th early-voting site in Montgomery County in White Oak, but the Maryland Board of Elections has so far denied the request. The reasons for supporting the new voting site are convenience for people in the White Oak and surrounding areas, and to relieve voting times and congestion at the early-voting sites nearest to White Oak.
The rejection of the request reeks of voter suppression. The White Oak early-voting station would serve a largely minority population. Yet the majority Republican BoE makes flimsy claims that there isn't enough money in the budget for another early voting site in Montgomery County.
If you or someone you know would be helped by adding this early voting site or if you are an early-voting enthusiast, please consider testifying before the Maryland Board of Elections TOMORROW, Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 1pm in Annapolis. Email Donna Duncan to request to speak at the meeting. And you can view and sign on to a letter in support of adding the early-voting site.
If you took a break from the impeachment news (and who can blame you if you did) and you want to catch up, I recommend the Washington Post's synthesis of all the details that we currently have and also the editorial board's op-ed pulling out the main points.
The right-wing spin machine is going into overdrive to try to drown out the awfulness of Trump's actions, but the thing to remember is this:
President Trump confessed to asking a foreign power to interfere in the 2020 election.
It doesn't matter how it gets spun. The White House's transcript of Trump's call with Ukrainian president Zelensky and Trump's subsequent admissions clearly describe high crimes and misdemeanors.
In this newsletter:
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This week! (Indivisible Montgomery events in bold)
- Tuesday, Oct. 8: Maryland Board of Elections meets to discuss adding a 12th early-voting site in Montgomery County. To request to testify, contact Donna Duncan before 5pm on Monday (TODAY).
- Tuesday, Oct. 8: Indivisible Montgomery day of action. Scripts in your inbox tomorrow morning!
- Sunday, Oct. 13: Join the Rally to Impeach in Dupont Circle starting at 1pm.
Upcoming notable events
- Oct. 15: Fourth Democratic presidential debate. Watch with the Montgomery County Democrats.
- Oct. 17: The Indivisible Montgomery Regulatory Actions committee will meet at 7:30pm. Contact Angela for details!
- Oct. 26: October Indivisible Montgomery meeting at Kensington Park Library from 10:30am to 12:30pm.
- Nov. 2: Speaker Pelosi will address the Maryland Democratic Party at their Annual Gala in Baltimore. If you want to know more, contact info@mddems.org.
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The Hearings and Events committee leads Indivisible Montgomery delegations to the Hill to attend various hearings and other events. Originally the Conflicts of Interest committee, this group still focuses on issues around corruption in the administration and is branching out to take advantage of other opportunities to attend important Hill briefings and events.
This will be a quiet two weeks for the Hearings and Events committee, as Congress is on a two-week recess. There are no public hearings scheduled, but some House committees are continuing to work on impeachment during the recess, so hearings or other events may be announced.
Moms Demand Action is sponsoring a series of actions related to the Virginia elections. A new poll that reveals 'three out of four voters rate gun policy as a “very important” issue in casting their ballots, and majorities support proposals pitched by the Democrats. You can find a link to their actions in the Elections section below.
What we're reading:
- ‘A presidency of one’: Key federal agencies increasingly compelled to benefit Trump (The Washington Post)
- Treasury inspector general to review handling of Trump’s tax returns (The Washington Post)
- Justice Department lends its firepower to defend Trump in investigations into his private finances (The Washington Post)
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The Regulatory Changes committee, formerly the Environment and Science committee, has extensive experience responding to the Trump administration's all-out assault on environmental regulations. Now they are expanding their scope to cover regulatory changes across the federal government. This committee will write responses to proposed regulatory changes that all Indivisible Montgomery members can use to push back against Trump's regulatory rollback.
The committee will be meeting on Thursday, Oct. 17, at 7:30pm in Bethesda. If you're interested in helping draft comments in response to the Trump Administration's regulatory actions, consider joining us!
We currently have one project on an EPA-proposed rollback for energy-sector pollution standards, due in November, and are looking for other topics of interest. Contact Angela H to learn more.
What we're reading:
- Bipartisan report says Trump’s abuse has pushed federal science to a ‘crisis’ (The New York Times)
- A ‘chilling message’: Trump critics see a deeper agenda in California feud (The New York Times)
- U.S. senators propose grant program to help restore Chesapeake Bay habitats (The Baltimore Sun)
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The Elections committee is the focal point of all of Indivisible Montgomery's elections activities. This committee also collaborates with other resistance groups in the community to ensure we are using our volunteer energy in the most efficient mechanism possible.
The Montgomery County area is buzzing with elections work, and here are some of the ways you can get involved in making a difference for 2019. Questions about these activities? Contact Steve.
Letters to voters
Many thanks to everyone who has participated in our DO THE WRITE THING events and written more than 2000 letters, most to likely Democratic voters in Virginia urging them to vote on Nov. 5th. In a low-turnout, off-year election like this one, our work can make a real difference.
More opportunities to write letters to spur voters into action are coming up! Indivisible Montgomery is hosting DO THE WRITE THING house parties on:
- Thursday, Oct. 10: 2 to 4pm in Silver Spring
- Monday, Oct. 14: 7 to 9pm in Rockville
- Wednesday, Oct. 16: 10am to 12pm in North Bethesda
- Friday, Oct. 18: 2 to 4pm in Rockville
- Monday, Oct. 21: 7 to 9pm in Rockville
- Wednesday, Oct. 23: 2 to 4pm in Rockville
To sign up, go here and scroll down to these Indivisible Montgomery events. Once you sign up, we'll send you the details you need. Please sign up as soon as possible and bring your friends and family.
Also, we need hosts and leaders! If you're interested, contact Steve.
Shout-out to our great Indivisible Montgomery volunteer hosts: Tamara Prince and Alan Crane, Jane Barbara and Eric Seidman, Lonni Millman and Ken Morse, Marilyn and Rich Broderick, Joyce Siegel, and Melissa and Bob Colbert. Thanks!
Turn Virginia blue!
The Virginia election is just 29 days away! Please consider signing up for a Virginia canvass or phone bank. With your help we can flip the Virginia legislature to prevent Republican gerrymandering for the next decade. Sign up here with J Walkers Action Group or here with Yes We Canvass.
You can even hop on a special Swing Left bus to the Richmond area! You’ll have fun, save time, connect with other volunteers and help win key campaigns. Check out the list of upcoming trips below and book your seat for just $10 now!
You can also make a difference by driving college volunteers from DC and Maryland to northern Virginia canvasses on Saturdays. You don’t even have to canvass yourself. To volunteer, sign up here. And if you have questions, contact Julie Greenberg.
If you can't write letters, make phone calls, or go to VA, you can still help win there by donating to one or more of these great candidates who really need money to win: Wendy Gooditis, Hala Ayala, Shelly Simonds, Dan Helmer, Sheila Bynum-Coleman and Ghazala Hashmi. Just a few dollars can have huge impact on a low-turnout, off-year election. Please consider going to their websites and donating.
Texting
Texting parties will start soon! These are intended for people who have never texted voters, as well as experienced texters. These events will be posted soon here. Questions? Contact Stacey.
Some elections reading
- Nothing to lose: how Trump has energized America's women (The Guardian)
- Why Trump's favorite 2016 map should scare him. (The Atlantic)
- Block by block, parties build Obama-style networks. (AP)
Other elections work
In-person voter registration
Write letters to swing state voters (Voter Registration or Get Out the Vote)
Canvass or make phone calls to Virginia
Write postcards
Text voters
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