Our Metro IAF Affiliates Common Ground, Greater Cleveland Congregations, NC Congress of Latino Organizations and ONE Wake have been hard at work getting out the vote!  Thank you to everyone that donated time, energy, and money toward our GOTV efforts.

We found many moments that filled us with hope as voters persevered against many obstacles to make sure that their vote counted.  You can see a few of them below.

We also wanted to highlight Metro IAF's Mike Gecan and his article In Defense of Politics published in the Boston Review this last week.

The only antidote to despair over national politics will be to generate and expand new solutions at local, state, and regional levels.

By Michael Gecan, retired IAF Co-Director, for the Boston Review

If timing is everything, I’m in trouble. As a lifelong organizer with the Industrial Areas Foundation, I made a habit of instigating trouble for those who tried to exploit the leaders in the communities I worked with, but rarely made trouble for myself.

Yet now I am choosing to write a piece defending politics a few days before a national election roils the nation and troubles the world. This is a moment when the words ‘politics’ and ‘politicians’ are usually spoken as curses, smears, charges, indictments, not as descriptions, much less as constructive activities and urgent titles.

• helping voters at seven polling sites: go to vote, get to vote
• calling and texting voters
• giving rides
• combing our neighborhoods for people who hadn't voted and driving them to the polls
• organizing an effort to get last-minute absentee ballots to Central Count

There were so many inspiring stories of voters overcoming obstacles in order to vote and CG leaders' persistence in doing whatever was needed to help people vote.  Here's one:

J. Harris came to vote but he was turned away because he didn't have proof of where he lived. CG GOTV Organizer Zipporah Turnbull talked with him and found out he had recently moved and didn't have bills, a bank account, a lease, or paycheck.  After about 15 minutes, he said "I guess I just can't vote."  Zipporah encouraged him, gave him her contact info and told him to go home and look. 

He came back 30 minutes later with a government letter with his name and new address.  However, he was turned away from the polls a second time because he was at the wrong polling place so CG Lead Organizer, Jennifer O'Hear offered him a ride to his polling place.  He was finally able to register and cast his ballot! 

Jennifer asked him why he was so determined to vote, and he said, "because of my grandkids."

GCC's Strategy 

Create teams from within our member organizations and partners to ensure that voters can and will:

• Register to vote
• Have their ballots filled out correctly, signed and witnessed
• Get their ballots to the County Board of Elections if they are voting absentee
• Get to their polling place if they are voting in person

Phase One: 

• Form Core Team of 10-15 Leaders to Lead on Calls Within Your Institution;
• Each Team Member Calls 10-15 Members of Your Institution

Phase Two (second round of calls to Phase One people):

• Does the contact want to vote absentee? Assist them in requesting an absentee ballot;
• Ask contact to commit to calling (5) others in their social network, verify that they have made their calls and provide assistance as needed.

• For those who have voted (absentee): Help them track their ballot online to ensure it’s been received by the County Board of Elections.
• For those who have voted (in-person): Inquire about their experiences at the polling station. How long was the line?  What time and where did they go?  Did they run into any issues? 
• For the group that has not voted:  We are getting close to election day! Completed absentee ballots should be mailed ASAP to avoid delays. In-person voters have the option to go to an early voting location, or vote on Election Day (November 3rd).