Fall Back Into Action!

Hi all!

Without further ado, let's get to the point...VIRGINIA! Early voting is happening NOW, and they need our help! Thank you to those of you who have been writing postcards with us, and please join us if you are not already one of our writers. If you can donate, or join a phonebank, or call your friends in Virginia, please do! Check out our TO DO section for ways to get involved.

If you're wondering "Why Virginia? Why is it such a big deal?" please check out details in the TO CONSIDER section below. Long story short: Republicans are spending enormous amounts of money to promote a radical agenda to limit voting rights, block abortion access, and push this bellwether state back into the red column. And the whole country is watching to see which way the winds blow. So let's help keep Virginia moving forward!

Meanwhile, around the country the work continues, and we are seeing the efforts pay off. Gen Z activists, frustrated that even the epidemic of school shootings can't sway the gun lobby, have pushed hard and won a huge victory. President Biden announced the first ever Gun Violence Prevention office, headed by Vice President Harris, to address the deadly (GOP) elephant in the room around gun deaths. Biden also launched a New-Deal style Climate Corp s to create thousands of new jobs for young people while prioritizing clean energy and new tools in the fight against climate change. And, as you'll see in TO CELEBRATE, courts and Democratic Governors around the country are continuing to take steps to protect voting.

Things. Are. Happening.

Our work matters. It might be slower than we want, but it matters and it is making a difference. Let's keep going.

We're still hard at work for VA! Please join us to write postcards encouraging early voting for this November's elections of Virginia's State Legislature. We're using a very short script to encourage likely Democrats in the most contested districts to get out and vote now that early voting has begun. As always:

Write together at Action Hour at NU Kitchen in Newburyport on Wednesdays at 5:30-6:30.
Write on your own: Get postcards at one of our pickup locations and email indivisible.rise.newburyport@gmail .com for the script and addresses. If you are new to this program, email us for instructions.

More options to help VA:

We'll turn our attentions to the critical 2024 elections right after the Virginia elections. In the meantime, learn Why Things Go Better with Democrats & How We Can Win in 2024 at a Force Multiplier event featuring Simon Rosenberg, a highly regarded political strategist and commentator. Learn more and register for this Zoom event taking place on Oct.5 at 7-8:30 pm.

In a recent newsletter, Sister District Project of MA & RI provided details about WHY VA is so critical. They wrote:

If you're curious what exactly the new Climate Corps entails, read the fact sheet from the White House to learn more. And read this article to find out more about what it all means.

If you're curious about why the "Summer of Strikes" is turning into "Hot Labor Fall" check out this article from a Stanford professor on why labor is having its moment.

If you would like to closely follow what's happening with voter rights, check out Democracy Docket and consider subscribing to their weekly newsletter.

Positive Election Updates:

Democrats have been doing very well throughout the year in special elections around the country.
Recently and close to home, New Hampshire Democrat Hal Rafter flipped a swing seat in a special election in that state's House. This upset puts Dems just one seat away from taking the majority in that chamber.
Democrats kept control of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives after winning an open seat special election in the Pittsburgh area.

Positive Voter Protection Updates:

Recent decisions in some key swing and even red states help protect voters' rights. These include:

Arizona - A federal judge struck down parts of a state voter suppression law that created strict proof of citizenship requirements to vote.
Arkansas - A state judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by a "voter integrity" group seeking to ban voting machines in that state.
Iowa - a state court ruled that counties may provide election materials (registration forms, ballots, and more) in languages other than English.
North Carolina - Governor Roy Cooper appointed Judge Allison Riggs, a staunch advocate of voting rights, to a vacancy on the NC Supreme Court.
Pennsylvania - Governor Josh Shapiro announced the start of automatic voter registration.

And using the power of celebrity, a recent Taylor Swift Instagram post drove record web traffic to Vote.org and helped the site register more than 35,000 new voters.

If you are motivated by recent developments, or have some good news to share, please email us at indivisible.rise.newburyport@gmail.com and let us know. We want to hear from you!

"America is not failing. America is winning. And there's one reason for it: you. All you people get up every single morning and go out and try to do the right thing." -- President Joe Biden

"America is not failing. America is winning. And there's one reason for it: you. All you people get up every single morning and go out and try to do the right thing."
-- President Joe Biden