Help ACT Get Out The Vote!!

Are you looking for a way to help Get Out The Vote, but you're living in a solid blue or solid red state? Are you too busy with work or school (or both) to travel to a swing state?

I am, and that's why I signed up with ACT to write letters to swing states.  These potential voters can swing the entire election, ensuring that they do vote on Election Day.  Your letter can seal the deal, encouraging to take part in the democratic process.  I've started writing to voters in New Mexico and I really feel this is a great way for those busy Democrats among us to make a difference.  So please, click on this link and click JOIN ACT to start writing letters.  Please click CONTRIBUTE if you can afford to help fund the GOTV efforts, with people going door to door.

With your help, we can win this election and start fixing these problems that have plagued us these last four years.  Thanks!

•  Nice, here's the letter I finished last night

  Dear (Voter's Name):

  My name is [your name] and I'm writing to tell you the importance of your vote.  This election is so important to my family and me.  In the last four years: America has lost 1.6 million private-sector jobs, 2.7 million manufacturing jobs, 5.2 million more people have become uninsured, 4.3 million more people now live in poverty, and Household income has declined $1,535 while CEO and executive pay rose 40%.  

  This just isn't right!  I come from a hard working middle class family and when the people making over $200,000 a year get an average tax cut of $45,000 while middle class Americans making less than 80,000 get an average tax cut of $300, I feel cheated.  I feel like some kind of evil Robin Hood has taken power and now promotes stealing from the poor, so he can give to the rich.  Luckily we have a chance to bring back hope to struggling middle class families all across America on November 2.

  It can be difficult to make it to the polls, but you can vote absentee, or vote early. [Check the attached document for this information]

  The last election in New Mexico was decided by only 366 votes, so your vote can make all the difference in the world, and offer America's hard working middle class a new direction of hope and opportunity.

  Thank you -- and don't forget to vote!

  (Sign your name)

  PS: We need more help getting other people in your community to vote-- you can contact America Coming Together at 505-830-9250 or [e-mail] to find out what you can do to help.
  

  by fricky00 on Tue Sep 21, 2004 at 03:48:50 PM PDT

  •  Wow, Very nice

    Mine uses some of the facts for new mexico - not funding Nochildleftbehind costs NM $250 mil, war in Iraq costs NM $512 mil, unemployment up 13% since 2000, over 178,000 New Mexicans lost health insurance since 2000, 43% of NMNG mobilized or deployed, and over 1700 New Mexicans currently in Iraq and Afghanistan.

    by Muboshgu on Tue Sep 21, 2004 at 03:57:20 PM PDT

  •  I love doing this too ...

    I have 3 kids, including a 9-month-old so it's very difficult to commit to a whole day of canvassing, but this I can do. Whenever I start to obsess with polls or CNN's bias or whatever, I work on a letter and feel better. It is a terrific self-help tool, and I think it could do a lot of good, too.

    by Carnacki on Tue Sep 21, 2004 at 07:14:14 PM PDT

•  Road trips to swing states

  Writing letters is great, but it's even more satisfying to interact with people face-to-face in swing states.

  I'm in California, and 200 of us drove up to Reno last weekend.  It was so awesome, I'm going back for two more weekends, and then taking the last week of October off to go to either Vegas or Florida and GOTV!

  If you're interested, driving votes.org is a great way to get in on road trips. You can find a ride, find riders, and usually you can find a place to stay too.

  by JerDewitt on Tue Sep 21, 2004 at 04:11:42 PM PDT

•  New Mexico?

  Great work!  This is such a fantastic way to have a real impact in the swing states.

  Tactically, this is brilliant work.  I am concerned at the strategic level though.

  Don't be fooled by the right-wing biased polls into thinking New Mexico is at risk in this election.  We only lose New Mexico in a landslide Kerry loss.

  Colorado was tied in the last 5 polls.  The demographic (both race and age) has shifted rapidly in our favor in the last 4 years.

  Nevada Dem registration just surpassed GOP registration.

  West Virginia has 61% Dem registration.  We only lost it last time because we spent no time there, thinking it was totally in the bag.

  Here are two very important winning scenarios:
  

  Gore 2000 + Nevada + West Virginia
  Gore 2000 + New Hampshire + Colorado

  
  Of course, somebody has to be doing something in New Mexico --- but I think the local Dem operation can more than handle it.

  I have met countless Blue State folks (4 now) who all seem to have been doing ACT in New Mexico.  There must be some virus-like buzz of Blue Staters being sucked into New Mexico.

  Nevada and West Virginia!

  Nevada and West Virginia!

  Nevada and West Virginia!
  

  by Winger on Tue Sep 21, 2004 at 04:11:42 PM PDT

  •  PS

    I convinced all 4 mentioned above (all Californians) to drive to Reno and do ACT there instead.  There was a great weekend there just recently.

    by Winger on Tue Sep 21, 2004 at 04:12:36 PM PDT

  •  PPS

    I recommended your diary, by the way.

    by Winger on Tue Sep 21, 2004 at 04:13:02 PM PDT

  •  Northern Californians for Reno

    Big Mo is on our side in Nevada. The San Francisco bay area might single-handedly flip Nevada.

    At last weekend's event, a guy told this story:

    Last week, he went by the ACT office, and it was packed with volunteers. Then he went over to the DNC office, and it was buzzing with a full phone bank. Then he went by the RNC office, and it was closed.

    A guy in the ACT office said that they've registered so many people, the Registrar's office ran out of forms, so they had to drive to Carson City to get more.

    The August totals for new registrations in Reno were 3100 Dem, 400 Rep!

    by JerDewitt on Tue Sep 21, 2004 at 04:17:37 PM PDT

•  Another way of doing it

  If you're in college, or know people who are, encourage people to absentee-vote if they're registered in their home state.  A lot of college kids never bother, as it's admittedly a small bit of a hassle to send in the paperwork and whatnot.

  by Delirium on Tue Sep 21, 2004 at 04:41:37 PM PDT