UPDATE: Well, we tried our best. It just didn't go our way this time. Thanks to all who worked to get Jim Martin elected.
Georgia's runoff election for the Senate seat Saxby Chambliss won six years ago with a smear campaign against Max Cleland is today. The polls close at 7pm EST. We have the opportunity to send progressive Democrat Jim Martin to the United States Senate for six years, if Democratic turnout is high enough.
There are enough potential voters in Georgia to send Jim Martin to the Senate, just if you count people who already voted for him on November 4. But enough of them need to be convinced to turn out today. That s why voter contact in the next few hours is crucial if Jim Martin is to win this election.
Jim Martin has a long record of improving health care in Georgia. He is a progressive Democrat who would be a reliable vote for health care reform, developing "green collar" jobs, and energy independence.
Martin has an uphill battle today, but it is not hopeless, not by any means. As I wrote yesterday, Sean Quinn at fivethirtyeight.com gave an update on the field operations in Georgia over the weekend. He reports that Martin has 25 field offices across the state with a nice ground operation. That operation, however, has work to do to pull off a win. According to Quinn:
...at the close of early voting Wednesday, according to the Secretary of State's office 345,564 had voted, and 22.5% of those votes were African-American, an ominous dropoff from the 34.5% of black early voters for the general election.
Still, according to Georgia Democratic Party spokesman Martin Matheny, thousands of volunteers were hard at work across the state knocking doors in the rain and making phone calls on Jim Martin's behalf. The lines on Election Day will be much shorter than during the general election, given the much shorter ballot, and Democrats here think that most of its voters are going to turn out on Runoff Day itself.
The key is to get as heavy a turnout of Democratic voters as possible today. People in or near Georgia can volunteer at Martin's site, or (more practically, given the short time remaining), go to one of the 25 field offices across the state to help get the vote out.
Even a few minutes on the phone today can make a difference. Obama for America has lent Jim Martin its phonebanking operation so that we can call likely Democratic voters in Georgia and convince them to turn out today to vote for Martin. In a runoff where turnout will be down, targeting and motivating these likely voters may mean the difference between re-electing Senator Saxby Chambliss or introducing the United States Senate to Jim Martin.
Jim Martin can win this race, but he needs our help. We have until 7pm EST.
Make a call.
Find an office.
Elect Jim Martin, Democrat from Georgia, to the United States Senate.