"Don’t be distracted by emotions like anger, envy, resentment. These just zap energy and waste time.” - Ruth Bader Ginsberg
Honor the Life of Ruth Bader Ginsberg
We've lost a heroic fighter for equal justice, but Justice Ginsberg is right: we can't let anger distract us from our shared priority: winning the upcoming election. To pay tribute to her courage please:
Write, call or email our senators & any Republican Senators who might oppose the rush to fill her spot.
Express your appreciation for RBG - or your concerns about the rush to replace her in a letter to the editor.
Come to the We Dissent Event! A masked and distanced RBG tribute & rally. Where: The Courthouse, 501 W. Adams Street When: Saturday, September 26 Time: 11:00 am sharp until 12:00 pm. Stay tuned for more details.
Tuesday, September 22 - City Council Vote
Thanks to all who have already taken an interest in Rory Diamond's proposed bill 2020-0518 to put a two-year moratorium on the renaming of public parks and streets, a measure which would delay efforts to rename public structures honoring the Confederacy. This bill has been amended in one city committee to apply only for 6 months, then failed a vote in the Rules Committee. But it is not quite dead. The bill is on the agenda for a possible final vote at tomorrow afternoon's Council meeting. Public comment will not be allowed at this meeting, so please call or email council members tonight or tomorrow to express your views.
Time to Get Out the Vote!
This Thursday, September 24, the Supervisor of Elections will begin mailing out Vote by Mail ballots. This means it's time to shift from our long effort to sign people up for VBM and focus on making sure those all those ballots are voted & counted.
If you're signed up for VBM, your 2020 ballot should be in your hands by early October. Whether you're voting by mail or in person, start planning now for how and when you're going to vote. And be sure everyone you know is doing the same thing. If you mail or deliver your ballot to an Early Voting location, be sure to check the status of your ballot until you get confirmation it has been counted.
BAM's Election 2020 Page -- Here to Help
If you're wondering how to make sense of all the candidates & ballot measures - or simply fretting about how to open, use, and return your Vote-by-Mail ballot without destroying it or having it lost in the mail, there's a new page on the BAM website designed to answer all your questions. The Election 2020 page offers everything from VBM 101, to how to download a personalized sample ballot you can mark up as you do your research, to a host of links and resources to help you assess this year's candidates and the ballot measures.
Weekly Phone- and Text-Banking
As we all know, Florida is going to be a crucial swing state in the Presidential race - and turnout will decide many vital races. Use the time remaining to help reach out to Duval progressives and be sure their voices are heard. Join Zoom groups doing Wednesday night Text-banking or phone-banking on Saturday and Sunday. The emphasis has shifted from signing people up for Vote by Mail to urging them to vote. Click here for details.
Duval Voter Protection Team
The Duval Democratic Voter Protection Team is recruiting volunteers for two tasks. If you're comfortable spending time at a polling place, they need people to serve 4, 6, 8 or 12 hour shifts as Poll Watchers. The training takes place online and takes about an hour.
If COVID is keeping you close to home, consider becoming a Ballot Advocate. This is work you can do from home via phone & email contacting people whose Vote-By-Mail or Provisional ballots have been rejected and helping them assemble the two documents needed to "cure" their votes. The process is simple, but time-sensitive. Rejected ballots must be cured by 5 pm November 5. Training for this takes about 20 minutes. If you can do either or both these jobs, sign up here and you'll be contacted in the next few weeks for training.