Indivisibles,

We’re about to tell you some scary numbers, but know that we’ve got a solution and a whole bunch of asks for you to funnel your rage into. Today, the U.S. surpassed one million coronavirus cases. More than 55,000 Americans have died. That’s more cases and more deaths than any other country in the world. Overwhelmed health care workers are still facing shortages of masks and tests, and at least 26 million people have lost their jobs. In the last sixty days, there have been four relief packages passed and trillions of dollars allocated in response to the pandemic. Unfortunately, none of them put people first. 

This week is critical because it may be our last chance to demand that Congress ensure relief to every person in this country, regardless of tax or immigration status, age, or disability. 

Here’s the solution: demand your representatives pledge to vote ‘no’ on the next coronavirus package unless it prioritizes the People First Agenda.

We can’t afford to wait any longer for Congress to take these necessary steps, because it's unlikely that there will be another opportunity for them to do so. 

The package must include these four policies:

• Keep people on payrolls: Stop mass layoffs, and preserve employment relationships for all businesses, including small businesses. Ensure federal dollars go to workers and small businesses, not enriching CEOs and Wall Street.
• Provide financial relief: Expand aid for the most vulnerable in the COVID-19 epidemic, including direct cash assistance, increased food aid, debt relief, and eviction protections.
• Protect public health: Guarantee full health coverage for all COVID-19 care and protections for all frontline workers.
• Defend elections: Enact a vote-by-mail requirement for 2020 federal elections while maintaining access to in-person voting for those who do not have access to mail voting.

If it doesn’t, representatives must vote no. 

That’s our major ask, but as usual, there are others. Here’s this week’s to-dos:

 Your weekly to-dos 

1. Take the People's Agenda Pledge. Hold your Representative accountable when they vote on the next coronavirus relief package -- if the bill doesn’t put people first, they should vote no.
2. Call your representative and demand they vote 'no' on the next bill unless it includes the People's Agenda principles. We need a package that puts people first -- which means keeping people on payrolls, providing financial relief for people, protecting public health, and defending democracy with national vote by mail and election security support. Call your representatives now to hold them accountable.
3. Tweet at your representative and demand they vote 'no' on the next package unless it puts people first. Use our new tool to tweet at your representative about the People’s Agenda Pledge. We’re hearing right now that social media is a more effective tool to engage with your members of Congress than usual because of remote working and social distancing.
4. Email your representative after you've called and tweeted to follow up. This new tool allows you to email your representative about the People’s Agenda Pledge -- meaning you can let them know you’re paying attention.
5. Record a People’s Agenda Pledge video and send it to your representative on social media. Don’t forget to say your name, where you’re from, and that you demand your representative take the People’s Agenda Pledge -- meaning they pledge to vote no on the next coronavirus package unless it means real relief for all people. Upload it to social and tag them!
6. Register for our upcoming National Activist on May 7th. The National Activist Call is a monthly space for Indivisible leaders, members, and other activists to hear updates and connect with one another. 

 Should we endorse Joe Biden? 

A year ago this week, we launched the Indivisible Pledge, which was a commitment to make the Democratic primary constructive, to rally behind the winner, and do the work to beat Trump in the general election.

After many months of campaigning, debating, and voting, we now have our Democratic candidate, Vice President Joe Biden. Biden wasn’t the top choice in the primary for many in the Indivisible movement - including us personally - but the primary is now over and he will be the Democratic nominee. Our movement made a promise one year ago that we would rally behind the winner of the primary, and throw all of our political power and resources behind the nominee to make that person our next president. 

We believe it’s time to demonstrate our commitment through a national Indivisible endorsement, voted on by Indivisibles across the movement. And we’re asking you to vote yes. 

Click below to cast your vote on whether Indivisible should move forward with endorsing Vice President Joe Biden for United States President.

The challenges we’re currently facing are immense, and we’re ready to get to work addressing them. No matter what the future holds, we’re honored to be in this fight alongside you. We’re ready to press onward to November (and beyond) to keep fighting for what we always have: putting power back in the hands of the people. 

 2020 Update 

What’s new in the 2020 Democratic primary? We’ve got endorsement news and more updates on how states are preparing for their primary elections. Here are our most up-to-date delegate numbers for the Democratic primary: Former VP Joe Biden has 1303 delegates. He needs at least 1991 delegates to secure the Democratic nomination. Read on to learn more!

• Tomorrow (not June 2) is the almost-entirely-vote-by-mail Ohio primary! Are you an Ohio voter? Today is the deadline to get your absentee ballot into the mail! Perhaps you didn’t receive your ballot yet? If you applied for a ballot by the deadline of 12pm on April 25 but have not received it yet, you can ask for a provisional ballot at your local board of elections on Tuesday.
  Turnout in this year’s election is expected to be down from the 2016 primary. As of late last week, Ohioans had cast less than one-third of the 3.3 million ballots cast in their 2016 presidential primary. 
• New York has effectively canceled its Democratic primary. State election officials have said that there will still be a number of primaries for congressional, state, and local elections on June 23, but with Senator Bernie Sanders out of the race, the state is looking to free up funding to better support their expanding absentee voting system for November general. The cancellation will likely save the state millions of dollars.
• Secretaries of state across the country are banding together to prepare for a huge surge of mail voting. After witnessing the struggles Wisconsin endured with their primary, states all across the country are mobilizing to ensure their primaries, as well as the November general election, don’t face similar hurdles. Secretaries of state are reaching out to election officials in Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, where elections are predominantly vote-by-mail. Late last week, Virginia removed requirements that voters have a valid excuse for voting absentee. In New Hampshire, the secretary of state and attorney general announced that concerns about the coronavirus would be considered a valid excuse to vote absentee. Michigan and Pennsylvania also recently adopted no-excuse absentee voting prior to the pandemic. These are encouraging signs, but there is a concern that states with nascent absentee voting systems will need to begin preparing now for the massive influx of mail-in ballots expected in November.
• Speaker Nancy Pelosi & Rep. Pramila Jayapal have endorsed former VP Joe Biden for president. Rep. Jayapal had previously endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders, who dropped out of the race three weeks ago. Her endorsement further signals the Democratic party’s efforts to unite the progressives and moderates in the fight to beat Donald Trump in November. 

 Find a virtual event "near" you 

• Deep Canvassing While Social Distancing

We know that issue based organizing is how we build local power, but how do we do that while social distancing? This training will take a deep dive into how to have meaningful conversations with folks without knocking doors. Come explore how to apply organizing basics to this ever-changing landscape. 

• WEDNESDAY, April 29th, 3 pm EST

We can win in 2020

We launched the Indivisible Pledge a year ago, and we’re still all in to win this November. We committed to making the primary constructive, rallying behind the winner, and doing the work to beat Trump in the general election.  

With the primary winding down, we’re looking ahead to the next several months, where we’ll be doing everything we can to make Trump a one-term president. Indivisible is a people-powered movement, and that means all our work is only possible with your help. If you’re able, can you chip in $10 to support our work as we develop our plans for this next phase of the year?

  IndivisWin of the Week 

This week, Arizona Indivisibles will see their very own Payback Project ads against Martha McSally in the Arizona Republic.

While this has truly been a difficult time for everyone, we’re so thankful to have you -- a member of this engaged and fired-up Indivisible movement -- alongside us, keeping us going.  

In solidarity,
Indivisible Team