More than 10% of San Francisco voters have cast their ballots. Have you cast yours yet?
More and more voters across the country and in California are already casting their ballots in this election. The Blue Wave is building, and now is an excellent time to join it.
Here in San Francisco, the Department of Elections reports that 53,743 ballots have been returned at the time of writing. That’s more than 10% of the number of ballots issued so far.
You can read your state and City voter guides online, as well as other recommendations from progressive groups, by following the links from our Vote page.
In the meantime, we need to continue finding voters who haven’t yet cast their ballots and get them to do so as early as possible, whether by mail or in-person. The Bay Area Coalition and other organizations have phone banks, text banks and more, both virtual and in-person, to fit any schedule, plus canvasses every weekend. These opportunities are also on our Vote page.
And, now is the time to talk to your friends and family about voting. If you have loved ones still supporting Trump, we have a guide from 2018 on how to handle thorny political topics around the kitchen table. It’ll also be helpful for the holidays coming up. Read our updated blog post on Talking To Friends And Family About Trump.
Spotlight on SURJ: The Many Over MAGA persuades 1 in 5 undecided voters!
We’ve been featuring The Many Over MAGA phonebanks by SURJ, which we highly recommend you join as they are both fun and effective. SURJ has developed their own methodologies using compassionate listening, open-ended questions, and an open mindset to appeal specifically to white voters who are undecided.
And now we have proof that it works—their growing campaign to reach undecided voters reported that they have a 1 in 5 rate of persuading them to vote for Harris! This is an incredible result and will help us get as many votes as we can into our margin of effort.
Interested in getting involved? Join The Many Over MAGA Phone Bank (they have one almost every day through Election Day), and donate to their ActBlue page.
Vote NO on Prop 36 (and tell 10 friends)
Ten years ago, California passed Proposition 47, which made punishments fit their crimes. Two years before that, 2012’s Proposition 36 ended the failed policy of “three strikes and you’re out” and the violence it caused, making all Californians safer.
This year brings a new Proposition 36, which aims to re-break some of the things that the earlier propositions fixed. It takes a huge step backwards in California’s progress by reverting us back to the failed policy era of “tough on crime” and “three strikes.”
Proposition 36 is a false solution to real problems. As noted in this 48 Hills opinion piece,
“Backed by big-box retailers and law enforcement, Proposition 36 is being touted as a solution to homelessness and the scourge of fentanyl on the streets. But the initiative does not provide money for housing or treatment beds or allocate any money to create new funding sources to enforce it. In fact, the ballot measure has little to do with addiction and nothing at all to do with homelessness.“
Since 2014, Proposition 47 has reduced California’s prison overcrowding and saved the state more than $800 million, which the state uses instead to fund projects that prevent further crime, trauma recovery for crime victims, and programs to prevent violence in schools. By ending Prop 47’s successes, Proposition 36 would cost Californians between tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars every year,
Worse, Proposition 36 would create a new “three strikes” policy. We know these don’t work and create more violence as offenders seek to avoid a third arrest that could turn into a felony conviction. Let’s not have more police chases and armed showdowns on our streets.
Other resources to learn more about Proposition 36 include the LA Times Endorsement to vote No on Proposition 36, the Vera Institute's explanation, and the No on Prop 36 campaign website.
Let’s protect the progress we’ve made in making our cities safer. We urge you to vote NO on Proposition 36.
In addition, many of your friends and family are likely not aware of the harms that this proposition will do, and they’re likely getting lied to about Prop 47. We ask you to talk with 10 or more of your friends and family members about this proposition to help pre-bunk or debunk the disinformation and fill them in on the truth. The ACLU of Northern California has talking points, resources, and other ways to get involved.
You can pass along our blog post opposing Prop 36, which has all of the above information.
Get your free COVID-19 tests and your 2024 vaccines!
The Biden-Harris administration has brought back COVIDTests.gov. You can order four more rapid tests from the USPS to be mailed to your home address.
Prepare now for the winter surge by ordering your tests today. Don’t wait—the earlier you order, the earlier you’ll have them.
And, good news for uninsured Californians: The California Department of Public Health has opened a statewide replacement for the CDC’s recently-expired Bridge Access Program, providing free COVID-19 vaccines this October through December. This, along with the annual flu vaccine that is also now available, will be vital protection for you and your community.
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TODAY: The Many over MAGA Phonebank: Call white voters with Showing Up for Racial Justice: Wednesday, Oct. 23, 3–6 PM, Saturday, Oct. 26, 10 AM–1 PM and Sunday, Oct. 27, 12–3 PM. Call white voters in Georgia, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada, and Ohio with SURJ on Wednesdays and Sundays! RSVP here.
TODAY: Text Bank into California with GDHQ: Wednesday, Oct. 23, 4:30–5:45 PM. Join the Grassroots Democrats HQ Text Team to mobilize voters for 2024 via text. These sessions continue every Monday and Wednesday through Oct. 23. RSVP here.
TODAY: National Phone Bank Hub for Kamala + CA Congressional Districts: Wednesday, Oct. 23, 5–7 PM, Saturday, Oct. 26, 1–3 PM (and every Saturday through Nov 2, then every day through Election Day). Join the GOTV for Harris, Adam Gray in CA-13 and Rudy Salas in CA-22. RSVP here.
TODAY: TRUE to BLUE Phone Banks supporting Democrats in 2024: Wednesday, Oct. 23, 5–7 PM (and every Wednesday through Oct. 30). Join the California Democratic Party to make calls to voters in the Central Valley in CA-22 (Rudy Salas) and CA-13 (Adam Gray) to talk about voting in 2024. RSVP here.
Knock Doors in the Central Valley: It's time to talk to Democratic voters in CA-13 & CA-22! Let's build the grassroots power Democrats need to win in 2024 and to defend democracy long term. Join us in going door-to-door talking to Democratic voters. $100 stipends a day to offset the cost of gas and lodging are available. Pick where you’d like to go and RSVP here.
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If you’ve seen our newsletter posts on social media, you might have noticed that we include a photo or graphic with each issue.
Today’s graphic is an updated October is Voting Month graphic
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Keep Fighting,
The Indivisible SF Team
If you'd like to support our all-volunteer team:
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