Election News Update from the Fresno County Dems

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Newsletter: October 27, 2020
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** In This Newsletter:
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Don’t Rely on Polls Forecasting Victory (#Poll-Forecast)
Volunteer Now! One Week to Election Day! (#Election-Day-Volunteer)
Poll Observers Needed (#Poll-Observers)
Local Candidate Focus: Part 4 (#Local-Candidates)
Beware Unauthorized Ballot Drop Boxes in Fresno County (#GOP-Drop)
Your Democratic Party Endorsements (#Dem-Endorsements)
Fundraising Online Auction (#Fundraising-Auction)
The Struggle Does Not End on Nov. 3 (#Struggle)
Black Votes Matter Virtual Rally (#Black-Votes)
Biden Support Parade (#Biden-Parade)
Ballot Drop Box and Vote Center Information (#Vote-Center-Info)
Track Your Ballot (#Track-Your-Ballot)
Poll: Have you Voted (#have-you-voted)
Election Night Watch Party (#Watch-Party)
Democratic Party HQ (#HQ)

We Democrats learned in 2016 what trusting in polls and the obvious degeneration of Donald Trump can get us. There is a broadcast predicting possible Republican wins despite the Democratic leads in polls, if progressive voters become complacent about a Biden and Democratic victory, and believe they don’t need to vote. We must prove them wrong.

We’re down to the wire. Ballots are dropping. Connect with voters now. See opportunities to engage and tools to assist with those efforts below. For more info, contact Krista De La Torre at 559-313-4345 (tel:559-313-4345) or [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Re%3A%2010-27%20FCDP%20Newsletter) . Your assistance is essential to our success.
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TJ Cox for Congress (CD21) Phone Banks

Four shifts each day: 9 a.m.–noon, noon–3 p.m., 3 p.m.–6 p.m., 6 p.m.–9 p.m.
Sign up for any phone bank: [link removed]
The compliance call system phone banks are as follows:
* Mondays: noon–3 p.m., 3 p.m.–6 p.m.
* Tuesdays: 3 p.m.–6 p.m., 6 p.m.–9 p.m.
* Wednesdays: 3 p.m.–6 p.m., 6 p.m.–9 p.m.
* Thursdays: 6 p.m.–9 p.m.
* Saturdays/Sundays: noon–3 p.m., 3 p.m.–6 p.m.


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Phil Arballo for Congress (CD22) Phone Banks

Mondays 5 p.m.–8 p.m.: www.mobilize.us/cadems/event/318053/
Wednesdays 6 p.m.–-8:30 p.m.: www.mobilize.us/cadems/event/318057/
Join “FRIENDS OF PHIL ARBALLO FOR US CONGRESS” FACEBOOK GROUP ([link removed]) FOR MORE INFO


Phone Bank for Jim Costa, Daren Miller & Abena Cruise in CD-16

Tuesdays/Fridays, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.:[link removed]

Daren Miller, candidate for Board of Education Trustee Area 3; Abena Cruise, candidate for State Center Community College District Trustee Area 7; and Rep. Jim Costa, candidate for reelection

Swing State Virtual Phone Bank (Biden-Harris & U.S. Senate races)

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Tuesdays/Wednesdays/Thursdays, 3 p.m.–5 p.m.:www.mobilize.us/cadems/event/337143/
Tuesdays/Wednesdays/Thursdays, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.:www.mobilize.us/cadems/event/338487/
Saturdays/Sundays/GOTV Weekend:www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/343996/

CADEM Endorsements
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Forward to any voter to find the endorsed candidates/ballot measures for a specific address.

Truth Squad Toolkit

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Statewide Phone Bank for Props 15, 16 & 21

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Thursdays 5 p.m.–8 p.m.: www.mobilize.us/cadems/event/303597/
* Prop 15: Schools and Communities First - SUPPORT
* Prop 16: Repeals Proposition 209, ending the ban on affirmative action - SUPPORT
* Prop 21: Rent Control - SUPPORT

Black Votes Matter: GOTV Rally & Vote 2020 Truth Squad Training
Tuesday, Oct. 20, 5:30 p.m.
RSVP:[link removed]

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A poll observer will stand outside high-density polling places to monitor the election site. You will take note of whether there are lines, whether voters are turned away for any reason, and whether there’s any electioneering or intimidation happening there. Poll observers are needed Oct. 31 through Election Day. Volunteer at bit.ly/pollobserver. Shifts will vary in length, with the shortest being 4 hours.

U.S. Congress District 4
Brynne Kennedy was born in a rural community, the only daughter of a small business owner and community college teacher, who both fought tough battles against cancer. Brynne learned early on the values of community and hard work, which drove her to build her own successful business helping families settle into new places and contributing resources to people in need. Brynne knows how to listen to the needs of others, set bold agendas and get things done.
Brynne favors adding an affordable public option to the existing insurance exchanges to expand coverage to individuals who are struggling to access a plan they can afford, particularly in rural communities with limited private insurance options. She would fight to undo the 2018 tax bill that preserved most of the special interest loopholes already in our tax code, while effectively raising taxes on middle class families in District 4 by capping individual deductions on state and local taxes for Californians, as well as small business deductions. She also believes the federal government needs to invest in infrastructure to include transportation and electrical grid modernization, an expansion of rural broadband that ensures full connectivity in all corners of our district and increased support for federal forest management.

U.S. Congress District 16
Rep. Jim Costa is an experienced Democrat at a time when we sorely need that. Costa believes it is irresponsible for the administration or members of Congress to ever threaten to shut down the government and so has never voted for such a measure during all his years in Congress. Instead, he has been fighting this year to pass what continuing resolutions he can, a deal that extends lifelines for families and provides funding for critical programs that have helped Americans absorb the shocks of the pandemic, such as waivers for the School Meal Program and ensuring parents can pick up nutritious lunches for their kids.
Costa knows the millions of Americans suffering in this pandemic depression need massive government help, and that’s why as a member of the Problem Solvers Caucus, he’s been workingon a bipartisan solution ([link removed]) to bridge the gap to provide a compromise to ensure a stimulus package is passed before the end of the year.
On water issues, his partnership with Assembly Member Adam Gray and State Senator Anna Caballero successfully brought federal, state and local leaders together to build a new water treatment plant in Dos Palos. Costa championed Fresno City College’s new West Fresno campus and broke ground on it this year.
He voted to pass the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act ([link removed]) to make important investments in clean energy technologies, strengthen our resiliency to wildfires and other extreme weather events, as well as reauthorize programs that will improve air quality in the Valley.

U.S. Congress District 21
Rep. TJ Cox is an engineer and small businessperson whose passion is community development. He is a native Californian and the son of immigrants who taught him the importance of hard work, personal integrity and fighting for what’s right.
After working his way through college, TJ spent a decade in engineering and construction across the globe. Volunteering for Habitat for Humanity in Fresno led him to create the Central Valley Fund, which raises money for projects located in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods throughout the Central Valley.
Since starting from scratch in 2010, the Central Valley Fund has raised and invested more than $65 million to build health clinics, job-training centers, affordable housing and clean energy plants. These projects have created more than 1,500 well-paying jobs and have brought healthcare to more than 40,000 Central Valley residents. As the founder of two innovative and successful nut processing businesses, TJ knows firsthand that agriculture drives our Central Valley economy.
In Congress, TJ will continue to create high-paying jobs in healthcare, agriculture and other industries. He will work to foster new agricultural businesses, create innovative farming techniques, fight for fair trade deals and invest in job training.
A father of four, TJ will always fight to get real results for our community. That means affordable, quality healthcare for all, protecting Medicare and Social Security, supporting education and implementing an immigration policy that works for everyone; moreover, in TJ’s engineering career, he has built dams and water conveyance systems. He knows how to quickly deliver more water to the Central Valley and conserve it for the future.
TJ Cox is a valuable conservation member of Congress, with a 97% scorecard for environmental votes by the League of Conservation Voters and the endorsement of the Sierra Club.

U.S. Congress District 22
Phil Arballo, raised by his single mother who worked long hours to make sure her children had the opportunity to get ahead, learned the meaning of sacrifice and hard work from a young age. He was the first in his family to attend college. He knows firsthand how difficult the path to an education can be when you don’t have the means to pay for it.
Through hard work and perseverance—and a little extra time to earn the money to pay his own way—he graduated and went on to own and operate his own business. Today, Phil runs a successful financial advising firm.
He’s a fixture in the local civic community through organizations like Fresno’s Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and as vice president of Fresno’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. He’s always willing to go the extra mile for his community.
Phil understands the struggles working people experience when the deck is stacked against them. He knows it shouldn’t be that hard to get ahead and that we owe it to our children to make things a bit easier. He’s running for Congress to level the playing field for all Americans and create more pathways to opportunity. Phil and his wife, Cynthia, live in northwest Fresno, where they’re raising their two children.

Fresno Assembly District 31
Dr. Joaquin Arambula was an emergency department physician before being elected to the Assembly. Through his experience as an emergency room doctor, Arambula believes healthcare is a fundamental human right. Since his election, he has been a forceful advocate in addressing the dire shortage of doctors and other healthcare professionals in the Central Valley. He has authored legislation that improves health and mental health services, but he also has been vigilant to include measures that ensure transparency regarding the management of these services and their costs.
In addition, Arambula is fighting to bring more water to the Central Valley by calling for the construction of the Temperance Flat Dam and Reservoir and championing legislation for groundwater recharge projects. He also has worked diligently for improvements in other areas, including public safety, job development, and support for veterans and service members.
Arambula has successfully obtained millions of dollars to benefit communities in the district. These efforts include securing $70 million for Transformative Climate Communities to invest in disadvantaged communities; $18 million for State Route 269 in Huron; $10.5 million to improve public safety in the cities of Selma, Huron, Firebaugh and Mendota; and $6 million for the CalFood Program to assist local food banks in combating hunger, among other projects.

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California Secretary of State Alex Padila has received reports of possible unauthorized ballot drop boxes in Fresno County. These reports show unsanctioned receptacles labeled as “official ballot drop off box,” which is an illegal misrepresentation.

The Fresno County Repubican party has posted a list of “secure” ballot drop off sites, none of which are the real county ballot boxes. The California Republican party claims this is legal vote harvesting, citing a law that allows voters to designate a person to carry their ballot to an official voting site, however, these efforts do not clear that legal bar as there is no “designated person.”

We encourage all voters to be cautious. When you or someone you know is ready to return their ballot to an official drop off box, make sure to check the official list of locations at [link removed].

Visit [link removed] for the endorsements specific to your address. For more information, contact 559-495-0606 (tel:559-495-0606) or [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Re%3A%2010-20-20%20Newsletter%3A%20) .

Candidates

Congress District 4 Brynne Kennedy
Congress District 16 Rep. Jim Costa
Congress District 21 Rep. TJ Cox
Congress District 22 Phil Arballo
Assembly District 31 Dr. Joaquin Arambula
Fresno County Board of Education Trustee Area 3 Daren Miller
State Center Community College District Trustee Area 2 Nasreen Johnson
State Center Community College District Trustee Area 3 Dary Rezvani
State Center Community College District Trustee Area 7 Abena Cruise
Mayor of Kerman Espi Sandoval
Mayor of Selma Louie Franco
Fowler City Council Alexander Grimaldi
Fowler City Council Patric Jones
San Joaquin City Council Eva Luna
San Joaquin City Council Maria “Cristina” Covarrubia
Sanger City Council District 1 Esmeralda Hurtado
Sanger City Council DIstrict 3 Daniel Martinez
Fresno Unified School District Trustee Area 5 David Paredes
Fresno Unified School District Trustee Area 6 Claudia Cazares
Central Unified School District Trustee Area 4 Shawn M. Brooks
Clovis Unified School District Trustee Area 4 Noha Elbaz
Mendota Unified School District Kevin G. Arias-Romero
Sanger Unified School District Trustee Area 1 Sebastian Ardemagni
Sanger Unified School District Trustee Area 4 Vao Pa Her
Selma Unified School District Trustee Area 2 Jaspreet Nagra
Calwa Recreation and Park District Director Laura Garcia
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Learn more via CVPPAC ([link removed]) ([link removed]) Proposition Voters Guide ([link removed])
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The Fresno County Democratic Party is holding an online fundraising auction thru 7:00 p.m. Friday, October 30. Items donated for this auction include original paintings of former Vice President Joe Biden and of Senator Kamala Harris, both donated by local artist Jason Esquivel, along with many other interesting and unique items. The online auction catalog is at:
www.auctria.com/auction/FresnoCountyDems

With a conservative-packed Supreme Court as the final piece in the Republican Party’s decades-long shift in strategy from legislation to judicial control, even a victory for Biden will not be enough to undo the horrific damage conservatives have been wrecking on our nation. A Biden administration might be able to staunch some of the bleeding, but the conservative courts are ready to continue, undoing the ACA, dismantling Roe v. Wade, banning attempts at gun control and stripping protections from groups in the most need of it.
Anything less than a nationwide landslide in the election results next week only brings further danger. The Republican Party’s embrace of conspiracy fantasies has thrown doubt into the peaceful transfer of power, leaving the real possibility Donald Trump will declare victory faster than the votes can be counted over the coming month.
What’s more, the U.S. Constitution does not actually say that the President has to be elected by the voters. It merely says that states will choose electors to the Electoral College and assumes that the states will use the general vote to decide that.
However, The Atlantic reports several high-ranking Republican operatives in battleground states have said that if they continue to believe there is voter fraud happening the Republican-controlled legislatures are prepared to bypass the results of the popular votes and just choose Republicans to send to the Electoral College.
Multiple top policy think tanks have organized simulations to determine the full range of possibilities for what could happen if the election result is contested. None of the simulations reached a resolution, as every expert eventually threw up their hands when they reached a point where police and military were ordered to move against mass protesters filling the streets. The conservative militia movements and the White supremacist gun advocates have been preparing for a moment like this, as they believe in a breakdown in order they will be victorious.
The wounds the conservative Republicans have inflicted on our country under the leadership of Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump will take decades to heal at best. Even to just stabilize things and hold on to what we still have would be a victory for them, since any time we are not moving forward progress has lost to conservatism.
So take a deep breath, make sure one last time every person you know has voted and then let yourself rest for one week after the election. Progress is a constant struggle, and we need to be ready for what comes next.
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In 2016, Black voters were the No. 1 target for Russian disinformation campaigns to win the election for Donald Trump. This was no accident; it was a calculated voter suppression strategy, and we’re fighting it head-on with the Vote 2020 Truth Squad.
Join the California Democratic Party on Oct. 27 at 6 p.m. as we bring light to these voter suppression tactics, talk about what’s at stake this election and address how you can talk to your friends and family about the political power of voting.



** Fresno County Ballot Drop Box and Vote Center Information ([link removed])
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Be sure your vote is received and counted! With the potential for mis-directed mail and fake ballot drop boxes we strongly encourage everyone sign-up to track your ballot and vote early. The process is fast and easy and you can receive email and/or text messages when your ballot is received by the Elections Office, and again when your ballot is counted. All voters can now get critical updates on their ballots through California’s official “Where’s My Ballot?” tracking tool. Signing up takes less than three minutes! wheresmyballot.sos.ca.gov.

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More information at:
fresnocountydemocrats.org/action-requested-track-your-vote-by-mail-ballot ([link removed])

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Poll: Have you voted? [link removed]

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Join fellow Democrats online and watch the local, state and national election results come in. Register via:
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Contact the Democratic Party HQ ([email protected] (mailto:[email protected]?subject=Re%3A%2010-20-20%20Newsletter) or 559-495-0606 (tel:559-495-0606) ) today for your Biden-Harris yard sign ([link removed]) . You can donate to support the local Democratic Party via ActBlue ([link removed]) [link removed] by mailing a check to Fresno County Democratic Party, P.O. Box 5795, Fresno, CA 93755.

Our newsletter is prepared by Francis Horan.
Donate to the Fresno County Democratic Party ([link removed])
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Copyright © 2020 Fresno County Democratic Central Committee, All rights reserved.

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