Indivisibles,
Voters in Michigan decided weeks ago that Joe Biden would be their choice
for President. And now, after weeks of bluster and delays caused by the
Trump campaign, today three of the four Michigan board members voted to
certify the results of the election (while the fourth, Republican Norman
Shinkle, abstained from voting altogether). That means Joe Biden
officially won the state of Michigan, again!
This decision comes after a series of spurious legal arguments made by the
Trump campaign in an attempt to deny Black Michiganders’ votes in key
districts, despite the fact that there is ZERO evidence of election fraud
or tampering. Late last week, [ [link removed] ]Trump invited Republican state
legislators from Michigan to visit the White House, in addition to his
pressure campaign and frequent phone calls to key Republicans in the
state.
While we’re happy that the Michigan vote is finally settled, it didn’t
have to happen this way. Voters decided when they cast their ballots for
Joe Biden by an overwhelming margin -- 154,000 votes! Trump’s legal
threats and pressure tactics are failing to make an impact, and this
process should have happened seamlessly like it has for decades.
What’s crystal clear is that the people -- Indivisibles and activists in
Michigan (and all over the country) -- need to continue to pressure their
elected officials because it’s working. Republicans are slowly starting to
speak out publicly that Joe Biden will be the next president, and we need
to keep that momentum going.
As we were writing this email, we got word that [ [link removed] ]GSA Administrator,
Emily Murphy, has (finally) informed President-elect Joe Biden that the
administration is ready to begin the formal transition process. This
doesn’t mean that your Republican members of Congress are off the hook. As
Trump continues to deny the legitimate results of the election and play
games with our democratic processes and norms, every one of our elected
officials should be on the record recognizing Joe Biden as the
president-elect. Period. If you have a Republican senator(s) or
representative, make sure that you make a phone call this week demanding
that they do so immediately if they haven’t already.
With that, here are your weekly to-dos:
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Your 5 weekly to-dos
1. [ [link removed] ]Tell your Senators to pressure Biden and ensure he doesn’t nominate
or hire corporate executives, high-level consultants, or lobbyists to
serve in his administration. The President’s personnel choices are
critical to enacting their agenda and signal their priorities for the
next four years. If we want to see significant progressive change, it
starts with President-elect Biden appointing progressive leaders to
his cabinet and to key administrative positions. While Biden’s picks
require Senate confirmation, there are ways Biden can circumvent Mitch
McConnell’s plans for obstruction -- [ [link removed] ]read our resource for more
details about building a progressive Biden administration.
2. [ [link removed] ]Demand your Representative become a co-sponsor on the DC statehood
bill. A few months ago, the House passed a historic bill supporting
statehood and giving full congressional representation to DC’s
700,000+ residents -- but it died in the Senate. If we want to ensure
that a corrupt, far-right extremist like Trump is never elected again,
we need to prioritize democracy reform and that includes making
statehood for DC one of Biden’s top priorities. [ [link removed] ]Read our new
resource on DC statehood.
3. [ [link removed] ]Read and share this summary of our priorities for the final weeks
of 2020. We’ve got plans for this transition period between now and
Inauguration Day -- including helping Democrats regain full control of
both chambers of Congress. We know we’re keeping control of the House
but we won’t know the Senate’s makeup until after the Georgia runoff
elections in January 2021. There’s a lot of uncertainty right now, but
we’ve got lots of goals to finish the year strong.
4. [ [link removed] ]Learn about how a progressive voting bloc in Congress can equal big
wins. Progressives hold a significant portion of the total Democratic
seats in the House, including some exciting progressive freshman. In
order to pass legislation, Democratic leadership needs the support of
as many of their members as possible and can only afford to lose a few
Members. One important way House progressives can grow and use their
power is through a voting bloc -- by executing a voting bloc
strategically, they can force leadership to listen to their demands
and win key victories.
5. [ [link removed] ]Thank your progressive member of Congress. This letter template can
be the first of many conversations with your member of Congress that
thanks them for the work they’ve done and encourages them to pass
bold, progressive legislation.
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2020 Update
It’s result certification season, folks, and the start to yet another
exhausting news week on the
why-can’t-Trump-behave-with-propriety-and-accept-the-results front!
[ [link removed] ]We know that a lot of you are worried about states certifying their
results. We saw just this afternoon in Michigan that while Trump may think
he’s powerful enough, not even he can stop the will of the people. Joe
Biden beat Trump in Michigan fair and square, earning an estimated 154,000
more votes than Trump, nearly a 3 point margin. Despite his meddlesome
efforts to delay the certification of Michigan’s election results, the
state board of canvassing voted 3-0 to certify the state’s election
results. Trump’s actions reek of impropriety and weaken our democracy by
the day.
Here are a few important certification-related dates over the next couple
of weeks that we want folks to be aware of:
* Today, November 23: Michigan & Pennsylvania certification deadlines
* November 30: Arizona certification deadline
* December 1: Nevada & Wisconsin certification deadlines
* December 8: Safe Harbor Deadline
* December 14: Electoral College Meets
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National Events
Indivisible December National Activist Call
Join us for our last National Activist Call of 2020 to connect with
Indivisible leaders, members, and other activists to hear updates and
connect with one another.
Date: December 3 at 8 pm EST -- [ [link removed] ]Register here.
National Call-a-thons for the Georgia Runoffs
Join us for one (or both) of our national Call-A-Thons leading up to the
Georgia runoff on January 5, 2021. We’ll be calling Georgia voters to make
sure they have plans to vote in this historic election and encourage them
to request absentee ballots.
Date: December 2 at 6 pm EST -- [ [link removed] ]Register here.
January 4 at 6 pm EST -- [ [link removed] ]Register here.
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Make an impact on the Georgia runoff election
Control of the Senate -- and the opportunity to realize all our
progressive priorities -- hinges on two runoff elections in Georgia in
less than seven weeks. So between now and then, we have to do everything
we can to get David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler out of office on January 5.
We’re getting right to work where folks on the ground have said we can be
most useful -- including a direct voter contact program, outreach in rural
and Latinx communities, and digital, print, and radio ads. [ [link removed] ]We need
your help to make it happen: donate $10 to get our Georgia plans moving
and support all our work.
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Let's focus on what we can control
We want to recognize that we’re heading into a difficult holiday season as
many folks decide to prioritize their health (and the health of their
friends and family) over traditional celebrations this year. On top of all
of the chaos, it’s easy to get distracted by Trump’s tantrums and
last-ditch efforts to hold onto power. That’s why it’s important to focus
on what we can control -- like applying pressure where it counts by
calling our members of Congress, connecting with voters in key states like
Georgia, and digitally celebrating with family from a distance.
In solidarity,
Indivisible Team
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