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, 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 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:

 Your 5 weekly to-dos 

1. 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 -- read our resource for more details about building a progressive Biden administration.
2. 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. Read our new resource on DC statehood. 
3. 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. 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. 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. 

 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! 

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 

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 -- 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 -- Register here.
January 4 at 6 pm EST -- Register here.

 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. We need your help to make it happen: donate $10 to get our Georgia plans moving and support all our work.

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