Happy New Year, Indivisibles! 

We knew that the last few days of 2020 would be characteristically chaotic as Congress rushed to fund the government, but we’re entering the new year with hope for progress and a clearer understanding of our path forward. 

First stop on the road to progress: winning the Georgia runoff elections tomorrow.  

By now, you’ll know that the Georgia results will determine which party has control of the Senate for the next two years. The Republican incumbents Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue have made it abundantly clear that they would rather fuel Trump’s nonsense than actually do their jobs. Indivisibles (like you) are doing everything they can to support Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff’s campaigns -- you sent 1.4 MILLION TEXTS to Georgia voters in December alone -- but there’s still work to be done in these final hours. 

Here’s what’s at stake in the Georgia runoff elections:

• COVID-19 relief. Loeffler and Perdue have failed Georgia (and the country) on COVID-19. Over the weekend, we were reminded of the limits we’ll face if we don’t send them packing and recapture the Senate. Mitch McConnell was prepared to go on vacation had it not been for Ed Markey and Bernie Sanders pressuring the Senate to vote on the amended package. But despite millions of people struggling to pay their bills and put food on the table, the amendment to provide $2,000 survival checks instead of the original $600 amount didn’t even get a vote. If we ever hope to get people the help they need, we need to send Warnock and Ossoff to the Senate.
• The integrity of our elections and democracy itself are under attack. There’s something especially hypocritical about Loeffler and Perdue speaking at a rally to get out the vote while Donald Trump tries to illegally overturn the results of the general election. Without elected officials who stand by facts, not politics, Trump will continue his rampage to disenfranchise millions of voters in the name of his ego.
• Our priorities in 2021. The truth is, most of the work we want to accomplish in the future, including necessary healing from the last four years, rides on this election. If we hope to ever address COVID-19, the climate crisis, racial justice, and so much more, we need to win a majority in the Senate.

Just like in the general election, even though the polls close tomorrow at 7 pm EST, we don’t anticipate official results for a few days -- so be on the lookout for candidates and talking heads trying to prematurely claim victory or undermine our democracy with any unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud.  

And don’t worry -- we’ll keep you updated with the latest developments in Georgia. Until then, here are your weekly to-dos:

Your weekly to-dos

1. TONIGHT: Phonebank to get out the vote in the last hours before the Georgia elections. Join us and Indivisibles from all over the country for our last National Georgia runoff Call-A-Thon. With just one day left before the polls close, it’s critical for Georgians to feel empowered and informed to turn out for Warnock and Ossoff. There’s no better way to reach voters than getting on the phone and having meaningful conversations to encourage them to see their power. Can’t make calls but still want to make an impact? Donate to support our plans in Georgia and all our work.
2. Sign up for the first National Activist Call of 2021 on Thursday, January 7. There’s a lot going on this week, from the GA runoffs tomorrow to the Electoral Count on Wednesday. Join group leaders, group members, and other Indivisible activists to hear all of our updates and plans for the year to come! 
3. Read about why we’re making D.C. statehood a priority in 2021. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: D.C. statehood is a racial justice issue. There are more reasons than one to make D.C. the 51st state and we expect to be talking about it in the near future. Read this resource to get familiar with H.R. 51 and prepare for the fight ahead.
4. Learn more about the power of a progressive voting bloc in Congress. The relief package negotiations were a key example of how House progressives can force leadership to listen to their demands and win key victories. Progressives hold a significant portion of the total Democratic seats in the House, including some exciting progressive freshmen. They’ve had our back, now it’s time for us to have theirs. 

The State of Play in the Presidential Election

This Wednesday, January 6, Congress is set to count and certify the electoral votes from each state -- the last step before Biden’s inauguration. The Electoral Count is historically uneventful but, like all things related to this election, we expect some shenanigans. At least 12 Senate Republicans, led by Ted Cruz, are planning to challenge Biden’s victory on Wednesday by voting against certification of the results. We don’t expect much to come from this little bit of political theater, but there’s something to be said about elected officials trying to overturn the results of a fair election. 

Unsurprisingly, this move has drawn a ton of criticism -- even from some Republicans. That’s because 1) the results of the election have been certified in all 50 states, 2) Trump has lost 60 attempts to challenge the results in court, and 3) his own Department of Justice has found no evidence of election fraud. By choosing to ignore all of this and move forward anyway, these 12 Republicans want us to know that they work for Trump, not the American people. They’re also signaling their unwillingness to work with Biden before he’s even taken office and perpetuating the dangerous lie that he wasn’t legitimately elected. 

This is a blatant attack on democracy and anyone who goes along with it must be held accountable. We won’t forget the names of these House and Senate Republicans -- many of whom are up for re-election come the midterms -- who wasted valuable time making false promises about overturning the election. 

We have so many more plans to share with you about the year ahead, but it’s just too exciting to share via email so make sure to join our National Activist Call on Thursday at 8 pm EST.

National Events

TONIGHT: Georgia GOTV Call-a-Thon 
Join Indivisibles to call Georgia voters in the final hours before the runoff election. By talking to these voters directly, you’ll have a chance to empower them to help push Warnock and Ossoff across the finish line. 
Date: January 4, 2021, at 6 pm EST -- Register here.

January National Activist Call 
Join us for the first National Activist Call of 2021. This call is taking place right after the Georgia runoff elections AND after Congress meets to count the electoral votes from each state -- that’s on purpose. We’ll have plenty to talk about so we hope to see you there!
Date: January 7, 2021, at 8 pm EST -- Register here. 

The People Lead virtual and in-person events
Members of Congress will be in recess next week, meaning they will be heading back to their states to address issues in their districts. Since they’ll be at home and paying attention, we’re encouraging Indivisibles to organize and be heard. You can join virtual events or gather safely with other Indivisibles outside of our MoC’s district office starting next week. Check out our events map to find an event near you or register your own event with the help of our The People Lead Toolkit.

Support our work in Georgia

With just one day until the Georgia runoff elections, we’re hard at work rolling out our plans. Between our ads program, direct voter contact work, rural and Latinx outreach, and support to partners and Indivisible groups in Georgia, we’re committing a ton of time and resources to winning and entering 2021 in a strong position. We need your help to make it all possible: donate to support our plans in Georgia and all our work.

Our Georgia runoff ads

Latinx outreach has been an important part of our strategy to win in Georgia. The face of the country is changing, and it’s high time we all start diversifying our strategies to connect with an increasingly critical group of voters. To empower this key audience, we’ve been running Spanish-language ads to help get out the vote for Osoff and Warnock. If you’re interested, watch and share this video about the importance of the Georgia runoffs featuring Spanish subtitles:

Can you feel the momentum? We’ve never been closer to realizing all the plans we’ve dreamed up over the last four years of this movement than we are right now. This is the final leg of the race and we need every Indivisible member and supporter to help out if we’re going to be victorious. Are you with us? 

In solidarity,
Indivisible Team