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FEATURED IN THIS WEEK’S MVCAN NEWSLETTER (4/19/20):

UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIONS

1. “VIRTUAL” MVCAN MONTHLY MEETING ON ZOOM - Sunday, May 3rd, 5pm - 6pm. Save the Date!

2. UPCOMING VIRTUAL PHONE BANKS and TEXTING

3. WRITE POSTCARDS TO REGISTER VOTERS IN NORTH CAROLINA plus video tutorial

4. SISTER DISTRICT ZOOM FUNDRAISER - Sunday, May 3 - 4pm

5. ADVOCATE FOR NATIONAL VOTE BY MAIL BILL

6. MARIN ORGANIZING COMMITTEE (MOC) VIRTUAL MEETING FOR COVID RELIEF LOBBYING

7. CANAL ALLIANCE IMMIGRANT CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND

8. CITY COUNCIL SINGLE-USE PLASTIC BAN IN MILL VALLEY - Mon, April 20, 6:30pm

WHERE WE’VE BEEN AND WHAT WE DID

1. VICTORY IN WISCONSIN!! MVCAN CONTRIBUTES TO WIN

2. APRIL MVCAN ZOOM MEETING SUCCESS WITH LALA WU from SISTER DISTRICT

3. JOSH HARDER FUNDRAISER

1

MVCAN MAY MONTHLY MEETING ONLINE

Sunday, May 3rd, 5pm - 6:00pm

Following up on our successful April Zoom meeting we are planning another great program for May with new information on elections and many remote activities. Stay tuned for more program details soon.

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UPCOMING VIRTUAL PHONE BANKING, TEXTING and LETTER WRITING

Building the Blue Wave

As an adjustment to our new shelter-in-place lives, Democracy Action Marin/MVCAN have introduced Zoom video conference phone banking.

Like all the activist groups, we’ve had to innovate. We know phone banking and text banking are among the most well-researched and effective 2-way voter communication tools we have, and happily they are perfectly suited to the times we are living in.

We’ve noticed that we’ve talked with significantly more people than usual in the phone banks we’ve held recently. People are home; they’re feeling isolated and they want to connect. Some of our recent conversations have been very moving.

ZOOM PHONE BANKING

We’ll be calling for Christy Smith who is running to replace Representative Katie Hill in California CD-25 (Lancaster) in a Special Election Run-Off on May 12. You can find Christy Smith’s issue sheet here and her website here. We will also be calling to support Mark Kelly in AZ for the US Senate.

PHONE BANK - Saturday, Apr. 25, 3 pm - 5 pm
Register HERE for details

PHONE BANK - Saturday, May 2, 3 pm - 5 pm
Register HERE for details

Call CA Congressional Districts We Flipped in 2018

Our Orange County incumbents are already focused on November. Until canvassing is possible again, please take some time to phone bank at home for Members of Congress, Gil Cisneros and Harley Rouda.

To Phone Bank for:

Rep. Gil Cisneros (CD-39)   Phone Bank Here  

Rep. Harley Rouda - Phone Bank Here

CALLING TO SUPPORT VOTE-BY-MAIL IN PENNSYLVANIA

For those who are more experienced with calling and texting, you’ll find activities below that you can do on your own--there are videos and easy directions for all these opportunities.

A group we have been working with, Environmental Voter Project, just launched a campaign to call voters in Pennsylvania and encourage them to sign up for the newly available vote-by-mail list.

The option to sign up for vote-by-mail is brand new in Pennsylvania, so many voters don't even know it exists. By joining Environmental Voter Project Auto-Dial Calls to PA and calling voters - while they're likely to be home - we are greatly increasing their chances of signing up and actually voting in their upcoming elections.

To get started, please review the Hubdialer Guide and Training Slides.

When you're ready to start calling:

Go to Hubdialer.com The sign-in button is in the upper-right corner of the screen.

Use the following credentials to log in:

Campaign ID: 21057
Pass Code: 123456

Once you're in, please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the script, and then you can start talking with voters!

Hubdialer works best when lots of people are using it at the same time, so we've set up some Action Hours when we can all make calls together and create an even bigger impact. Action Hours will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-6pm EST.

LETTER-WRITING WITH VOTE FORWARD

Letter-writing is a very effective tool. Once you register for an account with Vote Forward, you’ll be able to adopt voters in Swing States all over the country. It’s very simple: Vote Forward assigns you to a campaign and provides you with voters’ names & addresses. You’ll print out a 1-pg pre-written letter which you personalize and sign. All you need is a roll of stamps and envelopes.

To get started with Vote Forward, register HERE.

TEXTING OPPORTUNITIES

This week we are excited to offer texting opportunities to two of our priority states, AZ and CO. We have new texting for the Arizona Dems and Mark Kelly For Senate campaign and they offer Zoom training!

All of the other text opportunities have self-guided set-up instructions once you register with them but you will need a little experience with texting or Slack to get going. They use Slack so you can get help when needed from the organizers.

Also, feel free to reach out to Corrie Sias, Dem Action/MVCAN Text Leader, at corriesias11@gmail.com with any questions or for help setting up.

TEXT FOR ARIZONA DEMS AND MARK KELLY FOR SENATE CAMPAIGN
Sign up via Mobilize.us

Uses Thru Text (previously known as Relay.) When you sign up, you’ll receive an invitation via email to create an account on ThruText (if you don’t already have one) and join the Mark Kelly texting campaign. You will only have to sign up the first time.

If you’ve never used ThruText or want a refresher, the campaign is holding texting via Zoom. Times for training will be added continuously, so check back if you don’t see a time that works for you.

JOIN THE MARK KELLY THRUTEXT TRAINING
Sign up via Mobilize,us

Another texting opportunity is available through NextGen, which primarily focuses on texting young people to register and GOTV. They’ve just finished texting to AZ and FL for the primaries. Use Slack and ThruText. Reach out to their Slack channel for help with any issues or questions getting set up

NEXTGEN TEXTING
Register HERE

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WRITING POSTCARDS TO REGISTER VOTERS IN NORTH CAROLINA

More than 990 MVCAN members and supporters are now writing postcards at home (from all over the US) using voter data provided by RECLAIM OUR VOTE, which is a nonpartisan voter registration and get-out-the-vote campaign. This campaign reaches out mainly to voters of color on Unregistered and Inactive lists in key voter-suppression states.  

North Carolina is a prime opportunity to pick up a US Senate seat. In this 50/50 Dem/Rep state, Democrat Cal Cunningham is neck and neck with the incumbent Republican, Senator Thom Tillis. This could be the seat that tilts the Senate majority to the Democratic party and unseats Mitch McConnell as majority leader!

TO SIGN-UP TO POSTCARD:

New postcard writers should contact Team Lead Dennis Bentley at Dennis Bentley.

You will be sent email instructions, a script and 30 names and addresses of rural, deregistered voters in North Carolina. The postcard script will include a phone # and website address so that postcard recipients can check whether their voter registration is current.

FOR THOSE ALREADY INVOLVED IN POSTCARDING:

Repeat postcarders should contact their current team leaders to get more names and addresses.

If you want more information about postcarding strategies or have other questions, please contact MVCAN lead organizer Bob Haar at politicalbobh@gmail.com.

VIDEO TUTORIAL ON POSTCARDING:

Reclaim Our Vote (ROV) leaders have put together a well-crafted You-Tube video giving instructions to postcard writers.  

Click here for Tutorial on Postcarding

Together, we have almost completed our postcard campaign to all deregistered voters of color in the medium-sized North Carolina counties. With the exception of a few tiny counties, all of the rural de-registered voters of color will have received re-registration postcards. This is quite a milestone!

Next up - we are switching to Mecklenburg County, the most populous County in North Carolina, with more than 63,000 de-registered voters of color.

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SISTER DISTRICT FUNDRAISER FOR AZ CANDIDATES

Sunday, May 3, 4-5:30PM

Please join Sister District Marin for a Zoom cocktail party fundraiser for our AZ State Legislature candidates, Doug Ervin and Judy Schweibert.

Early money makes a huge difference to these candidates. With early money, they can hire campaign staff and rent office space (after COVID). State races cost far less than Federal, so your donations make a BIG difference.

Sister District Fundraiser for AZ Candidates

Sunday May 3, 4-5:30 pm

TO RSVP click HERE

For more information or questions, please contact Linda Herman at lrherman@comcast.net.

The co-sponsors for the fundraiser are Swing Left Marin, Indivisible Sausalito and Blue Wave Marin. They are pleased to announce that all the donations for this event will be matched by a generous Sister District supporter!

In the Arizona state legislature, Democrats only need to win two House seats and three Senate seats in order to flip each chamber blue. Flipping a chamber would break a stubborn Republican trifecta, keep Republicans from passing harmful and regressive legislation, and provide an opening for Democrats to advance their own progressive legislative agenda.

You can read more about our impressive AZ candidates HERE.

5

ADVOCATE FOR FEDERAL VOTING BY MAIL BILL

Help contact our congressional representatives and convince Congress to pass legislation protecting everyone’s right to vote. Progressives need to use their leverage to make sure voting rights and voter access are strengthened for 2020 and incorporated into the next round of COVID bailout legislation.  

You can contact our representatives: Senator Feinstein, Senator Harris and Rep. Jared Huffman by either calling or writing (using a template letter described below if possible.)

Indivisible groups across California have sent a letter to our Senators and Representatives stating concern for the viability of our November election. The letter has now been adapted so that it is not Indivisible-specific and can be sent from any group or individual.  

Get the VOTE-BY-MAIL ADVOCACY letter HERE.  

You should make a copy of the letter that you can edit, and please send to Senators Harris and Feinstein and Rep. Jared Huffman (or another, as applicable), as soon as possible, before the next COVID bill is developed and passed. If you can’t write, you can call or email.

How to contact representatives:

Diane Feinstein San Francisco Office

One Post Street, Suite 2450

San Francisco, CA 94104

Phone:(415) 393-0707

Feinstein Washington Office: (202) 224-3841

Send an email: HERE

Kamala Harris San Francisco Office

333 Bush Street, Suite 3225

San Francisco, CA 94104

Phone (415) 981 - 9369

Harris Washington Office: (202) 224 - 3553

Send an email: HERE

Jared Huffman San Rafael Office

999 Fifth Ave. Suite 290 San Rafael, CA 94901

Phone: (415) 258-9657

Huffman Washington Office: (202) 225-5161

Send an email: HERE

6

MARIN ORGANIZING COMMITTEE (MOC) VIRTUAL MEETING FOR RELIEF EFFORT PLANNING - Monday, April 20 6:30 pm

MOC is working in collaboration with other IAF (Industrial Areas Foundation) groups throughout the state to lobby Governor Newsom on a list of reforms he can take action to provide relief for undocumented families in Caliornia.

These immigrant relief changes are critically important to families not currently receiving adequate aid.  

To learn about the details of the proposed reforms read the advocacy letter here: HERE.

Virtual MOC Planning Meeting
Monday, April 20 at 6:30pm

Register in advance for this Zoom meeting: HERE

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Contact Ruth Jaeger: ruthjaeger94925@gmail.com Or call 415-233-0016 for more information.

7

CANAL ALLIANCE IMMIGRANT CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUND

If you want to provide immediate and direct relief for our Marin immigrant community members, you can go right now to our trusted partners at Canal Alliance in San Rafael, and give to their “Client Relief Fund.”

Donate to Immigrant Relief Fund

8

ATTEND MV CITY COUNCIL VIRTUAL MEETING ON SINGLE USE PLASTIC BAN - Mon, April 20, 6:30pm

From the MVCAN ECO team: Although in virtual communication at present, if you live in Mill Valley, please tune into the MV City Council meeting on Monday, April 20, 6:30pm to hear a report on the foodware ordinance (getting rid of single-use plastic).  

How to watch the meeting:

1. Online : HERE or On TV: HERE

Please note there is a 20 second delay when you view the livestream.

1. Local television: tune in to Comcast Channel 27 and AT&T Channel 99

To see the meeting agenda go: HERE (The food ordinance is item 12)

Thanks to our ECO team for continuing important environmental work in this uncertain time!

WHERE WE’VE BEEN AND WHAT WE DID

1

VICTORY IN WISCONSIN!!

Many MVCAN members and our wonderful partners worked hard to make these upset victories a reality despite the forced “pandemic election” in Wisconsin.

From our phone banking guru Susan Bolle and Democracy Action team:

”Marin Phone Bankers made calls to Wisconsin voters to make sure they got their ballots in before E-Day to help Judge Jill Karofsky win her seat on the WI State Supreme Court.

From Danny at Airlift:

Airlift’s bold, fierce and unapologetic Wisconsin’s Airlift grantee groups – BLOC and LIT – fought against the election taking place and fought just as hard to win it. The awesome youth organizing group LIT “Leaders Igniting Transformation” was the first group to sound the alarm about how COVID would affect the election and pivoted to highly effective digital actions. The nationally recognized Milwaukee group BLOC (Black Leaders Organizing for Communities) raised turnout from absentee and in-person voting beyond expectations.

From postcarding Bob Haar:  

Bob’s postcard writing crew of 30+ in Eau Claire, Wisconsin started working hard on this election over the past couple of months.

There are many ways to effectively promote an election; kudos to all our teams for activism on multiple levels!

2

APRIL ZOOM MEETING SUCCESS WITH LALA WU

Thanks to the more than 60 MVCAN friends who attended our April monthly meeting. We heard an inspiring overview of the work of Sister District past and future from co-founder Lala Wu. Also excellent briefs about MVCAN actions and plans were presented.

3

JOSH HARDER FUNDRAISER SUCCESS

MVCAN sponsored and many members participated in a virtual event for Congressman Josh Harder last week. More than $10,000 was raised! Many thanks to Barb Miller and the other hosts for making the event happen.

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