Remind Americans Around the World Now is the Time to Prepare to Vote in the November 2020 US Elections

Hammok in the water, travelmemo.com, cc by 2.0.

Thanks to everyone who has been kindly visiting Pop Culture Activist over the past five months since I began to share more regularly. I hope something you've seen here has been useful in these challenging times.

Now it's Time for a Break

I am taking a break from the computer. See you when the break ends and I begin sharing regularly again.

Please take care of your health.

Also, please don't forget:

Election Day in the United States is Tuesday, November 3, 2020

Remind your friends with American passports to check their voter registration record to make sure it's up to date. They will need to fill out a new voter registration form if they have changed their address, changed their name, or changed their political party affiliation since they last voted.

They can check their voter registration status, update their status, or register to vote for the first time at www.headcount.org.

Please also let your friends know they can request a mail-in ballot. (Learn the difference between an absentee and a mail-in ballot on www.dictionary.com.)

Information for Americans in the US

I received this email from HeadCount on August 11, 2020.

"It’s official: as of today, you can request your mail-in ballot for the November election from coast to coast.

"If you’re planning to vote by mail this November, we recommend you start today by requesting your ballot. Because of increased demand due to COVID-19, your local election offices and post offices might be moving slower than usual. Don’t leave your vote until the last minute– request your ballot today.

"Then make sure you complete every step of the process correctly and well in advance (millions of mail-in ballots get rejected because of arriving late or small errors).

"Voting by mail works differently in every state. Bookmark our Vote From Home page to stay up to date on how the process works in your state.

"Pro tip: You must be registered to vote in order to request an absentee ballot. Need to register? Click here.

"Happy Voting!

HeadCount"

www.headcount.org.

Information for Americans Overseas

Americans overseas should visit www.fvap.org to request an absentee ballot. They should do this as soon as possible. The ideal date to request an absentee ballot was August 1 but it's not too late.

I received this email on August 3, 2020, from the Federal Voting Assistance Program.

"COVID-19 ELECTION UPDATE - FVAP is working closely with state election offices, the Military Postal Service Agency and other federal agencies to bring you up-to-date information on state election changes and mailing delays. Please visit FVAP.gov/COVID-19 for the latest information on any international postal disruptions or contact your installation military post office.

"Here are some important things to remember:

"Submitting your Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) early is the best way to help ensure the absentee voting process goes as smoothly as possible.

"The FPCA provides you, as Service members, and your eligible family members as well as any overseas citizens, with an option to request that your blank ballots be delivered to you electronically.
Submitting the FPCA allows you to use the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) as a backup ballot, if needed.

"To register to vote and request your ballot, fill out the FPCA using FVAP’s easy online assistant. You may also use the fillable PDF or pick up a hard copy version from a Voting Assistance Officer on your installation or at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate’s American Citizen Services Office.

"FVAP recommends all military members and their eligible family members, as well as U.S. citizens overseas, who are currently away from their voting jurisdictions or who have recently changed their address to send in a new FPCA as soon as possible to ensure receipt of absentee ballots for all federal office elections in this election year.

"To find your state's election website for specific information on candidates, elections, contact information, and links to your local election offices, visit our contact page. You can also reach out directly to your election office for status updates on your registration and absentee ballot.

"*The Department of Defense is required to send this email notification monthly, starting 90 days before each election for federal office. You will receive these messages through the 2020 General Election.

"If you would like more information on the Federal Voting Assistance Program, or need help with the absentee voting process, please go to FVAP.gov or call 703-588-1584 (toll free 1-800-438-VOTE or DSN 425-1584) or email (vote(@)fvap.gov)."

www.fvap.org.

Information for Americans in India

I received this email on July 26, 2020, from the US Mission to India.

"Overseas Voting in the 2020 U.S. General Election

"July 27, 2020

"Only 100 days remain until the November 3, 2020 General Election! Register to vote and request your absentee ballot now if you haven't already. All U.S. citizens can receive their blank ballots electronically. Depending on the state in which you are eligible to vote, you may get your ballot by email, fax, or internet download. Some states allow you to return your completed, signed ballot electronically and others do not. Please visit FVAP.gov for complete information.

"If your state requires you to return paper voting forms or ballots to local election officials by mail, you can do so through international mail, professional courier service, or through the U.S. Embassy New Delhi or U.S. Consulates Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, or Mumbai.

"Ballot Submission Through the U.S. Embassy or Consulates

"Ballots must be placed in postage paid return envelopes or in envelopes bearing sufficient U.S. domestic postage so they may be delivered to the proper local election authorities.

"Please note that postage from India to the United States is not required if you submit your ballots through the U.S. Embassy New Delhi or U.S. Consulates Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, or Mumbai. It can take up to four weeks for mail to reach its destination if sent through the embassy or consulate. 

"U.S. Embassy New Delhi: Please mail your ballot to U.S. Embassy New Delhi, C/O American Citizen Services, Panchsheel Marg, Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, Delhi 110021.

"U.S. Consulate Chennai: Please mail your ballot to U.S. Consulate Chennai, C/O Voting Office, Gemini Flyover, 220 Anna Salai, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600006, India. You may also drop off your ballot in the ballot box placed at the Consulate’s entrance on Cathedral Road. 

"U.S. Consulate Hyderabad: Please mail your ballot to U.S. Citizen Services Unit, U.S. Consulate General Hyderabad 1-8-323, Paigah Palace, Chiran Fort Lane, Begumpet, Secunderabad-500003, Telangana, India. You may also drop off your ballot in the ballot box placed at the Consulate’s entrance. 

"U.S. Consulate Kolkata: Please mail your ballot to U.S. Consulate Kolkata, C/O American Citizen Services, American Center, 38A, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Kolkata, West Bengal 700071.

"U.S. Consulate Mumbai: Please mail your ballot to U.S. Consulate Mumbai, C/O American Citizen Services, C-49, G-Block, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East, Mumbai 400051. You may also drop off your ballot in the ballot box placed at the Consulate’s main entrance.

"Learn more at the Federal Voting Assistance Program’s (FVAP) website, FVAP.gov.

"Questions?

"New Delhi:  VoteNewDelhi(@)state.gov
Chennai:  chennaics(@)state.gov
Hyderabad:  hydacs(@)state.gov
Kolkata:  kolkataACS(@)state.gov
Mumbai:  votemumbai(@)state.gov"

Encourage Americans to Register to Vote in US Elections

HeadCount, a US nonpartisan nonprofit has created QR codes that anyone in the world can use to encourage Americans register to vote in the US elections. This includes US passport holders living overseas who are also eligible to vote.

Encourage Americans to Register to Vote

On June 19, 2020, Kellen Edmondson, HeadCount's Field Director wrote, "If you’re heading to an event in honor of Juneteenth weekend— or any other outdoor event— you have the opportunity to register voters right in your own community. Print out some QR codes and text codes from our United We Vote page. Hand them out. Tape them to signs. Or hold them in the air.

Register to Vote QR code, www.headcount.org.

"We’ve been inspired by the millions of Americans who have marched and made their voices heard in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

"So many of you have helped us support voter registration efforts at hundreds of events across the country. Our QR and text codes have been seen coast to coast.

"I hope you join us this weekend in giving a voice to others. There’s Juneteenth celebrations, events and actions happening all over the country. Find one near you and get ready to make a difference."

Here's another sign from HeadCount you can print out from the United We Vote page and use.

Register to Vote text code, www.headcount.org.

Vote with PRIDE

June is Pride Month. HeadCount has teamed up with GLAAD, The Ally Coalition, Drag Out the Vote, Bobo’s Oat Bars and local Pride celebrations throughout the country to empower LGBTQ+ people and allies with information and tips on voter ID laws, absentee voting and more ways to Vote With Pride. The Vote with PRIDE Center also has a convenient way for anyone to register to vote online or check their voter registration status.

Visit the Vote with PRIDE Center.

Vote with PRIDE, HeadCount newsletter.

Watch the Vote Safe 2020 Livestream

Watch a live rally and teach-in on Zoom about how to vote safely, and help others vote safely, in the US November 2020 elections produced by HeadCount, March On, Futures Coalition, Andrew Goodman Foundation, and National Vote at Home Institute.

Learn about the different ways to vote from home, the importance of mail-in ballots, and challenges to nationwide vote-by-mail, voting by proxy, and no-excuse absentee voting.

The event will include panel discussions, inspiring talks, musical performances by Alex Ebert (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros), the Indigo Girls, Kam Franklin, MILCK, Bethany Cosentino (of Best Coast) and more.

Viewers will hear from bi-partisan speakers, panelists and youth activists including Jennifer Granholm,​ Former Governor of Michigan; Tom Ridge, ​former Governor of Pennsylvania and former Secretary of Department of Homeland Security; Jocelyn Benson​, Secretary of State, Michigan; Kim Wyman​, Secretary of State, Washington; Ari Berman​, author of Give Us the Ballot, and Amber McReynolds, ​CEO of Vote at Home Institute.

Vote Safe 2020, HeadCount newsletter.

Schedule
Thursday, June 25, 2020

5:30 PM PST

Register for the Event

Register for the event on www.votesafe2020.us.

Watch the Justice Comes Alive Livestream

HeadCount partnered with Justice Comes Alive to encourage voter participation and registration. 

Justice Comes Alive is a one-day, donation-based virtual festival bringing together the power of music to fight racial inequality.

The event will feature 50+ artists performing brand new sets throughout the day, streamed across multiple platforms. The event will be hosted by Robert Sput Searight, Nikki Glaspie, Nigel Hall, James Casey and Ari Fink, and feature artist-to-artist conversations throughout the day.

Justice Comes Alive, HeadCount Facebook.

Schedule
June 28, 2020

The online festival begins at 9:00 AM PT

Register

Donate any amount and receive links to watch on the day of the show: justicecomesalive.com

Donations will benefit the PLUS1 For Black Lives Fund, which was developed to address and continue the fight against anti-Black racism and violence in the US. Beneficiaries include Equal Justice Initiative, Impact Justice, The Bail Project, and local Black and Indigenous-led grassroots organizations combating racism.

Subscribe to HeadCount's e-newsletter

Subscribe to HeadCount's e-newsletter to receive updates about voter registration, volunteer opportunities, and events. 

Scroll down to the bottom of the www.headcount.org homepage to subscribe.

Election Day ... counting down

Huge congratulations to HeadCount who on October 13 announced the nonpartisan nonprofit had exceeded its voter registration goals for 2016.

As of now HeadCount had registered 426,044 Americans to vote for this upcoming US election. (You can check the ticker here.)

USANA Amphitheater in Salt Lake City, UT - my last show on the Dixie Chicks tour.

This includes the 1,337 Americans we helped register to vote at Dixie Chicks shows this summer.

The above figure includes the 22 fans who registered to vote at the Columbus, OH show. I was not present at that show; Mark Wotring directed HeadCount efforts that night.

Thanks to the 190 HeadCount volunteers who came out this summer to help me. Thanks to them, we were at 39 shows in 25 states over a period of three months, helping to make sure Dixie Chicks fans are able to participate in the upcoming US elections.

I had a lot of fun out in the field for HeadCount this summer.

Dead & Co - Camden, NJ.

Dead & Co - Portland, OR.

Wilco - Portland, OR.

National Voter Registration Day (Sept 27) in Portland, OR.
Registering voters outside of the Pearl District's Ben & Jerry's with
HeadCount Portland Team Leader James and Melissa.
Vote Our Planet event with Oregon Secretary of State Jeanne Atkins and
the Bus Project at the Patagonia Portland store.

Sign up to volunteer with HeadCount in your community here.

If you have friends in the US who need to register then send them to HeadCount keeping in mind some states' registration deadlines have already passed.

If you have friends overseas who still need to request their absentee ballots then please share this. The US Department of Defense recently reported only 4% of eligible overseas voters voted in 2014; let's get that number up this year.

Patagonia has shared resources to help people Vote Our Planet.

As the November 8 US elections draw closer, I think it has become increasingly important to share this:

Venerable Thubten Semkye is a Tibetan Buddhist nun who has been involved with Srvasti Abbey in Washington State since 2004. This talk is the first time I have had the pleasure of hearing her thoughts.

Happy voting, all.

US Passport holders overseas, please vote. Here's how.

Dear friends holding American passports living overseas,

Thanks to the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) most of you can vote in the November 8, 2016 US elections.

Please vote.

I did a bunch of research to make it easy for you. See below and share with friends. Get started soon - August is ideal.

Best wishes from the US,
Nicole

Most of the below was pulled from a 572-page-long official US government guide and this FAQ handout found on www.fvap.gov.

UOCAVA ensures the right to vote in federal elections by absentee ballot for US citizens who are active members of the armed forces, merchant marine, the commissioned corps of the Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, their eligible family members and other US citizens residing outside of the US. Whether or not a voter can vote in their state and local elections depends on the law of their particular state.

The overseas US citizen registers to vote at the address they last lived at within the US. It does not matter if the person was just renting the property, and does not own anything in that particular state. When completing the overseas voter application, the person must provide their last physical address in the US and not just a PO Box. This physical address will be used to determine which district ballot to send the person, if state law in the state the person last lived in permits them to participate in local elections.

Voting rights are not limited to those who have an old address in the US. Many states allow US citizens who have never lived in the US to vote, using a parent's information. In order to possibly qualify for this the US citizen must have a parent who has lived in one of the following states: AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, GA, HI, IA, KS, KY, ME, MA, MI, MN, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, TN, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY.

Whether or not a US citizen who has never lived in the US can vote at all - in even the US federal elections - is governed by state law. If this is you then check the individual state laws for the states in which a parent has lived and/or was registered to vote.

If a US citizen protected by UOCAVA - including those who have never lived in the US - wants to vote from overseas using an absentee ballot then the person cannot simply complete the same kind of absentee ballot they would use if they were going to be on vacation in another US state or at college in the US on Election Day.

Instead, the US citizen who will be overseas on Election Day must complete a Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) and submit it to their state's elections office. Since US elections are run by the states and not the federal government an overseas US citizen cannot register to vote at the nearest US consulate or embassy, but must communicate with their state's elections office.

The earliest an overseas US citizen can submit their completed FPCA, which ensures the person will receive all federal election ballots from their state elections office for elections taking place in the current calendar year, is each January. The person must complete a new FPCA each January, and again during the year if their overseas address changes.

The latest an overseas US citizen can submit the completed FPCA to their state elections office is governed by their respective state. The earliest deadline I saw was in early September. Check your state's deadline here.

However, the state elections office representatives I spoke with - from Virginia, Hawaii, New York - advised me to have my overseas US citizen friends submit their FPCAs in August to ensure my friends can vote this year. The FPCA website advises even earlier - overseas US citizens should have submitted their FPCAs by August 8, 2016 (90 days before the election.)

So if overseas US Citizens want to vote in the November 8, 2016 elections then they should submit their FPCA today.
It is really easy to complete a FPCA. Just go to www.fvap.gov and look for the text "voters start here." The website's online wizard will help you complete your FPCA. Or you can get started using this widget:



One note - I was told that when asked if the applicant intends to return to the US, the applicant should check off the option indicating their return to the US is uncertain. This will qualify the applicant to receive their ballot overseas.

Now, how to return the completed FPCA to the state's elections office? The method of delivery - fax, email, and/or postal service - is governed by the respective state's law. Unfortunately in Alabama for example, the completed FPCA must be submitted by postal service. Check your state's law to see the methods available to you.

If the completed FPCA must be submitted by postal service, then the US citizen can send it to their state's elections office by dropping it off at the nearest US consulate or embassy. I believe it does not need to be dropped off by the applicant themselves but I could have that wrong.

Contact the consulate or embassy first to find out their procedure and when the consulate or embassy's next outgoing diplomatic pouch will reach the US. I read in the case of Abu Dhabi that it can take six weeks for the diplomatic pouch to reach the US. Find US consulate and embassy contact information here.

I believe each consulate and embassy should have a trained Voting Assistance Officer who can help you with the whole overseas absentee voting process. If not then a list of toll free help numbers are here.

If sending the FPCA through the diplomatic pouch, I believe a completed FPCA must still have proper US postage on it. The wizard should help the US citizen prepare a postage paid (free) envelope to then print out and then use to hold the completed FPCA when dropping it off at the consulate or embassy for shipment in the diplomatic pouch.

It is also possible to send the completed FPCA from overseas to the state elections office via FedEx, DHL, or UPS but the US citizen must pay for it themselves.

Once the state elections office receives the US citizen's FPCA then the state will use the information submitted by the US citizen to determine the person's eligibility to vote.

h Not all states will contact the US citizen to let them know the FPCA has been received and processed. To confirm a FPCA has been received and processed, the US citizen should contact their state elections office - look that contact information up here.

Once a US citizen's FPCA has been received, processed, and approved by their state's elections office the US citizen can expect to receive a ballot to vote in the November elections. Their vote will be count just the same as they were voting from within the US on Election Day.

When completing the FPCA the US citizen is given the choice on Line 6 of the FPCA to receive their ballot by email/online download, fax, or snail mail. Each state must provide an option for fax, email/online download. Ballots cannot be sent to the nearest US consulate or embassy for pick up by the US citizen.

This may be incorrect, but I believe if the US citizen wants to be able to return their completed ballot by electronic means (if permissible by their state law) then the US citizen must set that up now by checking off the electronic and fax options on the FPCA as the means by wish they prefer to receive their ballot. (I know Line 6 on the FPCA doesn't mention this, but this is something I learned while doing research.)

It is important to submit FPCAs to the state elections offices in August so that US citizen overseas voters can receive their ballots as soon as they become available. The November 8, 2016 elections ballots will first become available to voters - and will be sent out to overseas US citizen voters - on September 28, 2016. So if a US citizen overseas is already registered to vote via absentee ballot on September 28, then they will receive their ballot in time to vote in the November elections.

If a FPCA is processed by a star elections office after September 28, 2016 then the state elections office will send out the voter's ballot as soon as possible. However it is reasonable to expect a delay.

The absentee ballot will reach the US citizen in the manner the US citizen specified on Line 6 of their FPCA application. In some states the US citizen will be able to vote in state and local elections, and in other states the US citizen's absentee ballot will only permit them to vote in federal elections.

Although each state sets its own deadlines for FPCA ("registration") and absentee ballot receipt, it is highly recommended that US citizens return their completed absentee ballots to their state elections offices right after they receive their absentee ballots in the mail.

The completed absentee ballot must be returned to the state elections office in the manner specified by that state's law. If a US citizen is voting in Alabama for example, the FPCA and the completed ballot both must be reined to the Alabama state elections office by postal mail. While the US citizen has the option of sending their completed absentee ballot by diplomatic pouch from the nearest US consulate or embassy, it can still take more than a month to reach the Alabama state elections office.

Many states permit US citizens overseas to submit their completed absentee ballots by fax, email, or digital upload. If a US citizen submits their ballot electronically before the deadline then the state elections office will securely store the voter's completed ballot until all votes are counted on November 8, 2016.

If a US citizen who submitted the FPCA does not receive their absentee ballot from their state elections office by October 8, 2016 then it is advised that the US citizen complete a FedEral Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB). If the US citizen submits their FWAB and then receives their absentee ballot. Then the US citizen should quickly complete and return their absentee ballot. If their state elections office receives their FWAB and absentee ballot by the Election Day deadline then only the absentee ballot will be counted.

US citizens overseas should confirm their absentee ballot has been received by their state elections office. US citizens can check the status of  their ballot here.

Once a US citizen overseas has confirmed their ballot has been received by their state elections office before their state's Elections Day deadline then that's it - the overseas citizen's vote will be counted just the same as if they had voted in person or by mail from inside of the US.

Thank you for voting absentee from overseas.

If you have friends in the US who need help registering to vote or need to request an absentee ballot to vote by mail from within the US then send your friends to www.headcount.org.

Thank you to FVAP, the Virginia, Hawaii and New York elections offices who helped me with my research, and to FVAP and the Overseas Vote Foundation for the graphics used above.

An Optimistic View of the 2010 Youth Vote

photo: waiting in line to vote @ UC Irvine, 2008

Given the awesome work that organizations like the Student PIRGs, the Sierra Student Coalition, Rock the Vote, HeadCount and others did to get youth out to the polls this year, I was curious to know how it all turned out.

By closely reviewing the Exit Poll stats on the CNN website, I discovered:

The age demographic most supportive of House Democrats? 57% of voters ages 18 -29 voted for the Democrats.

The age demographic most supportive of Senator Barbara Boxer? 62% of voters ages 18 - 29 voted for Boxer.

Yet CIRCLE's statistics show that overall turnout among young voters (ages 18 - 29) was down this year compared to the country's last midterm elections, in 2006 (20.9% vs. 23.5%). However when looking back upon previous turnout rates, it's still pretty consistent (turnout was 23.9% in 1994, 23.6% in 1998, 20.9% in 2002.)

Also keep in mind that CIRCLE's statistics cover overall turnout - but the organizations that I mentioned above were not active in every precinct. If you take a closer look at the precincts where organizations were actively looking to turn youth out to vote, you'll find results that'll make you smile!


photo: HeadCount & Rock the Vote share a voter registration booth @ Lollapalooza 2010.

The Student Public Interest Research Group has chapters (Student PIRGs) on college campuses. The Student PIRGs were active on 75 college campuses in 18 states, in preparation for Election Day.

On Sept 29, at Florida State University in the Free Speech Zone in Oglesby Union, students suited up in superhero attire helped fellow students register to vote. After registering the students got their pictures taken in the super voter phone booth. I discovered that Arizona students ran a similar drive back in 2008. “The theme of our campaign is Superhero Voting because with great power comes great responsibility,” said Whitney Kraner, Arizona Student Vote Coalition campus organizer.

On the same day at Harry S. Truman College in Chicago, volunteers wore sandwich boards that said “I’ve got a feeling…” on the front and “that you need to register to vote” on the back. Inspired by the Black Eyed Peas song, it was a mobile event/flashmob intended to catch students as they walked through the campuses main building on their way to class.

At the City College of Chicago, student leaders organized a baseball-themed registration event that encouraged students to step up to the plate and register to vote. Each registration scored a homerun for their favorite team - White Sox or Cubs.

At AZ State University's Tempe and Polytechnic campuses, the Arizona Student Vote Coalition, Arizona Students Association, and Arizona's University Student Governments teamed up to register students "Jersey Shore" style. In "Fist Pump to the Polls" students registering to vote were provided with hair stylists and spray tans.

More college campus voter registration drive stories here.

Then on election day, the University of Montana Student PIRG chapter members pushed their fellow students to the polls in shopping carts.


photo: Election Day @ University of Montana

At the University of Pittsburgh, PennPIRG’s New Voters Project and the Sierra Student Coalition's Reenergize the Vote campaign were present on campus for months, to try to get students to the polls on Election Day. The organizations used phone calls, texts, canvasses and campus events. As a result, poll workers were asked to bring in four additional voting machines, and four more poll workers to handle an unexpectedly high volume of student voters. Students waited in line for 45 minutes to and hour in order to cast their votes. Volunteers with Trick or Vote bags talked to voters waiting in line while handing out candy, to keep would-be voters' spirits up. Other groups brought in donuts and pizza, and helped implement systems to improve the lines.

So how did the student and organizations' efforts turn out?

Check out an excerpt from this Advocates for Youth blog post:

Vote tallies from youth-dense precincts where Rock the Vote aggressively targeted young people such as Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida, showed voter turnout amongst those ages 18-29 exceeded 2006 levels.

In Pennsylvania, we saw a 25% increase in votes cast over 2006 totals in the nine most youth dense precincts in Philadelphia that we aggressively targeted for voter registration and peer-to-peer contacts. In addition, partner organizations such as the Student PIRGs saw a 35% increase in votes cast at Temple University (Ward 20/ District 9). Youth-dense precincts at North Carolina Central University and the University of North Carolina showed a 100% increase in votes cast from 2006 where Rock the Vote invested resources on the ground. The precinct at the heart of the University of Florida campus increased votes cast by 45%.

See Rock The Vote's campus stats here.

Also check out this awesome video from California State University, Long Beach:



I also enjoyed the below, taken from this Washington Post story:

Zero - The number of newly elected Republican senators in genuinely contested Senate races (excluding, therefore, those like North Dakota's) who carried voters ages 18 to 29.

Republicans may have picked up seats in Pennsylvania, Illinois and Wisconsin, and held them in Missouri, New Hampshire and Ohio, but young voters in those states voted Democratic. Even in Ohio, where Republican Rob Portman beat Democrat Lee Fisher by 18 percentage points, Fisher won the youth vote 49 percent to 45 percent.

In the national exit poll on House voting, the Republicans lost the 18-to-29-year-olds by 17 points, and did better the older the voters got.

So ... one of the morals of the story? Have hope!

Invisible Children & Resolve urge you to VOTE tomorrow

Remember all of my posts about the Invisible Children and and the campaign to get Senator Coburn to release his hold on the Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act?

Here's a summary of what the Invisible Children, Resolve, and their allies did to get the bill passed, and why they think you should vote tomorrow.

Awesome, awesome, awesome.

Another GOTV volunteer opportunity

I like everything that John Legend does, so naturally I'm a fan of this video:



The NAACP has set up an online phone banking program so that anyone can help the NAACP get out the vote. Check it out here.

I don't know who you would be calling, but the tutorial makes their online program look very easy to use:

This is Why I'm Volunteering for Boxer & Obama. Will you join us? Only FOUR days left!

At 4:50pm on Thursday evening I was sitting in the office building where I work, less than two miles from the site of the Giants v Rangers game. I had one eye on the internet coverage of the game, and the other on the phone because I was excitedly waiting for President Obama to call me.



OK ... maybe Obama wasn't going to personally dial my number, and maybe I was not the only Democratic Party Youth Leader waiting for their phone to ring. But I was still kind of freaking out:)

After listening to President Obama’s remarks, and some follow up commentary from the College Democrats of America and the Democratic National Committee’s Youth Council, I put the Youth Leaders call on hold, and dialed into a 5pm call for the Democratic Party’s California Team with Obama and Senator Barbara Boxer.

Obama talked about why he supports Senator Boxer, and encouraged us all to volunteer in the few remaining days before the election. Obama has visited California several times this year to support Senator Boxer's re-election campaign. Jill Biden and Michelle were here recently, too.



Here's a Barbara Boxer campaign radio spot featuring Obama:



In addition to hearing from Obama on the Thursday night calls, I really enjoyed hearing from Senator Boxer. She has been my favorite senator since I started paying close attention to politics after the Twin Towers fell during my second year at Pace Law School. Following my graduation from law school I moved from New York to San Francisco, where I got to be one of Senator Boxer's constituents:)

Two years later I made the cross-country move again, from San Francisco to Washington, DC because I dreamed of working for Senator Boxer on international marine debris issues. It took 4 months, a job at a coffee shop and another at a call center, plus 2 internships and probably a hundred informational interviews, but I actually secured a job working for Senator Boxer!


photo: Co-worker Kelly & I, June 2008

While I later left Senator Boxer's employ to run a voter registration drive that I thought might benefit the Obama Presidential Campaign, I will always be loyal to Senator Boxer.

That's why I've been down at the San Francisco Democratic Party campaign office a few evenings after work recently, calling fellow San Francisco Democrats to remind them to vote, and that's why I'm going door to door in San Francisco neighborhoods this weekend with Organizing for America, to remind people to vote on Tuesday.

I need to know that I am doing everything that I can to make sure that Obama has the allies that he needs in Congress, like Senator Boxer. As MoveOn.org said in a recent email: "Do you really need clean socks that bad?" HA. No, my dirty socks can wait until Nov 3.


photo: West LA volunteers

If you feel similarly, then what can you do? LOTS.

1.) Join up with Organizing for America to make phone calls to Democrats who voted for the first time in Nov 2008. We need to make sure that they go back to the polls on Tuesday. Even making 10 minutes worth of calls will help. (Note that when you click on the link here, you'll be taken to the California OFA page. If you live in a different state then go to the top right-hand corner of the page and change your location.)

2.) If you can volunteer in person (either at an OFA office making phone calls, or canvassing your city's neighborhoods) then google "Organizing for America" plus your state's name to find your local OFA office. For example, here's the California page. Then call the office, or stop by to find out how you can help. This is not a time to be shy!

3.) Of course you can donate money if you want. The Boxer Store is having a sale!

4.) I voted early via absentee ballot. I typed up how I voted, and shared it in a "note" on Facebook. Based on what I've read (and the positive feedback I've received from friends) it seems like this personal contact really works.

5.) Finally, DON'T FORGET TO VOTE on Nov 2. Make sure your family members, friends, co-workers, professors, neighbors, etc vote! If you can take the day off from work then Organizing for America could really use your help. Again, find your local OFA office to find out where your help is most needed on Election Day.

THANK YOU for anything that you can do.



GO TEAM BOXER:) Go Obama! GO VOLUNTEERS!!! United together, we CAN do this.

Election Day Reminders from the Music World

A single vote WILL make a difference.

I have received (and continue to receive) a deluge of election-related emails. But I thought that this one - which I received from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Action Fund this AM - was particularly worth a re-print.

Please vote in this election.



Dear Nicole,

Dirtier air. More dirty energy. Greater dependence on our enemies' oil. Fewer new jobs.

That could be the result of the 2010 midterm elections - if you don't vote on November 2nd.

Up and down the ballot, in hundreds of electoral contests in all 50 states, our health, security and economy are threatened by anti-environmental, anti-science and anti-climate candidates.

Many of these contests will be extremely, extremely close. An unprecedented number of congressional races have been rated "toss-ups." But if enough of us show up at the polls, we can stop the wave of climate deniers who threaten to take over our state and federal governments.

The danger is more widespread than you think:

* Not a single one of the 37 Republican Senate candidates supports action against global warming - even though clean energy reforms could bring more than 1.9 million new jobs by 2020.

* A number of congressional candidates who voted for the landmark climate law -- The American Clean Energy and Security Act-- are threatened in races that could be decided by a handful of votes.

* More than 750 congressional and state legislative candidates have signed on to support the anti-climate agenda of Americans for Prosperity -- a corporate front group funded by the oil billionaire Koch brothers.

Close-minded anti-environmentalists don't represent the will of the people. Numerous polls and studies have overwhelmingly showed that the majority of Americans support policies to keep our air and water clean, our food safe and to transition our nation to clean energy.

But the other side has benefited from an unprecedented deluge of money from oil and coal interests and the shadowy front groups they help support. Hundreds of anti-environmental candidates who have turned their back on science could be elected if people like you don't turn out to vote.

Your vote, and the vote of millions of others like you, is our best defense from this attack. And every single vote will make a difference. Remember how close things were in 2000? Many races this year are likely to be won by small margins and recounts. Our nation is depending on you on November 2nd. Make a plan, and cast your vote at your nearest polling place.



Thanks for supporting environmental sanity in these deeply troubling times.

Sincerely,


Peter Lehner
Executive Director
NRDC Action Fund



Not sure if you know who the "clean energy" candidates are? Check out the League of Conservation Voter's endorsements here. For state specific info, click on "State LCVs" on the top right hand corner of the page.

This is the Story of our Mothers & Grandmothers who lived only 90 years ago.

Thanks to Laura Scalet, fellow HeadCount volunteer, for sharing this email forward with me today. I believe it was first circulated in 2004. I didn't make any alterations to the text; just added the film trailer.



Remember, it was not until 1920 that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote.



The women were innocent and defenseless, but they were jailed nonetheless for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking for the vote.

And by the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of 'obstructing sidewalk traffic.'

They beat Lucy Burns, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air.


photo: Lucy Burns

They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cell mate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.


photo: Dora Lewis

Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote. For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms.

When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.


photo: Alice Paul

So, refresh MY memory. Some women won't vote this year because - Why, exactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?


photo: Mrs. Pauline Adams in the prison garb she wore while serving a 60 day sentence.

Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO's new movie 'Iron Jawed Angels.' It is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder.




photo: Miss Edith Ainge, of Jamestown,New York.

All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But the actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote. Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege. Sometimes it was inconvenient.


photo: (Berthe Arnold, CSU graduate)

My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied women's history, saw the HBO movie, too. When she stopped by my desk to talk about it, she looked angry. She was--with herself. 'One thought kept coming back to me as I watched that movie,' she said. 'What would those women think of the way I use, or don't use, my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now, not just younger women, but those of us who did seek to learn.' The right to vote, she said, had become valuable to her 'all over again.'

HBO released the movie on video and DVD. I wish all history, social studies and government teachers would include the movie in their curriculum. I want it shown on Bunco/Bingo night, too, and anywhere else women gather. I realize this isn't our usual idea of socializing, but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think a little shock therapy is in order.


photo: Conferring over ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution at National Woman's Party headquarters, Jackson Place, Washington, D.C. Left to right: Mrs. Lawrence Lewis, Mrs. Abby Scott Baker, Anita Pollitzer, Alice Paul, Florence Boeckel, Mabel Vernon (standing, right).

It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy.

The doctor admonished the men: 'Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.'

Please, if you are so inclined, pass this on to all the women you know. We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by these very courageous women. Whether you vote democratic, republican or independent party - remember to vote.


photo: Helena Hill Weed, Norwalk , Conn. Serving 3 day sentence in D.C. prison for carrying banner, 'Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.'

The Obamas, John Legend & 35,000 Ohio State Students. Sun Oct 17.

Ah, my favorite story again:) Grabbed this from the OSU speech transcript:

Look, this is the same theory they have been peddling for years. And, Ohio, it is up to you to tell them we do not want what they are selling. We’ve been there before and we are not going back. (Applause.)

Let me -- I’ve been explaining to people around the country it’s as if they drove America’s car into the ditch. They drove it into the ditch, and it was a big ditch. And so I came along and Ted Strickland came along and we put on our boots and we went down into the ditch. And it was hot down there. And it was muddy. (Laughter.) There were bugs. (Laughter.)

But we said, that’s okay. Even though we didn’t drive it into the ditch, it’s still our responsibility to get that car out of the ditch. (Applause.)

And so we pushed and we pushed. And every once in a while, we’d look up. And up on the road, you’d see the Republicans standing there, fanning themselves. (Laughter.) Sipping on a Slurpee. (Laughter.) Having a latte. (Laughter.)

And we’d say, “Hey, why don’t you come down and help push a little bit, we need some help down here.” And they’d say, “No, that’s all right.” (Laughter.) They said, “But you need to push harder. You’re not pushing the right way.”

And we just kept on pushing. We kept on pushing. Finally we get this car up on level ground. It’s pointing in the right direction. We’re ready to move America forward. (Applause.) But the next thing we know, we get this tap on our shoulder, and we look back and who is it? It’s the Republicans. And they say, “We want the keys back.” (Laughter.) You can’t have the keys back. You don’t know how to drive! (Applause.)

Now, if you want, you can roll with us. (Laughter.) But you got to be in the back seat. (Applause.) I don’t know if you’ve noticed, if you want to take your car forward, you got to put it in what?

AUDIENCE: D!

THE PRESIDENT: In D. If you want to go backwards, it goes what?

AUDIENCE: R!

THE PRESIDENT: We don’t want to go backwards. We’re moving America forward. (Applause.)



Michelle & Barack's speeches:




John Legend's performance:

2010 Midterm Youth Debate set for Oct 31. Submit your Question by 8pm EST today.

The heads of the Democratic & Republican parties will answer the 7 questions Americans ages 13 - 35 choose as most important to them, to help them decide who and what they will vote for on Nov 2.

The parties' video responses will air side-by-side on Oct 31 here. The Democratic Party's response will come from Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine, and the Republican Party's response will come from Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele.

Have a question? You must submit your question by 8pm EST today (Wed Oct 20). The 7 questions posted on the website that get the highest number of votes will be posed to the parties.

The 2010 Midterm Youth Debate is produced by Anthony Tedesco of Portable Heroes, LLC.

A Conversation with Obama @ George Washington University

Earlier this week I blogged about the Obama Youth Forum that took place today @ George Washington University. Just watched the archived footage here.

The last segment, in which President Obama walks around the room, attempting to shake the hands of all 250 guests, made me cry:

A Conversation with President Obama on MTV

Please vote on Nov 2. If you are not yet registered to vote, then do so ASAP. The deadline has passed in many states, and in others is quickly approaching - in California where I live, your voter registration form must be postmarked by Monday.

Yes, I love Taylor Swift. She Votes! :)

Excerpt from this 2008 People Magazine piece:

The 18-year-old country star waited in line in Sumner County, Tenn., for an hour and a half on the last day of the state's early voting period. "I wasn't going to be able to vote on Nov. 4 because I'm going to be in L.A.," she explains. "But there wasn't a chance I was going to let this slip away."

"The line wrapped around the building," she laughs, "but I can honestly tell you that it was worth the wait. I felt like I really accomplished something special. It's like exercising – you think about it and you're like, 'Wow, there's going to be a long line, there's going to be a lot of effort involved,' but afterwards you feel so good."

While she wouldn't tell People who she voted for, I stumbled upon this earlier tonight. Skip to 2:24 minutes.