October’s Activist Homework

THE ISSUES:

Every House seat and a third of the Senate are on the ballot this year, along with local races that directly shape our day-to-day lives. Election day is November 3, and this month is about doing everything possible to help pro-democracy candidates win. 

 

THE ACTIONS:

1. Mail the postcards you’ve been working on
2. Plan your ballot with Blue Voter Guide
3. Double check your voter registration status

TOTAL TIME: 1 Hour

Action 1: Mail your postcards

Step 1: Find your postcards

  • Locate the postcard packet you received when you signed up through Turnout PAC. It has the number of postcards you are expected to write and the addresses to write to.

Step 2: Write your postcards (if you haven’t already!)

  • Use the script or talking points included in your packet.

Step 3: Buy postcard stamps

Step 4: Mail your postcards by your assigned state’s deadline

  • Your mail-by date is either October 12 or October 14, depending on which state your postcards are addressed to. Check our post for the full state breakdown, or the instructions in your packet if you’re not sure which date applies to your state.

Action 2: Plan your ballot with BlueVoterGuide.org

Before November 3, find out what’s on your ballot. You may be voting for your school board, city council, judges, and sheriff, plus local laws. These choices affect your schools, rent, streets, and police, but we often don’t know the values behind our choices on the ballot. The quickest way to find out is to see who supports them. BlueVoterGuide.org shows every choice on your ballot and which groups support each one. It’s free and works in all 50 states. How to use it:

  1. Type your full street address and ZIP code. Your ZIP code alone is not enough. (Your address is not saved or shared.)
  2. Pick your address from the list and click to build your guide.
  3. Look at each choice on your ballot and see who supports it.
  4. Print your guide or save it on your phone. In many states, you can bring it with you when you vote.
Vanessa Vote

Action 3: Check your voter registration:

 

Registration deadlines close in many states between October 4 and October 24, though a handful of states allow registration through Election Day itself. It takes about two minutes to confirm your registration is current, especially if you’ve moved or changed your name.

Check registration status


Last Month's Activism

 

Last month, you called your senators to oppose voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements in the $95 billion reconciliation package. The bill passed the House 216–214 but is now stalled in the Senate. That’s progress, but these provisions can resurface in other legislation, making this November’s elections especially important.

6 Facts To Give You Hope

  1. Democrats lead Republicans 51%–43% among likely voters on the generic congressional ballot. 
  2. Donald Trump’s approval rating is 38% among likely voters, while 58% disapprove. The September 15 New York Times/Siena poll found his approval rating at its lowest point of his second term.
  3. New York City reached a $131.5 million settlement with DoorDash over underpayments affecting more than 260,000 delivery workers. More than $115 million will go directly to workers.
  4. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed a Republican budget proposal that she said included more than $600 million in tax breaks and could remove up to 200,000 Arizonans from healthcare coverage. 
  5. California is accelerating independent oversight of frontier AI companies. A September executive order directs experts to develop recommendations for independent safety verification and an emergency “kill switch” for frontier models. 
  6. Together California opened its new foster care village in Palmdale this month. The village includes 12 homes designed to keep sibling groups together.
View Past Calls To Action