By the time we meet for our June Community Gathering, both the PA and NJ 2018 primaries will be in the history books. Congratulations those who will officially be on the November ballots, and a heartfelt thank you to all who took the time to run a clean campaign and to your supporters. Now, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and work hard to GET OUT THE VOTE (GOTV) to flip the House and Senate in November, and to elect those whose values are aligned with the basic tenets of Democracy and the moral mission of government.
We can’t stress strongly enough – every vote counts. We are confident that you will be among those who show up to the polls, but we also need your help to encourage and activate voters whose passions or knowledge may not be as deep as our own.
In the PA primary, for example, efforts by Indivisible LNH and others netted a turnout in New Hope of about 30% overall, and a bit over 30% for registered Democrats. While Helen Tai received the lion’s share of the votes in New Hope for the special election, it was only 96 votes that pushed her into the winners column and a seat in Harrisburg. The good news: over 100,000 more Democrats than Republicans turned out to vote in the PA primary.. Note: Helen Tai will also be running again in November – she won the election to fill the seat through December. Now we need to win again to keep her there.
What’s next for GOTV? Efforts are already underway and we need your help! The entire House is up for grabs this year, and in NJ our own CD7 is one of the seats that needs to be flipped. Unfortunately, the seat held by NJ Senator Robert Menendez (D) is also currently seen as high risk of being flipped. In PA there are more big races: Senator Bob Casey, Governor Tom Wolfe, candidate for House Scott Wallace.
Come and learn! The June 10 Community Gathering will include a representative from Blue Wave NJ, an organization very similar to Invisible LNH, but with 12 years of experience working on GOTV, advocacy and education on critical issues and community mobilization. Come and learn!
Volunteer! GOTV needs you – voter registration, phone and text banking, canvassing, hosting. Get involved with a campaign. Be creative! To volunteer with Indivisible Lambertville-New Hope’s GOTV team – contact the following:
In NJ – Mary Jane Legere – legere2@comcast.net
In PA – Ali Glickman – namealig@gmail.com
Kristen Donnelly – kristencdonnelly@gmail.com
Ways to GOTV
Bring your friends to the polls!Text 10 friends and remind them to VOTEChange your profile pic to Vote image w Election Day DateCheck-in on FB that you voted on Election DayPost pic of yourself wearing your I Voted stickerDay of election post the # were you at the polls today or ask people to comment the # they were at their polling locationPublicize Vote By Mail w link to applicationPublicize the vote in person hours at county clerk officePublicize lesser known local and county candidates w link to their FB page and websitePut up a lawn sign or help post signs along busy public roadsDuring rush hours get a group together and stand holding signs reminding people it’s election day!Host an Election Day Party: Invite people to come by after voting!Canvass or make phone calls for a candidate who is advocating for your valuesHost or Attend a Meet & Greet for a candidate you believe inDonate $ to a candidate or organization that is encouraging people to voteCarry around Vote By Mail applicationsRegister votersPut up a VOTE signPost a reminder to VOTE on Facebook and tag your friendsVolunteer to help out a campaign officeBake goodies for volunteers helping to GOTV