get out the #VOTE!

 get out the #VOTE!

what do we know about getting out the vote?
I know personal contact matters
peer pressure works
impress on people that they are voters, that this is part of their identity
invite people to ask for whatever help will make their voting easier – child care, transportation, information about where/when to go and what they might need to bring
information about where/how to register, and help to do that
make it fun with get out the #vote parties, after vote parties, strategy parties, community parties (“political parties” but the fun kind)
what else?

When we talk about threats to #democracy, it may seem some
philosophical argument without real daily life immediacy.
Think, though – we are talking about our long, hard, mortally
fought for rights: our ability to be who we are and demand more,
hope for better futures, power to speak our minds, to demand
our human dignity, our possibility to improve the background
rules we live by, to not be helpless against uncaring aristocrats
and ignorant mobs.

people make loud stands on social media, but if you really mean your fear and rage make sure you go out to the polls with people who need transportation or help navigating possible dangers; watch the poll watchers and intercede as prudent (also, ask around to find out what help people may need in your neighborhood to vote)

it seems to generally be the nonvoters that are the bulk of the electorate – abdication of democracy
perhaps because we don’t emphasize that voting is the minimum duty of citizens in a democracy
or perhaps because we who claim our great concern about how our nation is run are not doing our due diligence in getting out the vote – finding out what keeps people from voting and doing all we can to make it easier for them