My friends, this is a dark hour. Intolerance, cruelty, racism, misogyny, xenophobia, and environmental destruction have been let loose across the land.
Trump controls the Republican Party, the Republican Party controls the House and Senate, and the Senate and Trump will soon control the Supreme Court.
Republicans also control both chambers in 32 states (33 if you count Nebraska) and 33 governorships. And in many of these states they are entrenching their power by gerrymandering and arranging to suppress votes.
Yet only 27 percent of Americans are Republican, and the vast majority of Americans disapprove of Trump. The GOP itself is now little more than Trump, Fox News, a handful of billionaire funders, and evangelicals who oppose a woman’s right to choose, gay marriage, and the Constitution’s separation of church and state.
So what are we – the majority – to do?
First and most importantly, do not give up. That’s what they want us to do. Then they’d have no opposition at all.
Second, in the short term, if you are represented by a Republican senator, do whatever you can to get him or her to reject Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, or, at the least, postpone consideration until after the midterm elections. Urge others to join with you. Senate switchboard: 202-224-3121
Fourth, don’t succumb to divisive incrimination over “who lost” the 2016 election (Hillary loyalists, Bernie supporters, Jill Stein voters, etc.). This will get us nowhere. We must be united.
Fifth, vote this November 6 for people who will stand up to the Trump Republican outrage. Mobilize and organize others to do so. Contact friends and relations in “red” states, and urge them to do the same.
Sixth, help lay the groundwork for the 2020 presidential election, so that even if Trump survives Mueller and impeachment he will not be reelected.
Finally, know that this fight will be long and hard. It will require our patience, our courage, and our resolve. The stakes could not be higher.
As
of April, 59% of U.S. adults who are eligible to vote are Gen Xers, Millennials
or “post-Millennials.” Yet if past midterm election turnout patterns hold true,
these younger Americans are unlikely
to cast the majority of votes this November.
Time to break the mold! This year, everyone votes!
The only (peaceful) way to keep Trump and the Republicans in check, is to vote.
Register to Vote and Confirm or Change Registration
If you’re not voting against these people then you’re voting for them. You can’t bitch about what Trump is doing to this country if you’re not even attempting to do something about it.
listen i say this every time i see a voting post, but if there’s a barrier that keeps you from physically voting (like, you go to college in a different place than your permanent address, you have work/school, you’re home with kids, you’re disabled, etc) YOU CAN GET A MAIL IN BALLOT.
It’s called “absentee voting”, and over half of states don’t even require any sort of documentation for you to get one. You can literally just. Request one.And then you can vote by mail ahead of time, saving yourself So. Much. Stress.
Oregon has mail in ballots for everyone, and we consistently have high voter turn out, which is why I spread this info, every chance I can.
Note: Also, technically your employer has to give you a couple hours off on election day if you’re working more than a certain number of hours, but losing paid hours isn’t an option for a lot of people. So get on that absentee request!
The Supreme Court just issues a ruling allowing Ohio and other states to purge voters from their election registration rolls due to their failure to cast a ballot in previous elections.
This is a major victory for the Trump administration and the GOP, and a direct consequence of the Supreme Court being stacked with more conservative judges (the votes were 5-4). This is also a huge part of what Trump/the GOP were counting on to save them in the 2018 midterm elections, which is where Democrats have been hoping to take back a majority in the House, giving them more power to combat Trump’s abuses of power and Republican legislation.
What this means is YOU CAN NOT ASSUME THAT YOU ARE REGISTERED for the 2018 elections, just because you SHOULD be. Thanks to this decision, red states can purge voters’ registration based on their not having cast a ballot in even just previous federal elections, NOT just the national Presidential elections. Effectively, if you haven’t voted in previous senate races or for congressional representatives in the past few years, that’s all they need now to say you’re no longer registered and need to register again.
They’re deliberately counting on people assuming they’re still registered and so not checking until after registration deadlines have passed, or showing up to vote this November and only then finding out they’re no longer registered, when its too late to do a damn thing about it.
And this is absolutely targeted at marginalized communities, low income voters, disabled voters, and basically anyone who simply can’t always AFFORD to keep on top of every federal election and show up to vote in every senate race, etc. Which not so coincidentally happen to be all the communities and voters who have the most to gain from Democratic victories in the 2018 midterms and are the least likely to cast votes for GOP candidates at this point.
This was absolutely a calculated effort aimed specifically at keeping the GOP in power with a majority control of the government come November, and unfortunately, it has a DAMN good chance of accomplishing just that if it goes by unacknowledged. I’m not looking to alarm or panic anyone, simply to say:
If you are a registered voter in a red state at this point, please please please do not take your registered status as assumed. Check on your registration status, look up all relevant voter registration deadlines for your state and district, CIRCLE THAT SHIT ON YOUR CALENDAR, and check your registration status AGAIN right before those deadlines pass, so you can be sure of it before its too late to do anything about it til the next voting cycle.
use vote.org to check your registration status. use the form, or scroll down to find the resources for the state you live in.
please do check! even if you think you are OK. even if you are not in Ohio. and please be aware of your state’s voter ID laws.
I am a poll worker in Pennsylvania, and if you haven’t voted in a certain period of time you do get asked for ID. I don’t like it but that’s the rule.
The largest political party in America isn’t the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. It’s the Party of Non-Voters.
94 million Americans who were eligible to vote in the 2016 election didn’t vote. That’s a bigger number than the number who voted either for Trump or for Clinton.
All of which means that voter turnout will determine who wins control of Congress next November, and who becomes president in 2020. Turnout is everything.
This is why it’s so important for you to vote – and urge everyone you know to vote, too.
The upcoming midterm elections are poised to be incredibly important for the future of our country. You need to vote in them–the primaries and the general.
Are you registered to vote? If you think you are, take a moment to check your registration well ahead of voting day. Make sure you know your voting dates, polling place, how to get an absentee ballot if you need one, and any ID requirements.
If you aren’t, register right now! Many states require registration before a deadline some time in advance of voting day, so don’t wait.
(Vote.org is reputable, but if you don’t want to use them, just Google “[state] voter registration” for information.)
And I don’t want to get too partisan on this post, but… if you have any reservations about voting for a “lesser evil,” get over them now. Our voting system requires strategic voting, and that sucks, but since it’s true, vote strategically! Vote your heart in the primaries, but in the general, vote for the lesser evil. It’s a hell of a lot better than sitting on the sidelines patting yourself on the back for purity while the greater evil wins.
California! Voter registration deadline for the primaries is MAY 21ST 2018. Get registered!
We all have a lot of local elections happening in 2018. Let’s clean house, folks.
I’ve seen this map before and it always makes me so fucking mad.
So. Mad.
This is why America needs the national popular vote.
The electoral college is a disaster
nice to know my vote is worth less than a vote in the least populous state in the union despite living in the country’s most populous city
Yeah, living in Texas is fun. My vote counts literally less than any other state. (And, given the winner takes all system, and voting blue, my vote actually doesnt count at ALL. Yaaaaaaay)
^ Texas is turning purple fast though, so keep voting, because our population is getting younger, more educated, and less white and it’ll come quicker than you think (maybe even this year if we show up for Beto O’Rourke and kick out Ted Cruz).
Texas’s general population favored Obama at a +5%, but because of our strict voting laws and decreasing accessibility of the means to vote (fewer DMVs and voting places in black and Latino areas for instance) means our voting population was at a -9% on Obama (same % Clinton lost by too).
So don’t get discouraged, we can beat them if we actually show up!
Get registered now. If you’re already registered, then help get someone else registered. Then double check your registration again, because Republicans are purging legally registered voters—mostly those with common “black” surnames—from voter rolls. And then make sure you vote in the midterm elections this November, because I guarantee you that all of the NRA “shall not be infringed” gun nuts will be voting.
It’s okay to make “not an NRA whore” your sole basis for deciding who to vote for. We need political representatives who will stop the gun-lickers more than we need purity on other (also important) issues. First things first: stop the slaughter of innocent children by the white men whom the NRA has been protecting.
Arkansas has 18 state Senate seats up for grabs this year, and voter registration for the primaries will end on Monday, April 23. The voter registration deadline for the November general election is Oct. 9.
The state primaries will be held on May 22, with a statewide runoff election held on June 19 for districts where candidates didn’t obtain a majority. Residents will also vote for their governor and four U.S. House of Representatives seats.
The state of Georgia will be cutting off voter registration on April 24 and the primary election will also be held on May 22. Residents have until Oct. 9 to register for the November general election.
Georgia allows voters to register online or check their registration here.
Idaho
The last day to pre-register for the state primaries in Idaho is April 20 and voter registration for the general election will reopen on May 16, the day after the state primary. Unlike some of the other states mentioned, however, Idaho allows residents to register on election day as well.
There are two U.S. House of Representative seats on Idaho’s ballot this year, along with the state governor election, 35 state Senate and 70 state House seats.
Idaho allows voters to register online or update their current registration here.
Indiana
Primary voting in Indiana will take place on May 8, so voters must be registered by an April 9 deadline. Registration will reopen for the general election on May 22, two weeks after the primary. If residents wish to participate in the November general, their registration will have to be in by Oct. 9.
Indiana allows voters to register online or check their registration here.
Kentucky
Kentucky’s voter registration deadline for the state primary is April 23, with the election taking place on May 22. Residents have until Oct. 9 to register for the November general election.
There are six U.S. House of Representative seats on the ballot in Kentucky this year, as well as 19 state Senate seats and all 100 of the state House seats.
Kentucky allows voters to register online and update their current registration here.
Nebraska
The deadline for voter registration in Nebraska is April 30, which is fairly generous since the primary election will be held on May 15. General election voters will have until Oct. 19 to fill out voter registration forms.
There is one U.S. Senate seat up for grabs in Nebraska, as well as three U.S. House of Representatives seats on the ballot. Residents will also vote for their governor and 24 state legislature seats.
Nebraska allows voters to register online and update their current registration here.
North Carolina
Voter registration in North Carolina will end on April 13 in preparation for the May 8 primary election. General election voters will have until October 12 to ensure that their registration is filed.
North Carolina voter registration forms can be printed out here.
Ohio
Ohio’s deadline for voter registration is April 9, a month before the May 8 primary election.
Residents will vote one U.S. senator into office as well as 16 representatives for the U.S. House. Voters will also have to decide on their state governor, 17 state Senate seats and all 99 of their state House representatives.
Ohio allows voters to register and update their current registration here.
Oregon
Voters in Oregon are required to register by April 24 in order to participate in the state’s primaries, which are held on May 15. Residents have until Oct. 16 to register for the state’s general election in November.
Oregon allows voters to register and update their current registration here.
Pennsylvania
State primaries will take place in Pennsylvania on May 15, so all residents who want to take part in the election have to register to vote by April 16.
This year’s primaries are especially vital for Pennslyvania since the state Supreme court forced officials to redraw the state’s congressional map. Judges agreed in a 5-2 decision this January that the previous map, drawn by state Republicans, “clearly, plainly and palpably” violated the state’s constitution to give the GOP an electoral advantage.
Pennslyvania voters will have to decide on one U.S. Senate seat and all 18 of the state’s U.S. House of Representative seats. Democrat Conor Lamb, who inched out a win in the state’s 18th congressional district in March’s special election, will be running for the House again in the newly drawn 17th district.
In addition to electing their federal representatives, residents will elect a governor, 25 of their state Senate seats and all 203 of their state House seats.
Pennslyvania allows voters to register and update their current registration here.
West Virginia
The deadline to register to vote in West Virginia’s state primaries is April 17, though residents have until Oct. 16 to sign up for the general election.
Voters will decide on one U.S. Senate seat and three U.S. House of Representative spots. There are also 17 state Senate seats up for grabs, and all 67 districts will have state House of Delegates seats on the ballot this year.
Another important note for West Virginia voters is that the state’s new voter identification law went into effect at the beginning of the year. While all voters should have been mailed a voter ID card, there are several forms of identification that will suffice.
Voters who fail to bring an acceptable ID will still be able to cast a provisional ballot, a spokesperson for the West Virginia Secretary of State office told HuffPost.
West Virginia allows voters to register and update their current registration here.
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