July 11 Newsletter

Join one of this month’s Super State Strategy Meetings

In a blue bubble? You still have power.

Markey to Speak at MetroWest Volunteer Summit

You’re a Massachusetts Democrat in a Blue Bubble. So, what can you do to help your country survive? Get the answer at the MetroWest Volunteer Summit on Monday, July 13 @ 7:00 pm.

Senator Ed Markey will offer a Washington perspective on why this is the most important election of our lifetimes. He’ll explore the challenges that every voter confronts this year. Other representatives from Maine, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania will talk about how those of us in Massachusetts can influence the outcome of some too-close races in their battleground states.

Sign up for the MetroWest 2020 Campaign Volunteer Summit
Monday, July 13 @ 7:00 pm
While advance registration is required, there is no charge.
This is not a fundraiser! We don’t want your money, we need YOU!

Maine

Primary Night Fundraiser with Maura Healey

Close out the primary and bring on November

Maine Primary on July 14 Sets Stage for the Battle for the Senate

Get out the vote before, watch and celebrate during, and get started after the Maine Primary.

Join the push: Let’s make another 50,000 calls to Maine before July 14.

RSVP for the Swing Left Maine Primary Night Fundraiser with Maura Healey.

November is coming!
The long jog toward Election Day is about to become a full sprint. On July 22, meet the winner: the Democratic nominee for the Maine Senate. Will it be Sara Gideon or Betsy Sweet?

Don’t miss this great chance to find out what your role will be in the next steps to flip Maine. Join us for Post-Primary Kickoff on Wednesday, July 22 @ 7:30 pm – 9 pm.

Florida

Get up-to-date news on the fight in Florida

Updates from the Field & Voter Protection Plans

Learn about the status of the vote-by-mail (VBM) campaign in Florida at our monthly meeting on July 15 @ 5:30 pm. You’ll hear about the threats to safe voting in the state, how the Florida Democratic Party is preparing to protect the vote, and how Massachusetts and other volunteers can help.

The keynote speaker is Mike Coleman, Chair of the FL 2020 Campaign and Vice-Chair of the Palm Beach County Democrats. Our own Matt Connolly, Boston based public-sector attorney, will talk about his working directly with the leadership of the Florida Democratic Party Voter Protection Department. Matt is organizing efforts to ensure a fair election in these challenging times, when Trump’s misleading propaganda about vote-by-mail and other voter suppression tactics are compounding the challenges posed by the pandemic.

Get in the know at this month’s Florida Strategy Call
on Wednesday, July 15 @ 5:30 pm.

Florida (cont.)

Broward County is central to the fight

Broward County VBM Campaign Launch

This week, SLGB and Together for 2020 are expanding the VBM campaign into Broward County. This progression builds upon campaigns in Sarasota and Palm Beach Counties.

Do you speak Spanish or Haitian Creole? If so, you can make a huge difference in Broward Country. We’re setting up Postcards-to-Go events in Spanish, Haitian Creole, and English. By hosting a Postcards-to-Go event, you’re giving Democrats a safe, easy way to register for VBM.

Learn more or sign up for a host orientation.

If you’re wondering about what it takes to be a phone bank captain, please contact Sue Donaldson.

Phone calls are a critical layer in the Swing Left Greater Boston strategy

Are You Missing Your Chance to Change the Outcome of the Election?

We use a layered approach to encourage vote by mail (VBM): a combination of postcard and letter writing, canvassing, and phone banking. Together, these methods create powerful results — enough to swing the election.

Phone banking is a crucial part of this formula. Maybe you’ve phone banked in the past, but haven’t done it lately. Or maybe you’ve always wondered about it, but haven’t tried. Perhaps you watched Rebecca’s Riccio’s video a couple of weeks ago but haven’t acted on it yet.

Now is the absolute best time to start phone banking. We’re calling voters in swing states to let them know about their options for voting by mail. VBM increases turnout in all demographic groups. This fall, with the pandemic, VBM will literally save lives by protecting the health of both voters and poll workers.

Here are some examples of our activists’ work:
In Maine, we’ve made 100,000 calls, and
we’re making a special push to add 50,000 more
before the July 14 primary.

In Florida, we’re making around 3,000 calls per week, and
we need your help to increase those numbers!

We’re just starting in other states, including North Carolina.

You won’t be a beginner for long!

Phone Banking for Beginners

Never made a call for a campaign? Nervous about managing a script or talking to strangers? Then you’ve come to the right place. We’re holding a Phone Banking for Beginners training on Sunday, July 12 @ 4:30 pm.

We’ll walk through the script in detail, practice scenarios that may occur while calling, and answer all your questions as they come up. All you’ll need is a laptop, battery/charger, phone, headphones, and pen and paper.

Face your fears and change the course of the November election:
RSVP for Phone Banking for Beginners
Sunday, July 12 @ 4:30 pm

Then come to any of these great events:
Thursday Weekly Pep Talk and Phone Bank Parties
Every Thursday @ 6 pm – 8 pm

Phone Party to Flip Florida!
Monday, July 13 @ 6 pm – 8:00 pm

Pennsylvania Phone Bank
Wednesday, July 15 @ 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm

A call for Biden is a call against Trump

Phone Banking for Biden

As summer literally steams along, we’re continuing to support a Biden victory in November. The campaign is hiring staffers and pivoting to a general election strategy.

For the next few weeks, Swing Left Greater Boston for Biden phone banks will be coordinating closely with MA for Biden’s push for in-state volunteer recruitment. Building our volunteer base is a superb use of our time and will set us up for more hands on deck later in the summer and fall.

Join us Saturday or Thursday afternoon as we call our fellow Dems
and/or plug into any of Biden’s MA-based phone banks.

If you’d like to engage with Team Biden in another way, fill out the
BFP (Biden for President) Volunteer Slack Form.

Don’t let schedules and geography limit you. There’s a way for you to help every day, and all events are virtual.

New Justice, Equity, and Inclusion Working Group	Swing Left Greater Boston has recently formed a new group to foster an anti-racist organizational structure and culture and build a more just and equitable environment for all. The working group welcomes ideas, feedback, and new voices from any activist group. Please join us. We meet every Friday at 11:00 am.
Indivisible-MA Book Club	Read all about it! This month, the book club — started by members of Indivisible-MA — is reading How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X Kendi. To join the discussion, sign up for the Indivisible-MA’s Slack workspace and visit the #racial-justice channel. “See” you on Wednesday, July 29.
Add Your Voice to the 2020 Platform	Here’s an exciting opportunity to record a video for the Democratic National Convention. Submit your official 2020 Democratic Party Platform comment by sharing the issues and beliefs that tell the story of who we are as a party.

Swing Left Greater Boston

Swing Blue Alliance

Volunteer