If you’re American, or are aware of America’s power and global influence, then you’re likely quite concerned about the Tuesday, November 3rd election.
Hopefully, you’ve already voted or made your plan to vote.
But most likely, you’re still filled with anxiety—about the future, about the fate of American democracy, or about the innumerable problems that could pop up surrounding the election.
Trump is losing, he’s more afraid every day, and he’s trying to bully and cheat his way to victory. But now’s the time to bring it home and make sure that Joe Biden wins the election fair and square.
Whether or not you love Joe Biden, you can still take action to make sure that Joe and Kamala win with a landslide and Trump doesn’t pull any funny business like the weak and morally corrupt fear-mongerer that he is.
As Kamala Harris said, “Years from now, this moment will have passed. And our children and our grandchildren will look in our eyes and ask us: Where were you when the stakes were so high? They will ask us, what was it like? And we will tell them. We will tell them, not just how we felt. We will tell them what we did.”
Here are eight ways to take action in the days before the election.
Phonebank.
Making calls to voters is one of the most effective ways to make sure everyone who’s eligible votes. You would be surprised at how many people are still undecided or need an extra push to actually get out there. You can make calls for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris by signing up at https://joebiden.com/call/.
Flipping the Senate and making sure down-ballot Democratic candidates are victorious is also of paramount importance. Sunrise Movement is hosting dozens of phonebanks across the country. Learn how to plan your own phonebank or sign up for one here—each call features a training and plenty of help along the way.
You can also sign up to textbank and make sure everyone receives their 10+ texts from Joe, Jill, Kamala, and you each day. Directly contacting voters is the best way to reach them and actually shift the numbers of folks who show up.
Canvass.
In-person actions have been hard to safely manage this year, but if you’re prepared to travel while safely social distancing, groups are rallying to do some last minute, good old-fashioned door-knocking.
Pennsylvania may well decide this election, so between October 31 and November 3rd, groups are heading out full-force to door-knock across the state. Visit linktr.ee/PAVote to sign up, volunteer, or donate—they’re covering food, housing, and travel for in-person volunteers. (Or, you know, you could just use Tinder).
Attend a training and become a volunteer.
Lots of groups are offering trainings that can help you prepare for the upcoming weeks and months. Visit choosedemocracy.us to sign up for one. Election Defenders also has one last training on Thursday 10/29.
Election Protection is prepared to train you to volunteer to protect your fellow citizens’ voting rights. They offer live and online trainings that will give you everything you need to answer questions and assist voters at the polls.
There are so many ways to volunteer. For example, you could contact your election officials and get them to pledge to counting every vote.
Attend an action.
Mass nonviolent rallies will be happening all over the nation this week! On 11/2, Election Defenders will host a mass rally in celebration of election day.
On November 4th, Protect the Results will also be holding mass rallies around the country (a protest will be held at 502 W 41st St in NYC, FYI).
Join an organization.
There are hundreds of organizations rallying to elect Biden and to make sure the election is as fair as it can be. Check out this list of 20 groups you can volunteer with—the work is endless and waiting to be done, and this is the last week to do it before the most important election of our lifetimes. You might just meet some friends along the way.
For example, if youth movements are your thing, Count On Us offers a fantastic way to take tangible action. The group is a collaboration between March for Our Lives, Sunrise Movement, Dream Defenders, and United We Dream. By signing up on their website, you’ll receive information on checking your registration, finding your polling location, deadlines, and more.
In addition to organizing to beat Trump in a landslide, Count On Us is organizing to strike in massive numbers if Trump attempts to steal the election.
“We are the Dreamers who won protections for immigrants,” their website reads. “We are the kids who took on the NRA. Our generation made Black Lives Matter a national rallying cry and the Green New Deal a political priority. Donald Trump and his billionaire friends know they’re losing, so they are deliberately trying to tear us apart and convince us our voices don’t matter, distracting us as they try to steal the election. We are coming together to stop them.”
Donate.
Many organizations are working around the clock to make sure that voters are able to get to the polls safely. Voter disenfranchisement is a huge problem, but you can help change that.
For example, Spread the Vote is helping to provide food and PPE at polling places. Vote Save America offers ways to donate to various impactful campaigns in battleground states around the country. Or you could donate to specific key Senate races, like Susan Collins in Maine, John Hickenlooper in Colorado, Mark Kelly in Arizona, Cal Cunningham in North Carolina, and Theresa Greenfield in Iowa.
Do your research.
There’s a lot at stake in this election, and there’s a lot of misinformation going around. Many people are preparing for different scenarios that could occur election day and beyond.
This 55-page guide from Hold the Line is designed to help people get educated and take action to make sure the election is free and fair. This organizing guide from Count On Us will help you figure out how to take informed action. This presentation offers an in-depth guide to communicating and shaping narratives around the 2020 election. Be sure to do your own research and always cross-check sources.
Sign up.
Maybe you’re not up to fully committing to hitting the streets or going outside just yet. That’s ok: Just sign up for the email lists of any of the groups cited on this list, or text ORGANIZE to 43367 to hear about volunteer opportunities from Democrats.org, or make your own voting plan. Small actions come together to make big results, and every great change starts with a single step!
Recruit your friends and family.
One of the most impactful things you can possibly do to help elect Biden, Harris, and a Democratic Senate is reach out to your friends and family. Your immediate connections are far more likely to listen to you than they are to a stranger, and sometimes people really need some extra help getting out to the polls.
Text your friends in swing states and offer to help them host a voting party on election day. Remind your grandma and your cousins to vote, and ask them to remind three of their friends. Simply contacting others and using your existing networks is the best way to build power and spark change, not only in terms of the election but in general.
The work doesn’t end with the election, but it’s so important that we get this right in order to lay the foundation for real change.
Sign up to pledge to tell three friends to vote here!
Party.
If you’re ready to take recruitment to the next level, consider hosting a party or celebration. You’ll get to see your friends and family for once and the awkwardness of a random, unstructured Zoom meeting won’t even be there—also you’ll be protecting democracy etcetera.
The DNC website allows you to sign up to host your own event. You could also host a #VoteTogether event—for example, a #PartyAtThePolls—or be creative and gather your friends for an election action event. Even if you aren’t up to coordinating a party, just showing up at the polls with signs and visuals can help.
Of course, the most important thing to do is vote. Make sure you and your family are prepared to do it successfully. At this point, it’s safer to drop absentee ballots off in person than to mail them.
If you have any extra energy to spare this week, remember: What we do this week will affect the next four years and our lives for generations to come. So let’s reject cynicism and apathy, get organized, and mobilize.
