Stopping the Coup Guide :: Resources/ Background information |
Welcome to a curated, non-inclusive but representative, collection of resources to support action in this time of political uncertainty during the 2020 election process in the USA. DISCLAIMER: This is not a comprehensive collection of resources, rather an attempt to support further research or work in several relevant topic areas. The information presented here should be paired with other work and adapted to meet your local context as appropriate. |
Official Election Calendar Info 2
Scenario Thinking Resources/Articles 3
Stolen Election Action and Campaign Theory 3
Other Useful Election Strategy Resources 4
Building a Community Legal Support Team 4
Resources for Resisting Federal Repression 4
Resources for Undocumented Protestors 4
AntiOppression/Bias Awareness/Intersectional Cultural Support 5
People Power - Political Defiance - Nonviolent Direct Action Planning + Support 5
Action Street Smarts and Safety Checklists/Handouts 6
Resources For Process, Group Organization And Decision Making 7
Mental Emotional Physical Health 8
Resources for Specific Constituencies 9
Links to Groups/Work Already Happening 9
Official Election Calendar Info
- INFOGRAPHIC: Key Dates (ShutDownDC/P. Young)
- Election Deadlines:
- When you need to apply for and submit your mail-in ballot in every US state (Business Insider)
- VOPP: Table 7: When States Mail Out Absentee Ballots
- Elections calendar from Ballotpedia
- The Electoral College: A 2020 Presidential Election Timeline
- 2020 General Election Early Vote Statistics
- Tracking Absentee Votes in the 2020 Election NYTimes
- VOPP Table 16: When Absentee/Mail Ballot Processing and Counting Can Begin NCSL
Scenario Thinking Resources/Articles
General/Overview Analysis
- What’s the worst that could happen? (violence — and a constitutional crisis) --Washington Post
- Report on November Election Scenarios -- Transition Integrity Project/Washington Post
- The Voter Suppression infographics -- ACLU
- Where and How Election Chaos Will Play Out This Fall -- Patrick Young
- Why Trump will appear to win big on election night -- Bloomberg
- The Voting Will End Nov. 3. The Legal Battle Probably Won’t -- New York Times
- ‘It’s insanity!’: How the ‘Brooks Brothers Riot’ killed the 2000 recount in Miami -- Washington Post
- Will Trump leave office if defeated?-- VOX
- A November Nightmare Part I: What If Mailed Ballots Are Never Counted? -- Harvard Review
- What if Trump Won’t Leave - Frances Fox Piven and Deepak Bhargava (Intercept)
- Interview of Lawrence Douglas - author of “Will He Go?” -- VOX
- “Preparing for a November Surprise” -- (expert analysis on violence and alternatives)
- How Donald Trump Could Steal The Election in Wisconsin -- Protect your Election
- Security Experts Describe “Nightmare” Scenarios -- NYT
- The Law That Could Allow Trump to Shut Down the Internet -- Forbes (from 2016)
- President Declines to Commit to PeacefulTransfer of Power -- ABC NEWS
- Inside Trump's War on the Vote -- Third Way
- On Paramilitarism, Disappearances, Fascism, and Civil War-- El Enemigo Común
Stolen Election Action and Campaign Theory
- Election Red Alert -- All Hands on Deck -- Medium
- Election Protection “Trifecta” Action Guide -- Wasserman and grassrootsep.org
- “10 things you need to know to stop a coup” -- Daniel Hunter
- Consider this a Dress Rehearsal for November: Here's How We Can Respond -- DAILY KOS
- ChooseDemocracy.US Organizing platform, pledge to take action, etc
- What will it take to defend the election? Here's one winning strategy -- George Lakey
- Hold the Line Guide
- The Anti-Coup (2003) by Gene Sharp and Bruce Jenkins
- Training Manual for Nonviolent Defense Against the Coup d’État -- Richard K. Taylor
- Civil Resistance Against Coups Stephen Zunes
- What If Trump Refuses to Give Up the Presidency? -- Huertas
Other Useful Election Strategy Resources
- Interactive Map of swing states -- 270towin.com
- Nine Critical Counties -- Patrick Young/ShutDownDC
- Fair Fight -- Stacy Abrams
- Issues in battleground states.
Legal Support
Building a Community Legal Support Team
- Tool Kits and Tip Sheets -- Law4 Black Lives
- Best Practices for Jail Support -- Mutant Legal
- Building a Jail support team -- Midnight Special
- Jail Support Form -Rosehip Medic Collective
- List of Bail Funds for Protestors across the Country
Resources for Resisting Federal Repression
- Know Your Right During Covid -- NLG
Resisting Grand Jury Info
- What you should know about Grand Juries -- Indybay
- Grand Jury Resistance Project -- (No longer active, but good info)
Resources for Undocumented Protestors
- Safety Tips for Undocumented Protesters -- United We Dream
General Legal Thoughts
- What Have You Done For Justice Today? -- Midnight Special Law Collective
- Protests & Public Safety:A Guide for Cities & Citizens -- Constitutional Protest Guide
- A Conversation on Political Violence, Extremism and American Democracy -- Webinar
- Trump has been prosecuting protesters since the day he took office -- Washington Post
Federal Defense Hotline
Legal Groups
- Voting Rights Project
- Civil Liberties Defense Center
- Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights -- hotline to call for problems at the polls.
- ProtectDemocracy.org
Organizing/Campaign Support
AntiOppression/Bias Awareness/Intersectional Cultural Support
- The Elements of Creating Collective Space -- Southerners On New Ground (SONG)
- Undoing Oppressions Resources -- Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT)
- Skin in the Game -- Eric Ward's piece
- Talking White Supremacy Flyer -- Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ)
- Being An Ally -- SONG
- Creating a culture that helps white people take strategic and effective anti-racist action as a part of multiracial movements -- Catalyst
People Power - Political Defiance - Nonviolent Direct Action Planning + Support
- The Path of Most Resistance: A Step-by-Step Guide to Planning Nonviolent Campaigns Ivan Marovic
Action Street Smarts and Safety Checklists/Handouts
- Pre-During-Post Action Check List -- Beautiful Trouble
- Assertive Intervention/De-escalation Tips -- Beautiful Trouble
- Action Street Smarts & Personal Prep -- Beautiful Trouble
Tactical Resources
- The Disruption Project -- detailed advice and case studies about organizing direct action.
- Ruckus Tiny Blockade Booklet
- Action Resources -- Collection on Organizing for Power
- The Action Strategy Guide -- Ruckus
- Ecodefense: A Field Guide to Monkeywrenching
- BeautifulTrouble.org
- BeautifulRising.org
- Arts Organizing -- 350.org
- Artivist Guide: How to Organize an Art Build -- 350.org
Action Support Specifics
- COMMS (More link forthcoming)
- MEDIC
- MEDIA (More links forthcoming)
- Mutual Aid
- BirdDogging
Resources For Process, Group Organization And Decision Making
- Decision Making
- Short guide to consensus decision making -- Seeds for Change
- The Spokescouncil: A decision-making process for large groups -- Seeds for Change
- Consensus Flow Chart Example -- Takoma Park Mobilization
- Affinity Groups
- How to Form Affinity Groups booklet -- Organizing for Power.org
- Hand out on Affinity Groups
- Facilitation
- Anti-Oppressive Facilitation Guide -- AORTA
- Leading Culture and Systems Change: How to Develop Network Leadership and Support Emerging Networks -- Network Weaver
Dealing with Threats
We’ve developed a more compete separate guide on dealing with threats:
Dealing With Threats-- From Assessment To (Re)Action; Digital To Physical
Mental Emotional Physical Health
- Finding steady ground -- Handbook
- Street Somatics: Tips for Regulating During Uprisings -- Prentis Hemphill
- Grounded Breathing practice -- Teresa P Mateus
- Emotional Freedom Technique -- Geleni Fontaine
- Heart over Head practice -- Teo Drake
- Healing Resources for BIPOC Organizers & Allies Taking Action for Black Lives -- Healing Justice
- Mindfulness -- Coming to the TABLE
- Embedded self care and body hack guide
- Resource Library International Resource database -- #MeToo Movement
- Survivors Agenda Resource Page
Protest Music
- ‘There’s An Awakening Going On’: Inside The Protest Music Explosion -- Billboard
- Bernice Johnson Reagon on leading songs during Civil Rights Movement
- We Rise: A Movement Songbook -- Poor People’s Campaign
- The Revolution Has Come -- Reverend Sekou & The Holy Ghost
- Songs for Good: 2020 Challenge Songwriting Contest
- Janelle Monáe - Turntables [Emotion Picture]
Resources for Specific Constituencies
Religious/Spiritual
- Online Nonviolence Training -- CPT
- Votewell -- CTZN Well
Unions (More links forthcoming)
Media (More links forthcoming)
Students
- Alliance for Youth Action -- engaging the youth vote in key states
- 7 Ways to Get Involved in the 2020 Election If You’re Under 18 -- Teen Vogue
- How to be a Poll Worker -- Poll Hero
Federal Workers
Links to Groups/Work Already Happening
- Protect the Results - Fighting to Protect the Results of the 2020 Election
- Frontline -- Movement for Black Lives, Working Family Party, United We Dream
- ShutDownDC -- DC Based Action Council
- Grassroots Emergency Election Protection Coalition
- TheDisruptionProject.org -- Resources on Direct Action and Disruption
- Choosedemocracy.us
- 866-Our-Vote -- coalition providing solid voter education in the face of mis- and disinformation.
- Black Voices Change Lives -- NAACP organized effort to help get black people to the polls
- VoteSave America -- good resources, especially about poll workers.
- Fair Fight -- tracks voter intimidation, ensures ballot access, voter counting, and registration.
- Alliance for Youth Action -- engaging the (all important) youth vote in key states.
- Power to the Polls -- focuses on poll worker recruitment and amplification of the recruiting effort.
- Vote Climate- Greenpeace
- Junkipedia : centralized collection of problematic content
- How do I vote in My State?
- We Count On Us
- The Count Guide
Groups Offering Trainings
- Frontline
- BlackOUT Collective
- ShutDownDC
- ChooseDemocracy.us
- Christian Peacemakers Team
- Beautiful Trouble
- Climate Disobedience Center
- Center for Popular Democracy