“No Regrets” Guide to Taking Effective Action in the 2020 Election 🗳
Last updated 11/16/2020. Feedback or suggestions? Email me! Want additional guides & tips to be a resilient social change leader? Sign up here!
WAHOO!!! WE DID IT!!! 🎉 🥂
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of people like you, Trump becomes one of only 3 one-term presidents in the past 100 years, and the first president to lose the popular vote twice in a row. With 306 electoral votes, we defeated him in a landslide. We fucking did it ya’ll.
🍑We still have a fighting chance to take back the U.S. Senate! Here are my top guides to plug-in in Georgia:
Swing The Senate! A Guide to Getting Out the Vote in Georgia from Radical Support Collective
Daniela’s List: Help Win GA from Home
👋 I’m so glad you made it here! I’m Daniel. I’m a coach for social change leaders and an organizer within progressive social movements. I’ve been very involved in the Bernie 2020 campaign and the Sunrise Movement and currently and a full-time Field Organizer in North Carolina.
I wrote this guide because I want to empower as many people as possible to make a contribution you will be proud of in the 2020 election.
This guide is for you if you want to wake up on November 4th without regrets. You want to know that you did your part to ensure we defeat Trump decisively and create the political conditions for progressive victories in 2021 and beyond by retaking control of the U.S. Senate and state legislatures.
If you’re overwhelmed and holding back from taking action, this guide will quickly and easily help you find meaningful, strategic ways to plug in.
Table of Contents:
- Tips for engaging in 2020 with clarity, focus, ease and grace.
- Key Terms
- Deciding How to Plug-In
- Top Opportunities to Mobilize Voters
- Top Opportunities to Protect The Vote **New Resources added!**
- Leadership Development and Training Opportunities
- Want a Job in the 2020 election?
- Getting additional Support
- Make sure YOU are registered to vote!
My tips for engaging in 2020 with clarity, focus, ease and grace
- Find your political home
Take action regularly & consistently, with the same group over time. By engaging with the same group or organization in an ongoing way, you’ll gain skill and ease in using their system. You’ll ideally meet people and have a sense of community as you organize. Rather than spending energy researching new ways to plug in every week, you’ll know what to do. Take time upfront to explore different opportunities, and once you find one you like, stick with it!
- Take small, sweet steps
Bring ease to taking action by breaking things down into small, doable, enjoyable action steps. Want to find an org to work with? Spend 15 minutes researching! Want to phone bank? Sign up for 1 hour to start, to get the ball rolling! By taking action you’ll experience momentum, which will make it easier to keep going.
- Stay rooted in your vision while you take action
While it is important to know what we’re fighting against, it is vital that you’re clear about your “why.” What is the positive vision of the future you want to see, that engaging in the election will help bring about? What is most important to you about engaging? Seeing your vision clearly will help you rise above the fear and hesitancies that come with taking action. Not sure what your vision is? Take 30 minutes to complete this creating your personal vision writing activity!
- Sign up for a specific action item, NOT endless email lists
Signing up for a phone bank shift, mass call or training will feel much more empowering than getting endless emails. Don’t get lost in the email deluge! Much better to sign up for something specific you can do, and put it in your calendar, than spend hours reading emails from every org.
- Volunteer with an organization, rather than a candidate (most of the time)
Unless there is a specific candidate whose values and vision you deeply resonate with, I suggest you volunteer with an organization that does electoral work. I suggest great ones below. By finding an organization whose values you align with, you can pour your heart and whole self into the organizing - rather than fretting that you don’t love a specific candidate or campaign. If there IS a specific candidate you love and want to see win, great! Check out their website for volunteer opportunities.
- Give what you Can
You don’t need to give tons of time to make a difference. As little as 30 minutes/week can add up over time. And if you have a lot of time and passion, don’t be afraid to treat electoral organizing as a part or full-time job! Be real with yourself and assess how much time you realistically can give - and don’t overextend yourself! Campaigns might try to move you up a ladder of engagement, asking you to do more and more. It is ok to say no! Give what you can, even if it is less than asked by a staff, knowing that you’re contributing what is authentically yours to contribute. Ask for the support you need from friends, family and your community, they’ll be glad you asked.
- Do what you love
There are lots of ways to engage in the election. Love talking to people? Make phone calls! Love writing? Do letter writing. Choose opportunities based on what you’ll genuinely enjoy.
😮 Never done electoral organizing before? Start here!
Electoral organizing at heart is about having authentic, human conversations with others about their values, vision and dreams for the better world we want to live in. It can be hard work, but also deeply rewarding and fun. Most electoral organizing in 2020 involves calling or texting people using software that makes it easy. Depending on what organization you’re volunteering with, you might be persuading registered voters to support a specific candidate, calling supporters to give them critical information about how to vote safely in the COVID-era, or calling people to invite them to volunteer.
The specifics depend on which organization or campaign you’re volunteering with and when in the campaign cycle you are. Typically campaigns first identify supporters, than try to persuade people who are undecided, and several weeks before the election move to a Get Out The Vote (GOTV) phase, where they contact known supporters and ensure that they turn out to vote. In the COVID era, with many people voting by mail or doing early voting, Get Out the Vote starts as early as late September!
🙌 Key terms
Swing state: A state with a competitive race. For the Presidential race, key swing states include Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Arizona, and Florida. To win a Democratic majority in the Senate, we’re competing in tight races in North Carolina, Colorado, Maine, Arizona, Montana, Iowa, Georgia, Alabama and Michigan.
Phone and/or text banking: Signing up for a shift where you and other volunteers call or text a list of voters at the same time, following a script. When you sign up for a phone bank or text bank shift you’ll be given specific directions for what to say to the voter and all the resources you need. You’ll usually also be using an app or software that automatically places phone calls for you from a phone number that isn’t your own.
Relational organizing: Organizing people you already know to support a candidate and helping them make a plan to vote. For instance, talking to your friends, family, neighbors and colleagues and persuading them to vote for Democrats and making sure their voice is counted. Research shows relational organizing can be up to 10 times more effective than calling strangers. I love this method of organizing! Some organizations and campaigns have incredible relational organizing programs, where you are given special software, training and support for how to effectively map your relationships and then organize those people to vote. Highly suggested.
Canvassing: Talking to voters in person. Either going door-to-door and talking to specific people on a list, or talking with anyone who passes by in a public place such as a college campus or farmers market. Given the pandemic, most groups are relying more on phone and text banking. Some orgs are doing in-person canvassing with social distance protocols in place. You do NOT need to talk to people in-person to play an important role in this election, but if you’re willing to take the risk and an org needs volunteers near you, you might consider this option.
🤔 Deciding How to Plug-In
Now, you must decide what you’ll do. By making a clear choice, you’ll free yourself up from researching -- which we tend to over-do -- and focus on doing instead. Taking action might be a bit more uncomfortable at first, but definitely more fulfilling in the long run! Spend 10% of your time researching and 90% doing.
Take 3-5 minutes now to reflect on these questions:
- What method of volunteering would I enjoy doing? Phonebanking? Texting voters? Writing letters? Registering voters in person?
- Is it important to me to focus on a specific state or community? Or, am I willing to volunteer anywhere?
- Is there a specific candidate I’m very excited about and want to see win, or do I just generally want to see Trump and senate republicans defeated?
- How much time each week can I volunteer? 1 hour? 2-4 hours? 5+?
- Can I volunteer in my free time, or would it work best for me to have a paid organizing job?
- Do I have the financial resources to donate to a campaign and/or organization?
Now, use this flowchart to help guide you, and read about the incredible organizations mentioned below!
Can’t see the image on your phone? View it here!
🎯 Top Volunteer Opportunities To Mobilize Voters
People’s Action
Mission: National network of 41 state & local grassroots power-building organizations united in fighting for justice. “Join us in our joyous rebellion!”
Types of Races: Presidential, Senate, House, State Legislature.
Methods of volunteering: Phone banking (including deep canvassing), text banking, vol recruitment calls.
Why I recommend: Deep canvassing approach proven to be 100x more effective than traditional voter contact. Strong social justice values and progressive stances. Lots of varied volunteer opportunities across the U.S.
✅ Sign up to volunteer with People’s Action here to make calls or send text to key swing states!
Swing Left
Mission: Transform our government in 2020 by winning all the Houses—including the White House, the Senate, and the state houses key to rolling back Republican gerrymandering.
Races they focus on: White House, Senate, State Legislatures.
Methods of Volunteering: Phone-banking, Text-banking, letter writing, fundraising for candidates.
Why I recommend: Very strategic org focusing on the most critical races. Culture of empowerment and support. Well organized operation. Many methods of plugging in! Offers 1:1 chats with organizers to help you find your place.
✅Get involved with Swing Left here!
Seed The Vote
Mission: Defeat Trump, Build Our Movements
Types of Races: Presidential
Methods of volunteering: In-person canvassing in Arizona and Pennsylvania, phone banking
Why I recommend: They partner with grassroots organizations rooted in working class communities and communities of color in battleground states who know the most effective ways to organize to make sure your volunteer hours make an impact. Check out their in-person canvassing operation in Arizona and Pennsylvania that welcomes out-of-state volunteers!
✅ Sign up to travel to Arizona or Pennsylvania to knock doors
✅ Sign up here to volunteer remotely making calls!
Resistance Labs
Mission: “We leverage technology and our army of passionate, remote volunteers to help progressives run and win everywhere.”
Types of Races: Varied. They do all sorts of texting for progressive organizations and candidates, such as GOTV, vote by mail, voter registration, and invites to virtual events and town halls. They are currently filling texting shifts for Black Votes Matter, Detroit Action, Turnout 2020 and Census Counts.
Methods of volunteering: Text banking!
Why I recommend: Great intro training, innovative approach, partners with really cool orgs, will skill you up quickly.
✅ Get trained and volunteer to be a Resistance Labs texter here!
Vote Save America “Adopt a State” program
Mission: Channel volunteers around the country to do voter contact in key swing states. You “adopt” a state and get a weekly virtual volunteer opportunity for that state.
Types of Races: Presidential.
Methods of volunteering: Phone and text banking.
Why I recommend: They have partnered with really great local orgs in swing states, a huge plus. Channels energy to where it’ll do the most good with highly targeted volunteer opportunities. Easy and simple to sign up. Great trainings and resources from them here.
✅ Adopt a State here (enter your email to get a call to action!)
Changing the Conversation Together
Mission: Changing the Conversation Together (CTC) is an organization of concerned citizens building a national corps of deep canvassers. Deep canvassing is a form of voter engagement where canvassers connect to voters emotionally through storytelling, empathy, and respect. It’s also the most effective form of voter engagement that’s ever been measured.
Types of Races: Presidential in Pennsylvania.
Methods of volunteering: Phone calls and - for those who agree to adhere to CTC's rigorous Safety First protocols - in person canvassing in eastern PA.
Why I recommend: You'll get trained in deep canvassing (for in-person or on the phone), a way to talk to people that's all about forming a personal connection first and is very useful for many kinds of campaigns. Pennsylvania voters are critical to this election, so this is a good opportunity to learn from an organization pioneering a skill/approach that many electoral campaigns don't have the time to use.
✅ Find a virtual info session, canvass session, or opportunities to support tech & logistics here!
Sunrise Movement Phone Bank for Green New Deal Champions
Mission: Sunrise is a movement of young people to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process. Right now they are working to elect progressive Green New Deal and racial justice champions to congress.
Types of Races: Progressive congressional candidates.
Methods of volunteering: Phone banking, relational organizing, postcard writing.
Why I recommend: Strong sense of community and high-quality training at the beginning of each shift. Focusing on competitive races where progressive victories will make a huge difference in what we can pass in 2021. Well-organized and FUN!
✅ Sign up here to write postcards to young swing state voters!
The Carolina Federation
Mission: The Carolina Federation is a multiracial movement building progressive political power for Black, Brown and working class people. We take action together at the ballot box and beyond to win a government that works for all of us.
Types of Races: U.S. Senate, state level offices in NC.
Methods of Volunteering: Phone banking, in-person canvassing in Durham NC, texting
Why I Recommend: Focus on engaging low-frequency voters and POC voters. Highly strategic focus on key NC Senate race. I’m personally working full time as a field organizer here, and can vouch for the entire team!
✅Sign up here to volunteer with The Carolina Federation
🗳 Top Organizations Working to Uphold Voting Rights
NEW: Become a Poll Observer with DSCC
Mission: The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) works to elect Democrats to the Senate across the U.S. They are looking for folks to staff voter protection hotlines, volunteer as poll observers, and sign up to be election workers during Early Vote and on Election Day. It's critical that we keep elections fair, safe, and secure, and that means ensuring voters have accurate information and informing them about their rights.
✅ Fill out this form and they’ll connect you directly with one of the key battleground states! Training provided, no prior experience or expertise needed.
NEW: Become a Poll Observer with the Biden/Harris Campaign
Mission: The Biden/Haris team is also looking for volunteers to staff voter protection hotlines, volunteer as poll observers, and sign up to be election workers during Early Vote and on Election Day.
Choose Democracy
Mission: This is the group working to organize people to take to the streets if Trump refuses to leave office or is falsifying election results. “That’s why we are committing now to choose democracy: by voting, making sure all the votes are counted, and preparing to take the streets in the case of a coup.”
How to get involved: Take the Choose Democracy pledge and then sign up for a training. Read their resources on how to prevent a coup.
Protect The Results
Mission: “We are building a coalition of voters ready to mobilize if Donald Trump refuses to accept the results of the 2020 presidential election.”
How to Get Involved: Pledge to take action if Trump refuses to accept the results.
Fair Fight
Mission: To promote free and fair elections by fighting voter suppression efforts, particularly against people of color. They defend people’s right to vote through litigation, legislation and grassroots activism and organizing.
How to Get Involved: Sign up to volunteer, and donate if you can!
Power to the Polls
Mission: To stop the poll worker shortage by getting younger people to work at the polls!
How you can support: You can learn more and sign up to become a poll worker (many states pay!) here.
💪 Leadership Development and Training opportunities
You do not need to be a trained professional activist or organizer to make an impact in the 2020 elections! You do not need extensive training or fancy certificates. You can make an impact right now with what you already have by getting involved with one of the organizations above. Given how close we are to the election I suggest you sign up for a shift with an organization above. They will train you!
However, you may want to play a bigger leadership role and/or shift focus in your life to be more politically active in general. In that case, additional training and leadership development opportunities may interest you. If you’re like me and love learning, do not sign up for a bunch of courses instead of doing actual organizing work between now and November!!
✅ Check our training offerings from Sunrise Movement, The Arena and Movement School
💸 Want a job in the 2020 election?
If you want a paying organizing gig, that’s great too! Here are some good places for job postings in the progressive organizing world.
Jobs that are Left (JATL) listserv
Become a poll worker, it is paid in most states!
Look for job openings on the website of a candidate you support, or email them and ask if they are hiring.
💞 Need additional support?
Reach out to me! Sometimes deciding can be really hard, or there are specific ways you want to contribute that are more complex. If you’d like support, email me your question! I’ll answer it as best I can, and may be able to offer you a free coaching session on the topic if I can’t answer your question by email. Want to receive occasional updates from me about my coaching offerings & tips to be a resilient social change leader? Join my list here!
🗓 Make sure you’re registered and & have a plan to vote in the election!
Will you vote by mail, vote early, or vote in person? Don’t wait till the last minute. Check out Vote Save America to get information on how to vote in your state. By going through the process now you’ll be more equipped to help others to do the same soon!
✨ Wahoo! Now, pick 1 small, meaningful step you’re willing to take right now after reading this guide. Tell a friend what you plan to do, and ask them to follow-up with you to see if you did it. Share this guide with friends and family and ask them how they plan to get involved. Together, we can do this! ✨
✍️ Want to get monthly updates from me with resilience tips, additional guides and coaching offerings? Join my list here!
👩💻 Have feedback or suggestions for this guide? Email me! I’d love to hear them. This is a living document that will be updated as needed.
Share this guide to amplify your impact: https://bit.ly/NoRegretsNov4