All Hands on Deck, Folks

Those of you in the U.S. hoping and praying that Trump will be soundly defeated in November, this message is for you.

We need more than hopes and prayers.

People who want a return to honesty and integrity are in the majority. But we have to make sure that they vote. That’s hard during a pandemic. There is concern about in-person voting and absentee/mail-in voting may be impeded by Trump’s efforts to gut the U.S. Postal Service prior to the election. We are truly, as Joe Biden says, in a war for the soul of our nation when such a thing can happen.

There are a lot of things you can do to help increase turnout.

• Make sure your voter registration is current.
• If you are going to vote absentee/mail-in, request your ballot early and return it in the mail as early as possible. Make sure you follow the instructions on the ballot to the letter.
• Contact the Biden/Harris campaign in your area and request a lawn sign. A lawn sign sends a clear message that you intend to vote. This influences your neighbors and passers-by.
• Donate to the Biden/Harris campaign!
• Donate to local Get Out The Vote efforts. Every major city has one or more grassroots efforts. Send them some love and some cash.
• Use social media to talk about voting. Yes, you will get attacked especially if you declare your intentions to vote Biden/Harris. When you do, delete the comments you think are out of line. You may end up blocking people who’ve forgotten their manners. Small price to pay.
• Participate in one of the national turnout projects. I am doing Postcards to Swing States. Research shows that handwritten postcards significantly increase voter turnout. They send 200 postcards to you, along with what to write, and a list of names. You do the writing, buy the stamps, and mail. Anyone with decent handwriting can do this!

We can’t wring our hands out of this catastrophic situation we are in as a country. No amount of laying awake at night or cursing at the TV will inspire another voter to get to the polls. If we don’t want to see another minute of the historic travesty that is Donald Trump, then we have to work for change in November. It’s all hands on deck.