Actions for Week of October 4, 2020
Contact voters, Schumer recap, and a home stretch briefing from Indivisible NY at our monthly meeting
Another busy week, including phone banking, texting, and our last monthly meting before election day (plus the quarantine fun at the end).
Schumer Meetings Recap
Senator Schumer held two virtual meetings with us and other activists in the past week (and has promised more).
He says that they are doing all they can to block Trump and the GOP from seating their SCOTUS pick, but the tools are limited. He has already used some parliamentary maneuvers to slow it down, but won’t telegraph everything he has planned.
Biggest issue for swing and base voters: healthcare. So bring that up when you post online, or talk to people.
Democrats have teams of lawyers ready to stop efforts to steal the election.
He’s promised to support extensive reform on justice and policing, voting rights, immigration, DC statehood, and cancelling student debt.
Monday, October 5 (and all Mondays through Nov. 2)
CALL VOTERS OF COLOR IN NORTH CAROLINA
5 PM - 6:30 PM
Wednesday, October 7 (and all Wednesdays through Oct. 26)
CALL VOTERS OF COLOR IN NORTH CAROLINA
7 PM - 8:30 PM
Saturday, October 10 (and all Saturdays through Oct. 31)
CALL VOTERS OF COLOR IN NORTH CAROLINA
4:30 PM - 6 PM
Team up with Indivisible Westchester to call voters of color in North Carolina. Let them know how to make sure their votes count. Once you’ve learned how, you can call whenever you like (9 AM-9 PM daily except Sunday starting at noon), or as part of a session.
Tuesday, October 6
NATIONAL PHONE BANKING
7 PM
Start with a quick training session, then move on to call voters. Talking directly to people is the best way to convince them to vote (and vote blue).
Wednesday, October 7
VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
9 PM
Assuming all goes ahead as originally scheduled, watch the VP debate streaming online or your favorite news channel.
Thursday, October 8
MONTHLY MEETING AND TEXT BANKING - NOTE TIME CHANGE
6:30 PM - 8 PM
Zoom
Special Guest: Sarah Reeske, Upstate NY Indivisible Organizer
Last monthly meeting before the election!) at a special time. Sarah will give us a special final stretch briefing on how to undo Trump’s damage and move the country forward. With a flipped Senate, Chuck Schumer would be majority leader. That would give NY a lot of influence and power. Let’s find out how to get there and how to use it!
Text Banking - We’ll follow this with text banking to voters. We’ve moved the time earlier so we’re not calling too late at night.
Note: You must have been trained on either the Indivisible texting system or the Biden campaign system in order to do this. There are currently no further Indivisible training sessions scheduled, but you can learn the Biden one here.
IMPORTANT ABSENTEE VOTING INFORMATION
the absentee ballots say “official military absentee ballot” even if you are not in the military
the ballots are NOT postage paid (you can drop them off at a polling place)
you may need more than one stamp
check your ballot carefully, as there are reports of people receiving ballots with someone else’s name inside!
if your ballot is wrong, contact BOE at Apply4Absentee@boe.nyc or call 1-866-VOTE-NYC
BOE says they will send new ballots marked “second ballot”
National Voting Information
NYC Voting Information
New York for Biden+Harris Virtual Volunteer Orientation Guide
Absentee ballot request (do this now!)
Find your polling site (early voting starts on Oct. 24)
QUARANTINE
ADULTS
Space!!!
Lots and lots of space. A giant image, composed of 200 panels, taken from over 500 hours of imaging, over five years. Zoom in for more detail. There are also annotations to tell you what you are seeing.
Ahhhh
A little beach music to soothe your nerves
WRITING A to Z
How the alphabet started, the secrets behind papyrus “paper” and how the technology to produce writing materials and books expanded, contracted, and then spread again across the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.
Juilliard Virtual Gala
Monday, October 5
7 PM
Students in music, dance, and drama unite from across the world to perform. They will be joined by special alumni guests.
KIDS
Schoolhouse Rock!
Little mini-lessons in grammar and civics that were surprisingly memorable. I can still sing them. But I won't (because my singing is terrible). Watch this on Disney+
Na na na na na na Bat Kid
Make your own costume for Halloween without any plastic.
I'd like to be, under the sea
The giant pacific octopus has no bones, and can squeeze through tiny openings. Its arms inspired some common human technology too.
Freeze and Thaw Chemistry
Ever notice how frozen fruit and some veggies get mushy after they thaw? Find out why.