GOTV Nov 2018 for boots on the ground ONLY

July 8, 2018 8:20 AM

For Nov 2018 Elections, a follow-up on this question. I want to help people to vote in person. I would like to do this in a defense-needed/swingable house or senate seat near (within 5h drive) of NYC.

Which Democratic/potentially Democratic seat that needs the most defense (or offense) within this travel range, in either the senate or the house?

I don’t want to do this via donation or postcards or phone banking; I want to physically help actually get "Base" bodies to the polls who would find it difficult……because of reluctance, or transport issues, or lack of childcare, or any other life-problem or job that stop them from voting in person.

Where and with which organization can I do this?

posted by lalochezia to Law & Government (5 answers total)

Well, in NY19 (the flippable US House district that encompasses a large swath of the Hudson Valley), you could sign up to volunteer with the campaign of the democratic nominee. I know someone who was a volunteer with them during the primary, and the final 10 days of canvassing was all door-to-door GOTV messaging. If you would prefer not to work directly for the campaign, Swing Left is working in the district.
posted by minervous at 12:53 PM on July 8, 2018

NH 1 is a possibility; the Democratic incumbent, Carol Shea-Porter, is retiring. The district has swung between her and Republican Frank Guinta in nearly every election since 2007. Primaries aren't until September, though, so we won't have a candidate until then.

(Also, note that showing up to drive people to the polls is a bit like volunteering at a soup kitchen on Christmas. Everyone wants to do it; nobody wants to do all the stuff leading up to it. If you want to do in-person help, please also consider coming up to canvass!)
posted by damayanti at 2:44 PM on July 8, 2018 [3 favorites]

So this is just on the edge of 5 hours and may be closer to 6 hours but I’d consider Virginia 10. It’s currently held by a Republican who is in a tough spot - her district voted for Clinton and it’s been held by Republicans for decades but has changed significantly over time. Support for Democrats in northern Virginia has tipped the state from purple to blue but that district has been gerrymandered, yet it has a lot of immigrants and college students. Democrats have identified it as a potential pick-up. I don’t know a lot about the nominee but I think she’s a state delegate and she had a competitive primary. If that interested you, I’d reach out to her campaign.
posted by kat518 at 5:51 PM on July 8, 2018

Best answer: Hi again. Swing Left and a bunch of other progressive groups have announced an initiative called The Last Weekend that might interest you.
posted by minervous at 2:18 PM on July 20, 2018

Response by poster: I registered for the last weekend.

It appears that, for their thrilling GOTV efforts they just want us to canvass and relentlessly harass voters by phone and in person (door to door), and make sure 'they have a plan'.. "The more times a voter is contacted the more likely they will vote".

Nope. Don't want a part of that model.

Who out there is helping people who can't get to polling stations, get to polling stations, or covering for them in their work/carer lives so they can vote?

Asking again...
posted by lalochezia at 5:20 PM on August 30, 2018