"Transition right now from a political consumer of news to a political actor." --Senator Brian Schatz (D - Hawaii)
Muster Together @ Home Monday, May 11, 7:00 PM
Please join us for an evening writing postcards and texting to save our democracy in 2020, but at home instead of First Parish. We began our Muster Together @ Home meetings last month and lots of folks turned out and loved it. In addition to activism, it's a great opportunity to catch up with our activist community. We're doing it all online through Zoom for the time being.
Writing postcards to help Floridians vote by mail.
Texting for campaign TBD (Training will be provided)
If you are going to write postcards, please RSVP as soon as possible to ensure that we can prepare enough packages. (All packets are super sanitized.) Then pick up at package from Michelle Olson's super-sanitized front porchsometime between Tuesday May 5th and noon on May 11:
Location: 5 CASTLE RD., LEXINGTON, MA. In plastic bin on the Front Porch When: Daily, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fee: $10. to cover materials - leave in container provided (Cash preferred or check made to Jean Milburn)
Note: If you need help getting a package, please contact Jean at
508-358-2563.
Last year, the citizen petition to add Ranked Choice Voting to the MA state ballot collected 111,268 signatures, 30,000 more than was needed. This set a record as this is the most signatures ever gathered for a question.
The Campaign to get the final round of signatures to achieve ballot access begins on May 6th. 13,341 signatures are needed this round. Voter Choice Massachusetts (VCM) has plans to achieve this while maintaining social distancing.
Methods for reaching voters includes mail, dropping off forms at voters’ doors and leaving forms to sign on the porches of volunteers. VCM is looking into the possibility of electronic signatures, but this has not been approved yet. Please get involved. For information, visit the website Voterchoice2020.org, and sign up as a Volunteer. If you cannot volunteer at this time you can Pledge to sign the petitions.
Please note that the signatures have to be voters who have not signed in the last round. Are you not sure if you signed? Then you should fill out the pledge form. There will be an app to check who has signed before. OR you can contact your Minuteman Indivisible Champion Bob Avallone by email or on Slack, he will help you with the process.
Ask Your State Legislators to Protect Our Elections
During the current COVID-19 crisis, Massachusetts state legislators took a critical first step to protect our elections by passing emergency legislation to delay state special elections, allow towns to postpone their spring elections, shorten voter registration black-out periods, and ensure that more people can vote from home.
However, this crisis may not be over anytime soon. Tell your legislators to support even more protections for this fall’s elections including expanded mail-in ballot capacity so that people can vote from home, Election Day voter registration so that all eligible voters can cast a ballot, and in-person voting options that are as safe as possible, including longer early voting periods. See this link for a sample script and other actions you can take.
Immigrants' Day at the State House (virtually)
We can't lobby legislators in person right now, but there are still opportunities to make your voice heard! The Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) is hosting a virtual Immigrants' Day at the State House with a short speaking program as well as a Q&A with legislators, where we can advocate collectively, using digital tools, to ensure an equitable and inclusive COVID-19 response, as well as for the Safe Communities Act.
As a member of the Indivisible MA Coalition, Minuteman Indivisible is joining with other organizations in Massachusetts to work Together for 2020.
So if you are looking for more opportunities to worker a better democracy in 2020, Get Connected.
Vote Forward Vote Forward volunteers send heartfelt handwritten letters to progressive-leaning unregistered and low-propensity voters encouraging them to participate in our democracy. The letters have been shown to significantly boost turnout.
