Election Day countdown: 172 days
Hi friends,
This week brings news that the election is closer than any of us want to believe.
The lowdown: Democrats lost a House seat in California this week. And, according to this week’s CNN poll, Trump is winning by seven points in battleground states. Most shocking, we are nearly losing voters under the age of 45! If these results hold, this would be our worst performance with young voters since the Bush years.
Winning this cycle is going to be even more challenging, with Republicans investing $20 million in voter suppression.
What we’re up to
On Tuesday, May 19th at 8pm, in partnership with the 92nd Street Y, we’re bringing together top experts to make sure you’re informed and ready to act. Join us, as we discuss Voting Rights in a Pandemic:
Marc Elias, counsel to the Democratic Party and voting rights leader
Nse Ufot, Executive Director of the New Georgia Project
Sarah Audelo, former Millennial Outreach Director for Hillary Clinton and current Executive Director of the Alliance for Youth Action
Sean McElwee, Cofounder of Data for Progress and advisor to Secure Elections for America Now
Moderated by me (Hi!)
Our conversation will cover the battles being fought in court, voter accessibility legislation being proposed, and organizing work being done to help young people navigate voter suppression. Panelists will also share what you can do to help ensure safe and secure elections in November.
Shout outs
Eliza Nemser is hosting a higher dollar fundraiser to support the critical battleground state of Wisconsin.
Jackie Shiff is supporting an event with 11 freshman members of Congress running in consequential races.
Joey Wozniak and Vote Early Day organized a coalition of businesses to purchase an ad in the Wall Street Journal, advocating for people to vote early.
The Next 50 and our partners Blue Neighbors for our event with Congresswoman Lucy McBath. We raised enough to support securing over 100 votes for her in November!
Are we missing any political work that you are up to that you’d like to share? Reply and let us know!
Candidate of the Week
About the candidate: Freshman Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D-MI) is a 36-year-old, Michigan native running for re-election. Rep. Stevens served on the Presidential Task Force on the Auto Industry, during the Obama Administration, created a job training program, and a STEM education program focused on digital manufacturing.
About this contested election: A Republican won this race by 13 points in 2016. Rep. Stevens flipped the seat in 2018, winning by 7 points. She is running in a district whose voters will help protect a U.S. Senate seat and win the state for Biden. An investment in this race has triple importance!
Check out other races and organizations that you can support here.
What we are reading
This should be bipartisan: “Studies generally find that even universal voting by mail (where everyone is sent a ballot) only increases voting marginally, and probably among those who already are most likely to vote anyway.” (FiveThirtyEight)
China’s warning: “Even if we get lucky and avoid such a tragic outcome, the lesson from China is that the economic effects of the virus are going to be serious and long-lasting.” (The New Yorker)
Higher Ed disruption: “It will be like department stores in 2018. Everyone will recognize they’re going out of business, but it will take longer than people think. There will be a lot of zombie universities.” (New York Magazine)
A win-win for Trump: “The Court could reject [President Trump’s Lawyer Jay] Sekulow’s broad claim of immunity, but send the case back to the lower courts to evaluate the subpoena under a new standard. That would certainly delay the resolution of the case—and the production of Trump’s tax returns—until after the election, in November.” (The New Yorker)
Faith in Q: “The Seventh-day Adventists and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are thriving religious movements indigenous to America. Do not be surprised if QAnon becomes another.” (The Atlantic)
Stay safe,
Zak
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