THE MIDTERMS MINUTE: 4 Things You Can Do Before Election Day & Toss Up Gubernatorial Races!

The Midterms Minute is a look at the candidates and races in battleground districts that you need to know about, shout about and support to make the biggest impact possible in the election on November 6th. (Quick links at bottom of page)

As of the release date of episode #1223, we are exactly 1 week out from election day.

So, let’s do a little visualization exercise for a moment: Imagine that it’s next Tuesday night and the election returns are coming in. Now imagine that Democrats don’t pick up enough seats to take control of the Senate or lose seats they had. Now imagine that Democrats don’t pick up enough seats to take control of the House. Now imagine waking up the next morning to Trump proclaiming ultimate victory and an unequivocal mandate for his horrific, hate-filled agenda that most Republicans support.

Now, how do you feel? Do you feel like you did enough? Do you wish you had done more? How do you think the most vulnerable and disenfranchised among us will be feeling at that moment? Remember those feelings and keep them with you in this final week because this is quite literally the last chance to make a difference before election day.

And because of that, today we’re going to tell you four things that you can do to make that difference over the next seven days.

Don’t forget to scroll down for info and links for the ten toss up gubernatorial races across the country - six of which are open seat races previously held by Republicans. Of course, information for ALL of the battleground races and ways to get involved can be found at The Midterms Minute H.Q..

And now, without further ado, here are the top four things you can do this week to make a difference on election day.

1: Donate. This last week is going to require many, many hours of campaign workers’ time and those people need to be paid….and given lots of coffee and pizza. Ads need to be run. Signs need to be printed. Canvassing and phone banking materials need to be at the ready. Volunteers need to be trained and managed. Your donations can help candidates run a strong get out the vote effort in these final days. If you don’t know where to start, check out the DCCC Red to Blue Program and donate to a few candidates or easily support all candidates listed with one donation. To help Senate candidates, visit DSCC.org and contribute. If you’re only interested in donating to toss up races, check out the links in our previous segments which can be found at The Midterms Minute H.Q..

2: Phone Bank. If you have even an hour to give, virtual phone banking is for you. Both Indivisible and Swing Left have selected races where candidates can benefit the most from phone banking and you can sign up for a shift and get started in seconds. Indivisible is hosting phone banking for a mix of House, Senate and gubernatorial candidates, so if that’s what you’re looking for go to Indivisible Phone Banking to get started. If you’re interested in focusing on tight races for the House, go to Swing Left Phone Banking. Never phone banked before? No problem. Swing Left offers plenty of resources for newbies.

3: Volunteer. Yes, this requires more of your time, but it is so impactful and it can even be fun. Grab a friend and sign up to canvass a neighborhood for a candidate near you. Or go to a phone banking event organized by the local DNC party office, a candidate’s campaign or a political action group. When you see other people actively engaged, you’re going to feel better and you might meet some new friends along the way. One way to quickly find an event near you is by going to National Indivisible Chapters Events List for a national list of local Indivisible group volunteer events. Otherwise, check out your local DNC website or specific candidate’s websites for more volunteer opportunities.

4: Talk to your friends and family. The current political climate has strained many a relationship, but if you know someone who is undecided or someone who will vote but isn’t engaged, talk to them.…in person. Have a discussion about civic action and all the personal reasons you have for getting involved. Lead them to resources invite them to volunteer with you. These conversations can be game changers for those who may feel disillusioned or don’t feel like politics really affects them. Additionally, you can use the OutVote app to find and send text messages to people in your network that may need some extra encouragement.

TOSS UP GUBERNATORIAL RACES:

Connecticut (Open Seat (D))

Ned Lamont (D) (vs. Bob Stefanowski (R))

Georgia (Open Seat (R))

State House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams (D) (vs. GA Sec of State Brian Kemp (R))

Iowa (R Incumbent)

Fred Hubbell (D) (vs. Incumbent Gov. Kim Reynolds (R))

Maine (Open Seat (R))

State Attorney General Janet Mills (D) (vs. Shawn Moody (R))

Nevada (Open Seat (R))

Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak (D) (vs. NV Attorney General Adam Laxalt (R))

Ohio (Open Seat (R))

Former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray (D) (vs. OH Attorney General Mike DeWine (R))

Oregon (D incumbent)

Incumbent Gov. Kate Brown (D) (vs. OR Rep. Knute Buehler (R))

South Dakota (Open Seat (R))

SD Sen. Billie Sutton (D) (vs. Rep. Kristi Noem (R))

Wisconsin (R incumbent)

WI Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers (D) (vs. Incumbent Gov. Scott Walker (R))

Kansas (Open Seat (R))

KS Sen. Laura Kelly (D) (vs. KS Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R))

As a reminder, voter purging is happening across the country so we urge you to confirm your voter registration ASAP. Visit HeadCount.org to quickly be directed to your state’s specific website to confirm your voter registration. If there is a problem, contact 866-OUR-VOTE to report the problem and get guidance ASAP. If your registration is okay, help someone else confirm theirs or obtain the necessary ID they need to ensure there are no surprise problems on election day.

So, if making the Blue Wave a reality in November is important to you, be sure to hit the share buttons to spread the word about supporting Democrats in battleground races across the country via social media so that others in your network can spread the word too.

THE MIDTERMS MINUTE (Quick links)

4 THINGS YOU CAN DO BEFORE NOV. 6TH

1. Donate

House: DCCC Red to Blue Program

Senate: DSCC.org

Toss ups/Battlegrounds: The Midterms Minute H.Q.

2. Virtual Phone Banking

Indivisible Phone Banking (Sen/House/Gov)

Swing Left Phone Banking (House)

Resources for newbies / Hosting a Phone Bank Night

3. Volunteer

National Indivisible Chapters Events List