Imagine This
Imagine this. I thought this was a good title to invite us all to Imagine This as the outcome of election season 2024: our candidates get elected and take office! Electing our candidates takes work, effort, and free time. My past AADC President’s messages emphasized the importance of volunteerism. Voter outreach operations have the goal of electing the candidates who will bring the actual voices of United States citizens into the arena where laws are created. But imagine this: what if we don’t step up to protect our Democracy? The predominant clarion call of election season 2024 is “Democracy is on the Ballot.” What does the election mean to our friends on the other side of the aisle? One might reply, “Government Power is on the Ballot.”
Democracy represents the many rights we exercise under our form of government as interpreted in the U.S Constitution. Laws, created by the various legislative processes, from Federal down to local government, are derived from our Constitution.
The Democracy that we Democrats are defending this election season is an umbrella that protects the rights allowed by the Constitution. Under that Democracy umbrella are such rights and issues as the following:
- Healthcare for all.
- Addressing homeless issues.
- Law enforcement in communities.
- Environmental issues.
- Affordable housing.
- Safety laws.
- Veterans’ issues.
- Educational opportunities.
Most importantly, the hot topics:
- Separation of church and state within our school systems.
- Women’s reproductive and health rights to make their own medical decisions without government intervention.
- Affordable housing.
- Protecting Social Security.
- Wildfire resilience policies and actions.
- Cost of living (includes addressing the homeowner’s insurance crisis, rent control, food inflation, and related topics).
- Protecting our country from outside authoritarian forces.
- Building international fair trade and world defense policies.
Democracy is on the Ballot. And these issues underline what we Democrats need to defend. This is the Democracy we are saving. How can an activist Democrat help to defend these rights? By volunteering time and encouraging registered voters who support our rights to vote. It’s a lot of work, daunting for many. I opted to accept another term as your AADC President with a focus on organizing the Auburn Area Voter Outreach process this election season. Since 2023, the California Democratic Party (CADEM), the Democratic County Central Committees, and local Democratic Clubs and affiliated organizations have all been preparing to create a stronger voter outreach strategy for this election year. And we have a chance.
The lifeblood of this strategy is you, the volunteer.
Yes, I’ve been on this topic since the beginning of this year in my monthly AADC messages to our fellow Auburn Area Democrats. And I’ll keep it up. Bottom line: our nation is in the final stretch to ensure we maintain our current form of government. We will vote to defend our rights and our elected voice to the legislative process. This strategy takes volunteers. We need volunteers to motivate voters to vote by doing any of the following:
- Phone banking
- Canvassing
- House Parties for candidates running for office, including those running on the down-ballot.
- Fundraisers: either holding one or donating to a campaign.
Information on how to sign up for these activities is available on the websites and in the newsletters of the various Placer County Democratic organizations. Google them, visit them, and sign up to help.
Something you don’t want to do? Scared of the opposition? Can’t take the responses from target voters who are of various political parties (sometimes even our own!) when phone banking or canvassing? Intimidated by the adverse tactics of opposition party volunteers? Remember that organizers and volunteers on the other side of the aisle are not concerned. Nor will all of them act in a cordial manner. Their aggressive tactics can help them to win in various elections. Imagine if those who are concerned about volunteering continue to be put off by these factors. Don’t let that happen!
Imagine this: Election Day is November 5th, 2024. On November 6th, 2024, when you wake up to watch the news, what do you want to see? Will it be the news you want to hear? The good news that resulted from your volunteer efforts, getting those voters you encouraged to vote, to actually vote? This is what Democrats want to Imagine will become our reality. Reality in winning this election season is dependent upon the lifeblood of our Democratic voter outreach strategy and volunteerism. We need to step up and use the tools to gain the votes to save Democracy at the ballot box. We must save those rights we currently enjoy, and we must restore those rights that have been taken away. Thus, the question:
Will you be on the AADC election season 2024
Voter Outreach Team?
To Be Continued next month: “The Election Season 2024 Action Heats Up.”