By Sarah O’Neill
Nine of New York’s Democratic State Senators have caucused with Republicans for years, tipping control to Republicans. Thankfully, we will have challengers for each one of them in the primary on Thursday, September 13th. And from now until September 7th there is an easy, fun way to help the good guys: #PostcardsToVoters
In late July, “Postcards to Voters” volunteers across the country began mailing thousands of handwritten postcards to Democrats in New York to support our True-Blue, No IDC NY-endorsed candidates. If you missed hearing about the IDC (Independent Democratic Conference), New York’s State Senate DINOs (Democrats In Name Only), please take two minutes to watch the enlightening, killer video narrated by Edie Falco at NoIDCNY.org. If you like the video, share it widely. Then join PostcardsToVoters.org and the battle to turn the New York State Senate true blue.
Postcards to Voters’ 20,000 volunteers across the country have mailed nearly three million postcards since March 2017. As of August 20th, PTV volunteers had requested 147,251 addresses for three IDC challengers: candidates Alessandra Biaggi in the Bronx, Julie Goldberg in Rockland County, and Zellnor Myrie in Brooklyn. When this piece is published on September 1st we will have six days left to meet the September 7th deadline to mail postcards in time for the primary. We are into the NoIDC endgame, so there is no time to waste. We need your help!
Our handwritten postcards are making an impression wherever they go. IDC challenger Julie Goldberg tweeted out, “You will like this story, #PostcardsToVoters volunteers! Marching in a parade today, I stopped to speak with a woman watching with her two children. She said, ‘You’re Julie? You already have my vote! I got a beautiful postcard from Oregon about you!’”
Writing the postcards is easy and fun. Volunteers supply their own postcards and stamps, and our fearless PTV leader, “Tony the Democrat,” supplies the guidelines and addresses. The beauty of PTV is that volunteers can write just four postcards (or lots more) anytime, and mail them from anywhere in the USA. Addresses can be requested day or night, and cards can be handwritten at your convenience (alone or with others). My production time is about five minutes per postcard. Any pace works and writing even four postcards a week helps. One winsome or earnest postcard reminder to vote could equal one critical vote. Last November, an election in the Virginia House of Delegates tied.
Tony the Democrat has a huge fan base now. He has lifted our spirits, given us a goal, and supported over 100 campaigns. To join the NoIDC full-court press ASAP you can email join@tonythedemocrat.org, or simply text “join” to Abby the Address Bot at 484-275-2229 and an auto-reply will get you started.
You can add Abby the Address Bot to your contacts so you have her ready when you want her. Enthusiastic volunteers all over the country have been writing for New York for weeks, so next week we can start paying it forward for the midterms!
P.S. Email upcomingaction@gmail.com to subscribe to United Thru Action’s NYC weekly events list. It includes loads of great resistance and postcarding opportunities. Also, please see my article at http://westviewnews.org/2018/05/postcards-voters-brings-hope/
