YES, DOWN-BALLOT MIDTERMS MATTER

Have you mailed your ballot?

Only 3​ Weeks Until the Midterms!
Has Your Ballot Arrived?

If not, check with your election officials here.

If yes, complete the ballot and send it in today! Your vote is vital!

If you're not registered, find out if you can still register (it goes by state).

Questions? Contact Vote from Abroad for answers.
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Trying to figure out who's who in your district? Check the non-partisan Ballotpedia for info on candidates and issues.

STOP, LOOK, LISTEN! by Kathy Sherretts

Yes, Down-Ballot Midterms Matter
I have a friend who is a collector of political memorabilia. He goes around the morning after Election Day to scarf up discarded candidate yard signs, on the theory that a guy running for sheriff today could end up in the White House thirty years from now. (I know this because I once helped wrench signs out of a snowbank in the small hours, while my friend drove the getaway car.) Yesterday's city council member may be today's state legislator, and tomorrow's U.S. senator. As the Civics 101 podcast points out, the people occupying these local and state level offices have a direct effect on our lives, because they make the decisions about how federal laws are implemented and how budgets are deployed. The midterms are important.
--Kathy Sherretts

Podcast:
Civics 101: Midterm Edition: State and Local Elections (22 min)
In the midterm elections we choose our aldermen and comptrollers, state senators and governors. These may seem less important than national elections, but state and local officials have more immediate impact on our lives and affect our future elections.

Article:
Slate: Writing the History of Sexual Assault in the Age of #MeToo by Amy Stanley 
Accounts by white men are automatically considered trustworthy, while others' memoirs are examined relentlessly for any hint of an ulterior motive. 

Article:
The Guardian: Trump administration plans crackdown on protests outside White House by Luke O'Neil
Civil liberties groups consider the proposals—to charge fees to protest and shut down 80% of sidewalks—an affront to first amendment rights.

Article:
The New Yorker: The Five-Year-Old Who Was Detained at the Border and Persuaded to Sign Away Her Rights by Sarah Stillman
Helen, a five-year-old from Honduras, was detained after the separation of immigrant families was ostensibly halted. A new version of the family separation policy, advocated by White House adviser Stephen Miller, is again under consideration by the White House.
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Signs left in front of the White House following the Women’s March on Washington on January 21, 2017. Photograph: Matilde McCann

For more ways to take action check out the action plan put together by PAGE (Progressive Action Global Exchange), and Americans of Conscience; read the featured action suggested by Indivisible; or check out the online training platform of Resistance School and sign up to any of the more than 15 free courses they offer on organizing 101, team building, contacting voters, and building movements.
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