#Resources for Voters Looking to Take Action Ahead of the 2020 Election

The 2020 election is now less than five weeks away. With the amount of uncertainty in the current political environment, it’s easy to feel worry, confusion, or dread about the potential outcome. But there’s more that you can do this election season than just vote. In addition to making your voice heard at the ballot box, you can sign up for phone and text banking sessions, write letters, become a trained poll worker, register other people to vote, and more.

Below is a list of organizations that we encourage you to learn more about and get involved with if you want to help ensure progressive victories, both in the presidential and down-ballot elections. All of the efforts listed below are currently actively training new volunteers to help in their efforts.

And, most importantly, make a plan and vote.

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People’s Action is a nationwide network of community organizing groups that puts an emphasis on deep canvassing: soliciting different potential voters’ political views and asking follow-up questions to build a rapport and persuade them to vote for a progressive candidate. You can sign up now to get trained to make calls and send texts.

The youth-led Sunrise Movement has become a pivotal part of the progressive conversation on climate change, as it continues to push for the establishment of the Green New Deal by working to elect candidates who champion the fight against climate change and racism. You can help get these candidates elected by signing up to phone bank or write postcards to young voters. 

Established in 2017 following the 2016 election, Swing Left’s mission focuses on promoting and fundraising for various progressive candidates in swing states and districts, in addition to the larger presidential race. The organization is focusing on what it refers to as “Super States” (Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, or Wisconsin) in an effort to take back the Senate and also fight Republican gerrymandering. You can sign up to phone bank, text bank, write letters, and more.

Indivisible Project is a grassroots network of progressive organizing groups that puts together phone banking drives and other initiatives to fight Trump’s agenda and boost progressive candidates with prospective voters. Current priorities include fighting to preserve the Supreme Court and making calls to prospective voters.

If making phone calls sounds anxiety-inducing to you, Resistance Labs offers text banking for various political initiatives. Training is quick, with both live session and video/slideshow options; find out more here.

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission has set up a portal that makes it easy to find out the requirements for being a poll worker in each state. With such a critical shortage of people to work the polls, especially in light of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s more important than ever to ensure that polling sites across the country are adequately staffed. Election workers are paid and receive mandatory training ahead of election day; you can find more information here.