89 Days Until Election... and We're On It

It was wonderful to see so many of you at IMV's annual potluck picnic yesterday even if we did have some rain.  We had a great crowd, including several people at their first ever IMV event!  Our elected guests included Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon and Utica School Board member James Paul with an update on the new Superintendent who started last week (see how our efforts to elect James in 2022 paid off!), as well as candidates Adrienne Martini (122nd Assembly), James Meyers (State Senate-53rd), and Paula Collins who is challenging Elise Stefanik in NY21 in a district that covers more than 15,000 square miles and 15 counties.  Candidates meet with us because we do the work to help them win!

We hope that everyone is feeling energized and enthusiastic about the top of the ticket.  In Presidential battleground states, Democratic field offices are being flooded with volunteers who want to knock doors and help support the Harris-Walz campaign.  In our area, we have a Democratic campaign HQ office at 238 Genesee Street in Utica.  It's where you can go to pick up voter education materials/candidate palm cards and voter registration forms.  You can sign up to knock doors.  We talk to voters about the whole Democratic slate--including:

Kamala Harris/ Tim Walz for President/VP
Kirsten Gillibrand for re-election to the US Senate
John Mannion for NY22 (Utica and surrounding areas) or Paula Collins for NY21 (Rome and surrounds)
James Meyers for 53rd State Senate (first person in 14 years to challenge Republican Joe Griffo on the ballot, giving voters a real choice)
Marianne Buttenschon for re-election to the 119th State Assembly seat (Utica/Rome) or 
Adrienne Martini for 122nd State Assembly seat (includes New Hartford and Kirkland)

The office is open starting 10am on Tuesday-Sunday each week.  Volunteers are always needed.  
 

Meet and Greet Fundraiser for Adrienne Martini in Clinton 

Please register for a meet & greet for Adrienne Martini in Clinton on  August 16, 5-7 pm.   If you are able to attend or contribute, please sign up by August 12th, as that is the fundraising deadline for the match that candidates receive next.  It's still great to contribute after that, but the candidate won't receive the match until late October, making it less effective for campaigning.

Here’s the link to rsvp: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/britt-and-kathy

Adrienne is currently in her fourth term on the Otsego County Board of Representatives and is running to represent the 122nd Assembly District. Come meet Adrienne, learn more about the campaign and how we can make sure we elect her in November!

Indivisible's Women Wednesdays for Harris/Harris Phonebank (Virtual)

If you want to focus on getting Kamala Harris elected and/or knocking doors is not doable for you, then you might want to Register for Women Wednesdays for Harris weekly at 8:30pm ET through the election. Every Wednesday through Election Day, Indivisible is partnering on a national call bringing together women from all across the country to build community, strategize, and share tools to drive a Harris victory in November. Each call will feature special guest speakers that you won’t want to miss (we’ve already seen P!nk and Megan Rapinoe). Topics include how to take action immediately, what you can do locally, navigating social media, relational organizing, and more.

Register for an Indivisible national phonebank into Nevada for Kamala Harris on Friday, August 23 at 3pm. The Democratic National Convention ends on Thursday, August 22, and we’ll be capitalizing on the energy of seeing Kamala take the stage as the Democratic candidate for president as we make calls on Friday. We’ll be dialing into Nevada -- one of the top presidential battlegrounds where the election will be decided this year. Come help us make sure Nevadans are fired up and ready to catapult Kamala into the Oval Office.
 

Annual Ice Cream Social To Raise Funds for James Meyers for State Senate

Celeste Friend's annual ice cream social in Utica is always fun and delicious!  Buy your ticket now by clicking HERE.   This year the event benefits James Meyers, running for the State Senate to represent Oneida, Madison, and northern Chenango Counties.  If you plan to buy a ticket or make a contribution in lieu of attending, please do so by August, 12th, which is a critical fundraising deadline. Help James maximize the state matching funds!   

 Postcard Parties!

Our goal is to write 1000 postcards to local women voters who need a nudge to vote, writing 200 each week on Thursdays, in August. Thanks to everyone who came to the first two parties! Here's the schedule for the remaining dates:

IMV Postcard Parties (Thursdays in August)
Thursday August 15, 22, 29
4:00-5:30 pm
New Hartford Library
2 Library Lane, New Hartford

Just show up ready to write postcards and connect with IMV friends.  We are making great progress on the current batch of cards, and expect to start doing postcards for Paula Collins on August 22!  Bring a friend--all are welcome.

Write a Letter to the Editor

 One of the best ways to influence your fellow voters is through Letters to the Editor.  Longtime IMV member Donna McKendree's letter revealing Brandon William's poor performance as our Member of Congress was published this week. It is powerful and well worth your read.  Writing a LTE doesn't have to be overwhelming.  

Sarah Reekse is hosting two LTE Writing Power Hours on Monday, August 19th. Come for assistance, motivation, or guidance!  Sign up today:

Monday, August 19th, 10:30 am, Blue NY22 Morning LTE Writing Power Hour  Registration required–Register HERE.

Monday, August 19th, 6:30 pm, Blue NY22 Evening LTE Writing Power Hour Registration required–Register HERE.

And be sure to sign up for a special NYS LTE Workshop focused on Medicare: 

Tuesday, August 20th, 12-1pm, NYS LTE Workshop:  Medicare & Medicare Advantage fraud. Register here. Come learn about how to write a LTE about modernizing Medicare and some of the ways privatized healthcare for seniors with Medicare Advantage is ripping all of us off.

Canvass for Our Candidates

Face to face conversations at doors --that's the number one more important way to impact election results. There are weekend shifts available Saturdays and Sundays, and weekday shifts scheduled for Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays starting now and continuing through August.  Each canvass shift starts with the training you need to feel comfortable going out.  We hear that Tuesday nights, which start with pizza, are very popular!

However, if you want to canvass close to where you live just let Dylan DePaul know at dylan@nydems.org and he will prepare a turf for you and you can pick up your slate card and candidate literature and do your thing!  Kirkland Town Democrats received turfs and have been knocking in all their election districts.  Diane Berry and Sarah Reeske did rural driving shifts last weekend. Pairing up with a friend can make even a challenging rural area doable!

Sign up for Weekends:  https://www.mobilize.us/nysdems/event/642780/
Sign up for Weekdays:https://events.democrats.org/event/642762/

Late Breaking News Re: Today's Kamala Harris Rally

 The Kirkland Democrats' rally for Kamala Harris, Dem candidates, and the ERA this afternoon has been cancelled due to the extreme weather forecast.  It may be rescheduled on a date TBD. Honks for Harris will have to wait.

The turnout for our Honk for Harris last Friday in Utica was over 40 people and the response from motorists was very positive.  There will be more rallies to come, including the next one on the Clinton Village Green for Democratic candidates on Friday, Aug. 23rd, 4-5 pm.

Please be sure to check out the calendar for events and actions.

IMV makes political activism local, bite-size, and fun. We're in it to move the needle politically, to build a progressive political community that makes life better for all of us. Join us on Friday mornings for CAFE on Zoom, attend a postcard party, rally, or canvass.  You'll see that THIS is what democracy looks like. 

Democracy is not a spectator sport. 

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And our Facebook page and IMV Activism Group.