BOO! Brandon Williams Voted for "Political Terrorist" Jordan

October 20, 2023 Alan Cole

Where & How to Vote

Early voting starts on Saturday, Oct. 28 and ends on Sunday, Oct. 5th. There are four early voting sites in Oneida County.  Here is the Oneida County Board of Election's Early Voting information:  https://ocgovboe.net/election-information/

If you or someone you know needs to vote by absentee ballot: https://ocgovboe.net/vote-by-mail /

If you or someone you know does not know where to vote on Election Day:  https://ocgovboe.net/voting-locations/

Not everyone lives in Oneida County so here is some other local voting info:
Herkimer County Board of Elections
Madison County Board of Elections

Volunteer for GOTV

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7th. 6 am-9 pm. If you are not working the polls as an election worker, we definitely have ways for you to volunteer--knocking doors, phone banking, and more-for our local candidates in challenging races. We especially need people who can go out during the day (which days TBD) 11 am-1 pm to do "lit drops" This is quick and easy work that makes a difference!

***Email us if you can volunteer to help Get Out the Vote:
IndivisibleMV@gmail.com

What are these Propositions on the back of my ballot?

There are two statewide propositions on the ballot this year. Thanks to members of the Kirkland Town Dem Committee for providing the following short summary:

Proposition 1: Small City School Districts
Vote yes to remove the special cap on capital expenditures; it is no longer needed as those voters can now vote on their school budgets. The measure is supported by the NYS United Teachers and the NYS School Boards Assn. Note: all voters in NY vote because it is a constitutional amendment.

Proposition 2: Extending Sewage Project Debt Exclusion From Debt Limit.
This is a renewal of a provision first authorized in 1963 that must be revisited every ten years. A yes vote removes sewer facilities costs from the municipalities’ constitutional debt cap. Comptroller DiNapoli supports this proposal.

Please vote YES on both propositions.

Can You Volunteer for a Couple Hours on Oct. 28th?
(It's for a fun event!)

Last year at Harvest on the Hill in Utica, IMV's "kids vote" table was a huge success! We saw HUNDREDS of adorable children in costumes, showed them how to vote for their favorite candy by secret ballot, talked to their adults about registering to vote and/or voting in the upcoming election, and provided apples, candy, and water to families as they headed down James Street. The kids loved taking photos with our big blow up dinosaur who holds a "Dinos for Democracy" sign. So fun!

We need your help for the event again this year. Please sign up for a volunteer shift or two. We need a lot of volunteers for each time slot.  If you can't be with us that day, we would still welcome your donations of candy, apples, and other supplies for the day--also on the sign up sheet below here:

IMV Kids Vote Table at Harvest on the Hill
Saturday, Oct. 28th 12 pm-5 pm
James Street, Utica.
Sign up HERE

Thank you for helping to make this event a success. It's how we spread the ideas that
1) democracy is positive,
2) voting is part of community life, and
3) political activism can be bite-size, local, and fun.

IMV receives Herkimer County Dem Committee award

Indivisible Mohawk Valley will be receiving the Organization of the Year Award at the Herkimer County Democratic Committee's Fall Brunch Fundraiser on October 28th from 10-1. This will be in recognition of the many times that IMV members have stepped up to help out with things like petitioning and postcard writing for our county and committee. Jill Farnham-Us, Steering Committee member, is accepting the award on behalf of IMV. IMV is honored to receive this award because the hard work that the Herkimer Democrats is doing is exactly the kind of grassroots local political action that we believe in. They do the work, and in a very red county in a very red congressional district, that work is not easy.

The Herkimer County Democracy Committee's First Annual Brunch Fundraiser will be at German Flatts Community Center, 555 State Route 5S, Mohawk. Link for tickets is https://secure.actblue.com/donate/fall-brunch. Please purchase tickets by October 23, so we can give numbers to our caterer for the yummy food.

Help Re-Elect Caroline Reale for County Leg 15

Please volunteer to help re-elect Caroline Reale (and share her wonderful new ad!)

Saturday October 21st 10AM launch from Utica (We will be joined by some of our union friends from 1199) Sign up here: https://www.carolineforcounty.com/get-involved

GOTV- Sunday October 29th at 3:30 PM We will meet on the New Hartford Village Green, across from the NH Volunteer Fire Department to walk local turfs and mobilize democratic voters, reminding them early voting has arrived! (Parking is available at the Presbyterian church).

Phone Banking: Sunday October 22nd at Noon - 10 Pippin Wood Drive, New Hartford. If you'd like a virtual option for phone banking on your own time from the comfort of your own home, we have a link up and ready to share with any volunteers who sign up for it! Sign up: https://www.carolineforcounty.com/get-involved

Tonight: Postcard Party on Crystal's Porch

Please join Crystal Faria and her supporters to work on postcards to voters this evening starting 6 pm. Address: 10 Middle Street. Clark Mills. Come to the side porch. Pizza will be available but bring your own beverage. If you're planning on coming, email Crystal to let her know so she can order the correct amount of pizza: Crystalfaria@yahoo.com.

Brandon Williams Votes for "Political Terrorist" for Speaker

Our NY22 Unrepresentative voted for Jim Jordan for Speaker more than once this past week. While we are not surprised, we ARE disgusted. Reminder: Like Brandon Williams, Jim Jordan is a Christian nationalist extremist.

John Boehner has called Jordan a "political terrorist," adding "I just never saw a guy who spent more time tearing things apart – never building anything, never putting anything together."
Liz Cheney, vice chair of the Jan. 6th Select Committee says, "“Jim Jordan knew more about what Donald Trump had planned for Jan. 6 than any other member of the House of Representatives...[he] was part of the conspiracy in which Donald Trump was engaged as he attempted to overturn the election.”
Former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger has also been speaking to journalists all week about the danger to the House and the country if Republicans elect Jordan Speaker. He stated that he agrees with Cassidy Hutchinson and Liz Cheney that Jordan does not believe in the Constitution, and added, “Jim Jordan has been one of the absolute worst members of the House of Representatives, simply from just the governing perspective. I think he’s passed almost nothing, if anything at all." He explains that Jordan believes that Democrats and liberals are evil (not metaphorically, but literally) and must be defeated by any means necessary.

The quotes above are all from Republicans; that's how bad Jim Jordan is. Now we have to communicate to everyone we know that Brandon Williams is showing his true stripes in voting for him.

Sarah Klee Hood, one of the three Democrats challenging Williams for NY22 in 2024 who regularly highlight Williams' failure to represent the district and protect democracy, released a statement after Williams' first vote for Jordan for Speaker that included the following:

"Williams is betraying Central New Yorkers by prioritizing the far-right agenda of the chaotic
Republican Party - and today's vote for Jordan is further proof of it. By voting for Jim Jordan, a conspiracy theorist, anti-abortion extremist, and election denier who has voted consistently to favor the MAGA agenda while harming working families, Brandon Williams is showing us exactly who he is."

We agree, and ask that everyone call Brandon Williams' office and let him know what you think of his support (now on the record) for Jim Jordan. Even, better, write a Letter to the Editor. We have found that The Daily Sentinel and the Syracuse Post are both publishing most, if not all, of the letters they receive.

2023 Election: In the Home Stretch

You've already accomplished a lot of work including hand-writing more than 4600 postcards to Democratic women voters and newly registered Democrats in key election districts in Oneida County where we are supporting Democratic women candidates in competitive races. Plus you've contributed stamps and money to send those postcards through the mail;. Thank you, thank you!

What's next?
Early voting starts a week from tomorrow, and election day is 18 days away, so we need everyone to put the pedal to metal and show up for GOTV activities. Please participate in candidate events in the next couple of weeks, and if you can help with lit drops, please email us at IndivisibleMV@gmail.com.

Don't forget: We'd love to have you help pass out treats at our "Kids Vote" table in Utica on Oct. 28th. Sign up HERE.