Do you believe that everyone should be able to vote? Then the very first thing we need to is...register more voters! Dylan Black, our NY22/24 Build the House Organizer has offered an awesome opportunity for us to Register Voters next weekend in Utica!

We hope you saw Ezra's message to all of us after we lost a hard fight for democracy on Wednesday:

"So what can we do after losing a hard fight? Here are the options:

• We can give up.

• We can keep building power.

That’s it. End of list. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to let the fascists win in a forfeit." --Ezra Levin, Indivisible's co-founder

IMV is NOT giving up. We have work to do from the ground up that has the potential to change the game on voting, health care, climate, racial justice, and more. It means getting legislation passed in New York. It means winning back congressional seats in New York. It means building political power in Oneida and surrounding counties. In our sixth year as a grassroots progressive volunteer political organization, we are positioned to do the work. AND WE WILL.

We've been pushing Congress for months to pass groundbreaking voting rights legislation – and Senate Majority Leader Schumer has announced that the Senate will be holding a historic vote to move forward The Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act this coming week. This weekend, we can all help Senator Schumer take this bill to the finish line by calling voters in West Virginia or Arizona and patching them through to urge Sens. Manchin or Sinema to do whatever it takes to pass and protect our freedom to vote.

Do not for a second get distracted by Sen. Sinema's very bad, fact deficient speech on the Senate floor or Sen. Manchin's constant whining. The pressure on them is mounting, and the people are leading the way. This fight is not over. In fact, you can join it at this critical moment. Please Join IMV as we take action (via Zoom) Saturday, Jan. 15th, 11:00-11:30 am: Don’t Let the Dream Die: Call to Action to Save Democracy.

Did you make a New Year's Resolution to become more politically active? Keep your resolution today by making calls to your representatives. Our power is greater when more of us call with a clear message at the same time. So make your calls today. In most cases, you are simply leaving a voicemail, but those voicemails matter to the people who need your vote.

New Yorkers deserve a health care system that is patient-centered, not profit-centered. The NY Health Act actually has a shot in 2022, and its success depends on political activism in the next few weeks. Andrea Stewart-Cousins has committed to bringing it to the floor of the state senate. BUT we will need to 'do our thing' as grassroots Indivisible activists--calling, letters to the editor, and lobby visits. Do you have questions? Concerns? Want to know more about how New York can be the start to an amazing national ripple?

On January 6, 2022, IMV will do what we do best: rally and call attention for our elected leaders to meet this moment. Here's our message: Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, don’t get cold feet: pass the Freedom to Vote Act, John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and Build Back Better Act!

Thank you to everyone who showed up for our last IMV meeting of 2021 on Dec. 12! We met Senya Bekui, the new lead organizer for Citizen Action CNY. He shared this inspiring video (co-starring our very own good friend, Shana Dahlin!) in his most recent email. IMV encourages everyone to become a sustaining member of Citizen Action and/or make an end of the year gift to this critical group that fights in our state and region for social, economic, climate, and racial justice. Seriously, click on the video, because the justice agenda it lays envisions is one IMV shares.

For our December 2021 IMV meeting we'll be on Zoom, and we have an awesome agenda! So grab some afternoon cocoa and cookies and join us on your screen for:

• Conversation & Q & A with Josh Riley, who is running for Congress in NY22

• Insights into our local 2021 election voting data

• Introduction to Citizen Action's new Utica-Rome organizer

Congratulations to Indivisible NY State groups who showed up in a big way for the rescheduled Zoom with Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday night. We had 500 activists on the call, and the Governor knew it. As she has in the past when we met with Sen. Schumer, Sarah Reeske prepared Indivisibles from all over the state to ask their questions and hold our elected officials' feet to the fire. When they meet with us, they know they are talking to the people who knock the doors, make the calls, and mobilize the New Yorkers for progressive action.

Heading into the 2021 election season last spring, IMV members led by Dick Meili began to get together over Zoom to talk about writing more letters to the editor in local papers, an effort encouraged by Indivisible and many grassroots political groups as a way to influence elected officials, public opinion, and voters, on a variety of issues and elected offices.

It was wonderful to see so many of you in person at the IMV Fall Fiesta on Sunday. We missed those who could not be there. Five years into our progressive political activism, we are still going strong.

If you want to be together in person again, please show up at the Clinton Village Green today for the monthly Climate and Racial Justice rally, 4-5 pm, and bring your climate signs in solidarity with the activists in Glasgow.

Our focus this week is Gov. Hochul, with climate as a top priority. We have a small delegation heading to Albany on Saturday with NY Renews to press the state legislature and the Governor to implement the CLCPA and pass the CCIA.

So many people worked hard this year, on campaigns and elections, but also on rallies and issues, legislative lobbying and LtEs, and much more. This is our annual celebration of the work and time to socialize, build relationships, and strengthen our connection as a grassroots political action community.

What: IMV's Annual Fall Fiesta
When: Sunday, Nov. 7th, 12:30 pm-3:00 pm
Where: JCC, 2310 Oneida Street, Utica

Details: We have Rio Grande once again catering delicious Tex Mex food, more than enough for everyone! Kids and families are welcome. There will be cake! You are welcome to bring your own plates and flatware if ecologically minded, but we will also have some disposables. We will be spaced out; come if you are feeling well and are vaccinated.

IMV and the candidates we support need you. There are no do overs on Nov. 3. It's now or never. IMV members are committing to show up together over the weekend. If that doesn't fit your schedule, or you can do GOTV on Monday or Tuesday, we also have other opportunities.

Please check the details and sign up!

Yesterday NY Times On Politics editor Trip Gabriel published a piece about the irony of the Republican candidate for Virginia Governor encouraging supporters to vote early (in spite of his Trumpian echo that early and mail in voting is one of countless voter frauds that invalidate results). The article explains that "An early vote, cast in person or by mail, means a campaign doesn’t have to pursue that voter with phone calls and door knocks in the final frenzied weeks."

That's why early voting GOTV this weekend is so critical.

IMV's Steering Committee has been working for months to organize a strategic postcard plan to get out the vote for our local Democratic candidates, especially those we have canvassed for and supported. We have postcards to rural Democratic voters and even a postcard that encourages our target voters to turn out to vote for our judicial candidates. Thanks to all those who have already picked up bundles from our boxes around town. It's been heartening to see them disappear so quickly. We have 1000 left to write and we need to get them in the mail very quickly because of Early Voting.

The message of the recent UN Climate report is that we have reached "Code Red for humanity."

IMV's Climate Crisis Working Group is asking all of us to begin a weekly calling effort to demand that both our elected federal representatives and our elected state officials stand up and respond without delay to the urgency of the crisis. If you can call every day, even better. The calls for each issue are counted every single day.

If you've ever marched for women and gender equality, whether in January 2017, many decades before that historic day, or in the years since, and are wondering when you need to show up again, the answer is TOMORROW AT 2 PM for the Utica Women's March. This critical event is about reproductive freedom and justice, and everything is at stake. We love children and families, women and wombs, and society prioritizing care for all of the above, but no one should be FORCED to bear children or give birth. More than 500 marches are currently registered across the country.

It was wonderful to see so many of you at our September IMV meeting on Zoom Monday! We covered a lot of ground including updates on local canvassing and postcards, legislative efforts in Washington, and planning for our Utica Women's March on Oct. 2. Please read the details and check out our IMV calendar so you don't miss anything. 

IMV is moving back to Zoom for our September meeting. Monday, Sept. 20th, 7-8:30 pm.

We have a full agenda as always including an overview from The Center about the expected influx of Afghan refugees, legislative updates, info on our door knocking and postcard efforts for local candidates, and an update on the Oct. 2 Utica Women's March for reproductive freedom.