7 weeks to Midterm Elections
The AoC Checklist features clear, well-researched actions for Americans who value democracy, equality, voting, and decency.
If you only have 10 minutes, take our top three suggested actions:
- Action 1: Spread the word about National Voter Registration Day (September 20).
- Action 2: Support free federal ID for all Americans.
- House Actions: Support H.R. 8770 to fund translation of voting materials.
In this edition of the AoC Checklist:
- Senate: Contact your senators.
- House: Contact your House rep.
- Action 1: Spread the word about National Voter Registration Day (September 20).
- Action 2: Support free federal ID for all Americans.
- Action 3: Request your absentee/vote-by-mail ballot early.
- Action 4: Bolster your state’s election security.
- Action 5: Prevent voter suppression and discrimination at the polls.
- Action 6: Support the Farm Bill for food assistance.
- Action 7: Advocate for contract termination with an unsafe ICE facility.
- Action 8: Help provide legal assistance for thousands of Afghan refugees.
- Say Thanks: Acts of Gratitude
- Check out Good News from around the nation
Contact your senators
Check the box if you made contact–whether for one issue or all–so we can count your action. Contacting your senators’ staffers with multiple concerns is more efficient for both of you. They don’t mind, but be sure to contact both progressives and conservatives. They need to hear from you.
Join the 0 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Your script: Hi, I’m from [ZIP] calling/writing about several issues. I’d like Sen. [NAME] to:
- Safeguard LGBTQ+ families and their federal marriage rights by passing the Respect for Marriage Act (S. 4556). [Sources: Human Rights Campaign, GLAD, Lambda Legal]
- Recognize the long-overdue sovereign nation status of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina by voting yes on S.1364. [Source: AoCC]
- Help ensure all aspiring Americans are treated with dignity and humanity by supporting a significant reduction in funding for ICE detention facilities. [Source: ACLU]
- Support the Farm Bill, which addresses climate and hunger, and ensure equitable provisions are included when the bill is reauthorized in 2023. [Source: AoCC]
Contact your House representative
Check the box if you made contact–whether for one issue or all–so we can count your action. Contacting your representative’s staffers with multiple concerns is more efficient for both of you. They don’t mind, but be sure to contact both progressives and conservatives. They need to hear from you.
Look up your House representative here.
Join the 0 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Your script: Hi, I’m from [ZIP] calling/writing about several issues. I’d like Rep. [NAME] to:
- Pass H.R. 8770, the Expanding the VOTE Act, which will fund expanded translation of voting materials to help voters regardless of their level of English language proficiency. [Source: Democracy Docket]
- Help ensure all aspiring Americans are treated with dignity and humanity by supporting a significant reduction in funding for ICE detention facilities. [Source: ACLU]
- Honor the victims and survivors of post-9/11 hate crimes and those lost on 9/11 by passing H.R. 662. [Sources: CAIR National and World Without Hate]
- Support the Farm Bill, which addresses climate and hunger, and ensure equitable provisions are included when the bill is reauthorized in 2023. [Source: AoCC]
I value democracy
With respect and collaboration, we work to create a nation that welcomes all people, expands freedoms, and upholds the Constitution. Each citizen must be able to freely and fairly elect those who represent their values.
Action 1: Spread the word about National Voter Registration Day (September 20).
Source: National Voter Registration Day
Join the 0 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Here are two quick actions you can take to “get #VoteReady”:
- Confirm your own voter registration status.
- Share voter registration information on your social media:
Graphics and Social Media Posts.
Action 2: Support free federal ID for all Americans.
Source: Project ID
Join the 0 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
21 million Americans are second-class citizens because they have no legal ID. Veterans, foster youth, seniors who’ve stopped driving, and people leaving prison can’t can’t rent an apartment, open a bank account, apply for a job, or see a doctor without ID. H.R. 8821 is new legislation to create a free national ID for all Americans–administered through the post office (like passports)–to allow all people to participate fully in our communities. AoCC is proud to endorse this legislation.
Donate: To Project ID’s Action Fund
Contact: Your MoCs with Project ID’s scripts.
Action 3: Request your absentee/vote-by-mail ballot early.
Source: Vote.org
Join the 0 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Voting by mail remains the safest way to cast your ballot. Take steps to receive a mail ballot now so you will be ready to vote in November.
Check: Vote.org for steps to get an absentee/vote-by-mail ballot in your state.
Request: Your absentee ballot from your state.
For U.S. voters overseas: In 2020, only about 7.8% of eligible overseas voters cast a ballot, but voting from abroad tells legislators they must represent the interests of U.S. citizens, no matter where they live. Complete your Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) today to ensure that you receive your ballot in time to mail it back no later than October 24.
Action 4: Bolster your state’s election security.
Source: Verified Voting
Join the 0 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Call or write: your state election official (look up).
Script: Hi, I’m a resident of [ZIP] and am calling/writing to insist [STATE] implement the following six election security recommendations to ensure the safety and accuracy of my vote:
- Have paper ballots available in case electronic systems fail.
- If electronic systems fail, make sure voters can fill out paper ballots, and assure the voters their ballots will be counted.
- Provide paper copies of voter registrations in case electronic records fail.
- Provide training so that electronic systems function, and can be repaired quickly if they fail.
- Have poll workers instruct voters to inspect and validate their ballots, especially if they are marked electronically.
- Conduct testing before and after elections, as well as election audits.
If [STATE] does not already utilize these measures, I urge [NAME] to resolve these vulnerabilities. Thank you.
Action 5: Prevent voter suppression and discrimination at the polls.
Sources: Common Cause and 866-OUR-VOTE
Join the 0 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
It’s not too soon to sign up to be a nonpartisan Election Protection volunteer. From your home, get training to track online disinformation and/or help voters navigate voting rules by staffing voter hotlines. Sign up here.
I value equality
Support the dignity of your rainbow of neighbors from every religion, race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, age, and ability.
Action 6: Support the Farm Bill for food assistance.
Source: Public Justice Food Project
Join the 0 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Contact: President Biden at The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500, or via the White House contact form.
Script: Hi, I’m contacting you from [STATE] in solidarity with more than 150 organizations advocating for you to support the 2023 Farm Bill. It contains solutions that address racial injustice, farmworker and farmer’s rights, food assistance expansion, and the climate crisis. Thank you.
Action 7: Advocate for contract termination with an unsafe ICE facility.
Source: ACLU of New Mexico
Join the 0 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
Contact: DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas at (202) 282-8495 or DHSSecretary@HQ.DHS.gov.
Script: Hello, I’m contacting you from [STATE] in support of ending all contracts with the Torrance County Detention Facility. In February, the DHS Office Inspector General recommended all detainees be removed due to inadequate staffing and unsanitary conditions, yet the facility remains operational. I am asking you to honor your pledge and terminate ICE’s contract with the Torrance County Detention Facility before more lives are lost.
Action 8: Help provide legal assistance for thousands of Afghan refugees.
Source: AoCC
Join the 0 Americans of Conscience who have completed this action by checking the tally box!
More than a year after the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan, thousands of evacuees still need legal support to prepare their U.S. asylum applications. The Immigration Justice Campaign is mobilizing volunteer attorneys so every Afghan refugee is paired with a pro bono attorney. We can support the necessary training, mentorship, and match efforts.
Donate: To the Immigration Justice Campaign (uncheck “Yes, sign me up for email updates.” to remove yourself from the email distribution list).
Acts of Gratitude
Signatures to the forms below will be printed with a letter of thanks from Americans of Conscience, and mailed to the recipient 2 weeks after the Checklist publication date. Your information will not be stored after that date.
Thank U.S. Representatives Sean Casten (D-IL) and Cori Bush (D-MO) for introducing the IDs for an Inclusive Democracy Act. A free, federal photo ID card will help 21 million people fully participate in our communities in everything from finding an apartment or a job, to receiving medical care and opening a bank account. Thank you!
If you’d like to mail your own personal expression of gratitude, use these addresses:
SC: 2440 Rayburn HOB, Washington, DC, 20515
CB: 563 Cannon HOB, Washington, DC, 20515-2501
Thank Reps. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Sens. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) for introducing the Stop Anti-Abortion Disinformation (SAD) Act, which will direct the FTC to prohibit deceptive and misleading advertising related to the provision of abortion services.
If you’d like to mail your own personal expression of gratitude, use these addresses:
CM: 2308 Rayburn HOB, Washington, DC 20515
SB: 2231 Rayburn HOB, Washington, DC 20515
BM: 528 Hart SOB, Washington, DC 20510
EW: 309 Hart SOB, Washington, DC 20510
Good News
If you find good news for democracy, equality, and the planet, share it with us here!
Issues previously featured in the Checklist
- Louisiana’s 19th Judicial District Court prevents Formosa Plastics from emitting over 800 tons of toxic pollution.
- Lara E. Montecalvo is approved by the Senate to serve as a judge on the 1st Circuit Court of appeals.
- States’ efforts to prevent tampering with voting technology are largely successful thanks to public-private partnerships.
Tribal
- The Rosebud Sioux Tribe (and all South Dakota voters) can exercise their voting rights more easily under a settlement resolving SD’s violations of the National Voter Registration Act.
- Indigenous students across the U.S. can attend certain colleges tuition-free.
National
- The Department of the Interior (in collaboration with Tribes and 13 federal agencies) removes a derogatory term from 660 geographic place names.
- A new DHS regulation ensures that aspiring Americans can access healthcare, food assistance, and other federal programs without affecting their immigration applications.
- A federal rule requiring traceable serial numbers on “ghost guns” and mandating background checks for people who buy the kits from dealers goes into effect.
- CDC-approved COVID-19 boosters targeting Omicron variants are now available nationwide.
State
- CA’s pro-workers’ rights FAST Recovery Act heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for his signature.
- CO finalizes rules for its Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program, which will go into effect January 1, 2024.
- MI: A proposed state constitutional amendment expanding abortion rights will be on the ballot in the general election.
- WI: Disabled voters who need assistance doing so can get help returning their ballots.
Corporate/business
- Princeton University students whose families earn below $100K can attend tuition-free.
- The Human Rights Commission of WA state finds that Alaska Airlines’s gendered dress code is likely discriminatory under state law.
Groups and organizations
- Project ID is instrumental in introducing new legislation to provide free national IDs to all Americans.
- The International Swimming Federation adds to its list of approved swimwear a swim cap designed for Black hair.
- Non-binary runners can register for next year’s Boston Marathon under the Boston Athletic Association’s updated gender categories.
- The Illinois Green Schools project works with schools to implement creative, low-cost, and sustainable environmental practices.
- The International Organization for Standardization creates a special code for gun stores to use when processing card transactions in an effort to help spot suspicious purchases.
- 350.org hosts a week of trainings for climate justice organizers around the world, and makes the recordings and presentations publicly accessible.
News with heart
- Davisville Middle School students record a teacher’s inappropriate statements leading to his removal.
- Ukraine gains ground in their fight against the Russian president’s invasion.
- A new malaria vaccine shows up to 80% protection against the disease in clinical trials.
- The planet is better off than it was 30 years ago in almost all of the 17 categories of the
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Goalkeepers Report on global progress.
- Lucas the penguin receives custom orthopedic shoes to treat a condition called bumblefoot.
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Housekeeping
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