The AoC Checklist features clear, well-researched actions for Americans who value democracy, equality, voting, and decency. We are a big tent for all people who want a kinder, flourishing nation.
This Week’s Actions
Action 1: Support Haitian community members facing hateful threats.
Source: AoCC
Thank you to the 94 Americans of Conscience who completed this action!
This month, media outlets spread a baseless and racist rumor about Springfield, OH residents from Haiti. Since then, the community has received over 30 bomb threats to schools and other public spaces, with extremist groups publicly marching and inciting violence and anti-immigrant hate.
Donate: To Springfield’s Haitian Community Help & Support Center to counter hate with supportive solidarity.
Action 2: Pledge to vote.
Source: ACLU
Thank you to the 124 Americans of Conscience who completed this action!
Studies show that pledging to vote and asking friends to vote are two effective ways to increase voter turnout. People who make public pledges tend to take action on them.
Publicly pledge to vote. Text three loved ones or post on your social media accounts: “I’m voting in this year’s election. Are you?” or use these voting conversation starters.
Action 3: Vote comfortably from home and track your ballot.
Source: National Vote at Home Institute
Thank you to the 94 Americans of Conscience who completed this action!
With early voting already underway in 19 states, election officials are urging those who plan to vote by mail to return their ballots early and avoid overwhelming the U.S. Postal Service. Use this list of state deadlines to find your state’s requirements for mail voting, and track your ballot after you put it in the mail.
Action 4: Demand action to protect Black-owned homes.
Source: Bullard Center for Environmental & Climate Justice, Sierra Club
Thank you to the 106 Americans of Conscience who completed this action!
Write: Pete Buttigieg
Secretary of Transportation
U.S. Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20590
Script: Hello, I’m contacting you from [STATE] about the impact of flooding on the historically Black community of Shiloh, AL caused by inequitable infrastructure planning. The 2018 expansion of Highway 84 has been redirecting rainwater into homes for over five years, undermining foundations, overloading septic tanks, and threatening families who have lived there for generations. Please use your oversight authority to secure funding to save the homes of this long-neglected community.
Alternate: Sign the Sierra Club Petition (you will be automatically subscribed to their email list).
Action 5: Stop dark-money donors from colluding with political campaigns.
Source: Campaign Legal Center
Thank you to the 65 Americans of Conscience who completed this action!
Contact: Your one House representative (look up).
Script: Hi, I’m a constituent from [ZIP] urging you to cosponsor and pass the Stop Illegal Campaign Coordination Act (H.R. 9589). I’m counting on you to help close this campaign finance loophole that undermines democracy. This bill bans the increasingly common practice of redboxing — posting coded instructions on campaign websites that illegally provide super PACs with coordinated language to use in privately funded ads. Thank you.
Action 6: Advocate for survivors of violence to access crucial support services.
Source: AoCC
Thank you to the 63 Americans of Conscience who completed this action!
Contact: Your two senators and one House representative (look up).
Script: Hello, I’m reaching out from [ZIP] in support of the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act (S. 4514/H.R. 8061), which would restore funding to the Crime Victims Fund. Funding cuts have forced domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, and child advocacy programs to reduce services, lay off staff, or shut down entirely. I’m calling on [NAME] to vote yes on (S. 4514/H.R. 8061) and restore these vital programs to survivors of violence.
Acts of Gratitude
We believe in gratitude as a tool for change. We will print a letter of thanks from Americans of Conscience with your signature and mail it to the recipient. Your information will be removed from this website no later than four weeks after the Checklist’s publication date.
Thank Gov. Roy Cooper (D–NC) for vetoing legislation that would have endangered aspiring Americans and siphoned taxpayer money away from public schools.
If you’d like to mail your own personal expression of gratitude, use this address: North Carolina Office of the Governor, 20301 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699
Thank you to the 144 Americans of Conscience who completed this action!
Thank Gov. Mike DeWine (R–OH) for his public support for the city of Springfield’s Haitian community.
If you’d like to mail your own personal expression of gratitude, use this address: Riffe Center, 30th Floor, 77 South High St., Columbus OH 43215
Thank you to the 158 Americans of Conscience who completed this action!
Good News
If you find good news for democracy, equality, and the planet, share it with us here!
Progress on issues previously featured in the Checklist
In response to our Sept 13 action calling for the protection of election workers, volunteer Julie D. got this reply from Senator Jeremy A. Cooney, D-NY District 56: “Thank you for reaching out and for your concern about elected officials. I have forwarded your message along to our legislative team for review.” While this response isn’t a commitment, it acknowledges our valid concern and sends it to the next level for future action. That’s democracy — one small step at a time toward change.
Subscriber Angela B. wrote in response to a recent action about donating school supplies that her Washtenaw Country, MI employee peers held their 17th annual “Stuff the Bus” event. They raised over $19,000 in school supplies, assisting 3,000 students in five local school districts. Cheers to this community’s efforts!
Good news for humans!
- The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians and the St. Croix Chippewa Indians invest in renewable energy solutions with $13M in grants from the Inflation Reduction Act.
- The House of Representatives rejects a version of the funding bill that would have required burdensome and unnecessary proof of citizenship for Americans registering to vote.
- The CDC updates guidance on IUD insertion to better acknowledge patients’ experiences of pain during the procedure and to offer pain-mitigation strategies.
- AZ’s Supreme Court ruling allows 98,000 eligible voters whose registration status was affected by a system error to cast a full ballot.
- CO mandates that jails establish voting centers so that eligible voters who are incarcerated can exercise their right to vote.
- DE state Sen. Sarah McBride wins her party’s nomination for the state’s only federal House seat, giving voters the opportunity to elect the first openly transgender member of Congress.
- MA and RI coordinate offshore wind procurement to power the homes of 1.4M Bay Staters and 125,000 Rhode Islanders.
- Election officials across the U.S. collaborate to dispel the unfounded and baseless concern that ineligible voters successfully cast ballots.
- Cirba Solutions opens their expanded lithium-ion battery recycling plant in Lancaster, OH using funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
- The ACLU’s Know Your Rights Bus Tour brings voting information and censored books to cities across the country.
- Haitian Bridge Executive Director Guerline Jozef highlights the positive contributions of the Haitian community to the city of Springfield, OH.
- Musicians, actors, and athletes celebrate former President Jimmy Carter’s 100th birthday with a musical gala whose ticket sales will fund international Carter Center programs.
- A Haitian restaurant, The Rose Goute Creole in Springfield, OH, receives a flood of positive Yelp and Google reviews from supportive neighbors.
- A social media post from Taylor Swift encouraging people to vote leads to 406,000 visits to Vote.org, directing prospective voters to their state’s voting registration website.
- In the Netherlands, The Hague bans advertisements promoting fossil fuel products.
Need inspiration?
- Read this week’s Inspiring Message from AoCC Executive Director Jennifer Hofmann: Is Your Opinion Manipulate-able?
- Check out the inspiring interview with Jen Hofmann and Kelly Brotzman, Executive Director of Prison Book Program on Facebook, Instagram, or Threads!
- A recent Inspiring Message also from Jen: Protecting Your Vote: Navigating the Hidden Tactics of Voter Suppression
Support democratic engagement and advance equality
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Want to accomplish more?
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Contact your members of Congress
Write, call, or email your members of Congress.
We got a comment by email from Karen M worth mentioning here:
This is national Banned Books Week, and this weekend all over America people are gathering to talk about the joy of reading freely and what we can do to protect it. In the last three years 6528 books have been challenged or banned in the US, mostly for political reasons (Project 2025 wants to take book banning national). Seems like it deserves a mention in your newsletter and a call to action. For more see https://nobookshouldbebanned.weebly.com/