Everyday Election Activism

An Insider's Guide (#20) - July 13 2025

A bit of introduction. This post has been a long time coming. I have been mulling over the current state of the resistance and where we need to be. I have been trying to understand what we are accomplishing and what is missing from our strategies. The daily crises of democracy are heartbreaking and I have needed time to right myself. I hope this post is helpful to you as we move forward, our eyes on the prize - making our vision for the United States a reality.

The Resistance or Electoral Work?

I am always asking myself where we activists should put our energy. Should we focus primarily on building the resistance to MAGA, or should we go all in to prepare for the elections ahead? When our emotions run high in the face of the harms inflicted on our country, it feels more urgent to resist than to build for the future. This is understandable, and our outrage provides necessary fuel for our movement. As a result, however, we end up postponing the work to engage voters.

IMHO this is not a good plan. Our long-term strategy to stop Project 2025 must broaden ASAP to include both building the strength of the resistance AND voting out the MAGA Republicans. Here’s why I think it’s critical to think this way.

• First of all, the daily crises will not go away any time soon, certainly not before the midterms. There will be no down time, no calm period when it will be easy to turn away from acts of resistance. MAGA is not going to collapse from the force of our resistance alone. We need to win elections.

• Secondly, unifying voters to elect Democrats is a long-term project. We can not afford to wait until next year to start. The Democratic brand is in the toilet. If that continues, what is going to happen when Election Days roll around? Maybe we’ll see a drop-off in votes for Republicans (as in dropping off a cliff!), but how many of those who are anti-MAGA will get out and vote for Democrats? What will happen if people are not enthusiastic about voting for Democrats? Without excitement… well, I shudder to think. Low voter turnout? Republican misinformation winning the day? Voter suppression overpowering the will of the people? Losing elections again?

If we don’t start bringing people together now, uniting the resistance with a commitment to vote for Democrats, we run the risk of coming up short at election time.

Doing Both at Once!

Good news! Building the resistance and preparing to vote out MAGA Republicans do not have to be separate efforts. We can do them both at the same time. The resistance can help unite voters to pull for the Democratic Party, and working on electing Democrats can help grow the resistance. But iff - if and only if - we think about it that way. We have to be strategic. And innovative. And unwavering in our belief in the need to elect Democrats!

Why We Need To Elect Democrats (or Democrat-Aligned Candidates)

We need to win elections to regain majorities in the House and Senate and to strengthen control at the state level. It’s the unspoken message of the protest movement that we need to elect Democrats. It needs to be spoken! And spoken again! Over and over!

What about voters drawn to unaffiliated candidates and third parties?

I have no quarrel with electing Independents who will caucus with the Democrats. After all, what better champion for the people than Senator Bernie Sanders? I do, however, have a quarrel with any independent or third party candidate that splits the vote in tight races. If we want more than two political parties, we are going to have to build from the ground up, being careful that we don’t lose everything along the way. It’s a long term process and will not be in place by next year. For now, we are stuck with the Democratic Party.

If you are with me on this, that’s good! Even in the absence of outside challengers to Democratic candidates, however, we still need have our work cut out for us to engage the millions of Democratic-leaning voters who stayed home in 2024. The additional challenge emerging this year is how to woo all the Trump voters who are disillusioned and angry with him. Will they stay home or come into the Democratic tent?

These are questions that should be top of mind as we plot a new Democratic tsunami, starting with elections this year and culminating in next year’s midterms.

Creating a Big Tent by Ownership of the Democratic Party

To elect Democrats, we need the party to become a big tent. That means we need a different Democratic Party. It is too much to expect that the Democratic Party will change on its own, despite the growing number of elected Democrats who are speaking out and the new leadership in the Democratic National Committee. We witnessed with impatience the slow response of Democrats in Congress after President Trump took office. It takes a lot to change the sluggish-moving mammoth of a political party.

It’s up to us to transform the party. How to do this? By being loud, setting the agenda, and increasing pressure on the Democratic Party, its currently elected officials, and any candidate who wants our votes. We can seize the narrative, engage with the public and show how widely our agenda resonates. We can force Democrats to curry votes from us by pledging to serve us better.

We need not put energy into criticizing the Democratic Party. That is a loser’s game. It plays into the hands of those who would defeat us. Instead let us assert our power. Let us claim it - through the strength of the resistance and through our voter engagement and Get Out The Vote efforts.

We, the Resistance, Are the Democratic Party!

We need to be clear about our demands. For starters, if we elect Democrats, they must on Day 1 reverse the unlawful and unconstitutional actions of MAGA - with new legislation, investigations of corruption and illegal actions, whatever it takes. We need Congress to block Project 2025 in the administration and the courts by asserting its constitutional role in government. This administration has been able to implement its corrupt and authoritarian policies only because Republicans in Congress let it and because of collusion between the administration and the Supreme Court.

As obvious and straightforward as our demand sounds, we can not take it for granted. An example: What will Democrats do about ICE if they regain the majority in Congress? Axios reports that ‘A clash is already brewing [among House Democrats] over how far to go — with some progressives eyeing actual funding cuts as moderate border hawks draw a bright red line in opposition to that idea.’

It is outrageous to hear about debate on whether to cut funding for ICE. We need to demand that the Democratic Party put an end to using a militarized ICE to disappear people, deny people due process, throw people into concentration camps, send them to foreign gulags, and terrorize our communities. And we definitely need to cut funding to ICE (or reallocate ICE funds to reverse the damage).

We also need to demand that the Democratic Party acknowledges the vital role of immigrants in our country. We can demand fair immigration policy. Fair does not mean weak. Democrats need to be bold and do the right thing!

Another example - climate change. As Democratic Senator Whitehouse has said, the Democratic party and the climate movement have been “too cautious and polite” and should instead be denouncing the fossil fuel industry’s “huge denial operation.” He adds, “It never becomes one of the top issues that voters care about. [But] if you actually go ask [voters] and engage on the issue, it explodes in enthusiasm. It has huge numbers when you bother to engage, and we just haven’t.”

We will have to set the agenda on all the other issues, too: healthcare, education, wealth inequality, racial discrimination, workers’ rights, support for Ukraine, a humanitarian approach towards Gaza …. the list is long! And part of the agenda must also include explicit plans to create a true democracy - outlawing corruption from dark money in politics and enacting strong voting rights legislation.

Using the Resistance to Unify Voters

The resistance movement is intentionally nonpartisan. It is pulling in a broad swath of Americans, everyone who is angry at seeing our country torn away from us. It welcomes Democrats, unaffiliated voters, and soft Republicans. It is bringing in people who do not consider themselves political. Its rallying cry is for unity against MAGA, and that is beautiful.

I understand the hesitation to talk about the Democratic Party. There is fear of alienating all the non-Democrats in the crowds. And we all are concerned that the Democratic Party is too meek to address the struggles of working Americans or solve the country’s big problems.

I get that, but if we hesitate now, then when will we stop hesitating and start working on winning? We need to start somewhere! I suggest we use the tools of the resistance to build unity at the polls and to make demands on Democratic officials and candidates. We have to be clear in our messaging: We will succeed in voting out MAGA only if we all vote, and only if we vote for Democrats up and down the ballot.

1. Protests Where We Talk about Electing Democrats

Protests have speakers: Can we invite speakers from all political (or non-political) backgrounds who will talk about the urgency to unite and who will build hope and excitement? Can we turn fears of elections being canceled into determination to turn out anti-MAGA voters to the polls? Can we rally everyone behind the Democratic Party and show people they have a role to play in remaking the Democratic Party?

Let us also encourage protesters to get involve in election-related activities. Recruit volunteers at protests to help with voter registration drives. Make sure protesters know how to contact their Democratic elected officials (and in the future, also candidates) and offer messaging guidance for demanding bold action. Help protesters learn about and connect with groups working on elections. The local Democratic Party is an obvious choice, but there are others, depending on where you live.

The most memorable images from protests are the signs and slogans. Can we start using slogans that focus people’s attention on elections? Here are a few examples. They call out for more creativity. Can you help?

• Voting For Democrats Is Not Just For Democrats Any More!

• Our Big Beautiful Plan: Vote in Democrats, Vote Out MAGA!

• Make the Democratic Party the Party of the People!

• Where is the Courage? Democratic Party, Be Bold!

2. Resistance as Pressure on Elected Democrats and Candidates

We are already making calls to our elected officials. Often we are going after the Republicans, but we need to have serious (and stern, when necessary) talks with our elected Democrats as well. Let’s hammer home the bold agenda we expect them to enact. Tell them we need to hear their commitment to roll back MAGA and move us forward to a government for the people. We can talk about our specific demands!

When we write Letters to the Editor, we can do more than call out MAGA and Project 2025. We can also call on elected officials (and candidates) to commit to reversing MAGA policies and redirecting funding to programs that we need. We can lay out our vision of good government in all our communications.

Voter Engagement as a Tool for Growing the Resistance

This year is a quiet-ish year for elections, but do not underestimate their importance. There are municipal elections in every state and statewide races in a few critical states. Election work includes making sure people are prepared to vote. It needs to emphasize the importance of down ballot races. But we can also build the resistance at the same time, creating more activists through all our voter contacts.

• Accountability phone banks and canvasses are becoming a thing. Over the past six months, local Democratic parties and grassroots groups alike are engaging voters in conversations about MAGA and getting them to call elected officials to voice their opposition. These approaches help us bring in people who are outside our personal networks. We can take this a step further though. Let’s invite voters to engage with a local organization (the Democratic Party, among others), attend a protest, or connect to others in the resistance. Don’t let them take one action and then leave them hanging!

• We can also extend our reach to inconsistent and unregistered Democratic-leaning voters and to soft Republicans. Everyone except the hard core MAGAs, really. These conversations involve a lot of listening, supporting, and encouraging. and volunteers will need training in how to engage effectively with people who hold a range of political views.

• Postcard and letter-writing campaigns are trying out new approaches. Several new initiatives are using postcards to inform voters about how MAGA will impact them - Postcards4VA and Postcards to Swing States, for example. Vote Forward is setting up conversations between volunteers and letter recipients and developing tools where voters talk with volunteers they meet through online communities and digital platforms. Innovation! Bring it on!

We Can Do This! Keep Hope Alive and Keep on Keepin’ On!

New ideas emerge every week. Let’s embrace them. Let us stay in the game and sustain each other. Let us keep moving forward one step at a time - building the power of the resistance by growing its numbers, and inspiring voters to take our country back by voting in Democrats. Every action we take makes a difference and ripples out. You don’t need to take that on faith. It is true!

I will end with a wonderful reminder of the challenges we face and the hope we keep in our hearts. The legendary Sam Cooke, in A Change is Gonna Come, lets us feel the pain underlying the struggle even as we hold the conviction that we will be victorious. It’s worth a listen, but please also watch the video. It reviews in photos the great social movements of the past century. It can inspire us with courage to live with our anger and grief while keep on keepin’ on.