Welcome to Girl Talk
Welcome to Girl Talk
It’s a thing. Women are more motivated than ever to influence politics in this country. Look no further than the Women’s March of 2017, or the record number of women who ran for office (and won) in 2018. But with all that good energy and positive female involvement...turns out we can still do better.
A recent survey from All In It Together, found that “...despite increased activism online, (especially among women) voters are not really showing up for in-person political activism. Fewer than one-in-ten (8%) of us are planning to participate more in politics beyond voting.”
While ‘online activism,’ such as debating the critical points of the gun debate with a guy you can barely remember from high school, may make you feel good, it is not the kind of thing that is going to have any real political impact.
Helping a great candidate WIN an election... now that just might have actual consequence. To that end, the tried and true measure of a winning campaign is a winning ground game. Guess what you need to have an effective ground game... lots of people covering that ground.
So, here’s the point... IF YOU REALLY WANT TO HAVE AN IMPACT on your political reality, VOLUNTEER for a campaign and elect good people to office.
Here’s How You Get Started…
1. Reach out to your local, county Democratic or Republican Committee or if you are on a college campus, consider going to the next Democratic or Republican campus meeting.
2. Search the web for your local, state, presidential candidates, learn about their platform and see where they stand on issues you care about.
3. Reach out to a campaign and VOLUNTEER to help.
What Does Volunteering Look Like?
Volunteering can be as simple as making a small donation or putting a sign in your yard, or you could go all in and take a few shifts in the campaign office, make phone calls to recruit volunteers and votes.
You can also sign up to canvass, going door to door with fellow volunteers to let your neighbors know why you are supporting your candidate.
Or, you can write postcards. Most campaigns have postcard writing events regularly. It’s a great way to spend an hour a week, reaching out to others in your community with a nice note about election day and all the things they should know about your candidate.
No matter how you engage, we know you will feel empowered by the experience, and you will most likely meet others in your community that are motivated by issues that matter to you - and that’s a lot more meaningful and rewarding than fighting with that guy from high school on social media.
Wait, Back Up. First Things First. Are You Registered to Vote?
Supporting a candidate is great, but what they need from you most is your vote. If you are a first-time voter, just turned 18, or recently moved you can register to vote, confirm your registration status or request an absentee ballot at ivotelikeagirl.com.
Another GREAT resource is the League of Women Voters - VOTE411.org. We love it!
You can find out what’s on your ballot, get registration deadlines, they even have a great first-time voter checklist.
If You Only Have Time To Do ONE Thing This Week...
Not all of us have time to volunteer for a campaign, but every one of us can take the time to hold our elected officials accountable - especially on issues we care about.
In every edition of girltalk, we’ll call out ‘one thing’ you can do that week to make a difference. This week’s task? Creating real movement on gun safety legislation.
Moms Demand Action inspired us once again this past weekend, organizing rallies in every state to push for real solutions to gun violence NOW.
If you attended a rally, you are our shero. If you couldn’t make a rally, no worries... there is still one thing you can do to help…
Text CHECKS to 644-33 to contact your Senator and urge a vote on H.R.8.
H.R. 8 — Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, is a bi-partisan bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives in February. The purpose of this Act, in a nutshell, is to expand background checks by closing a loophole that allows as many as one-fifth of gun sales over the internet and at gun shows to no longer go unchecked.
One down, but we’re gonna keep talking…
We hope you have found our 1st girltalk helpful. We will keep gathering tips, info and loads of inspiration, but don’t ever feel like you have to do everything, or even anything, on our lists.
We founded Vote Like a Girl to give women an easy way to join the political conversation and support progress on issues they care about. We know how busy you are, and how many endless directions you are pulled in every day.
If all you have time for is to wear a t-shirt and donate to a cause you care about…start there. You know where to go ....ivotelikeagirl.com.
Talk again soon,
Kim and Allie