What did the Ward 6 Dems accomplish this election season?

• Wrote 2000+ postcards to voters in Iowa and Virginia
• Contributed to the tranche of 10,000+ postcards the DC Democratic State Committee sent to voters in North Carolina
• Texted 6000+ voters in DC on behalf of Robert White's campaign
• Volunteered at both Early Vote and Election Day in-person polling places in support of Robert White and other Democratic candidates

Special thanks to Ward 6 Dems Outreach Director Andria Thomas for setting our strategy and to Ward 6 Dems GOTV Lead Matt LaFortune for handling all the many details of the day-to-day organizing. 

Are you a young Ward 6 Democrat interested in supporting the party, growing your network, and keeping Democratic momentum going beyond 2020?

The Ward 6 Dems are launching "Young Dems of Ward 6," an initiative to recruit, connect, and grow opportunities for emerging Democratic leaders in Ward 6. The initiative will develop programming, events, mentorship, and networking opportunities tailored to your interests as a young professional. 

To kick things off, Ward 6 Dems will host a listening & brainstorming session with interested Ward 6 Young Dems. The goal of the session will be to gather feedback to guide our goals. The session is open to all interested in contributing their thoughts. 

The kick off virtual meeting will be held Thursday, November 19, at 7:00 pm.  

RSVP

The Georgia senate runoffs will not only impact the potential Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate, but they have a direct bearing on DC's statehood efforts. Both Democratic challengers in Georgia, Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, are officially on the record as supporting statehood. To quote the Warnock campaign: "DC statehood is incredibly important to the Reverend, who recognizes that millions of citizens are disenfranchised and are taxed without representation. Winning a Senate majority, which now runs through Georgia, would ensure that we change that immediately."

Right now, what they most need is money, and we are pooling DC donations so we can make a direct connection between their support of us and DC Statehood and our support of them. Donate today at:

• https://secure.actblue.com/donate/51forraphaelwarnock 
• https://secure.actblue.com/donate/51forjonossoff 

UPDATE Wednesday, November 11

We are getting LOTS of interest in volunteering to help in Georgia, and slots are filling up fast (for instance, Reclaim Our Vote has already distributed all their addresses, and the Nov. 14-15 Weekend of Action is now FULL). Please DO NOT freelance. The following groups have been on the ground in Georgia and know what needs to be done. Sign up for updates and/or volunteering directly with them. Let them set the strategy and tell us what they most need from us. Meanwhile, we'll continue to update you here on our website and in our bi-weekly newsletter.

THESE SLOTS ARE ALREADY FULL:

There will be a text and phone banking weekend of action November 14-15, led by Stacey Abrams' organization Fair Fight Action - details and shift registration at https://www.mobilize.us/fairfightaction/event/362669/. 

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: Reclaim Our Vote has SPECIFIC postcards they want everyone to use and SPECIFIC messaging for those postcards, so PLEASE follow their instructions carefully - everything is available at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1k5pKB6cDRu9Q64nHgE5zUgrZrYvoigOrZddS1zEXBqA/edi

Democrat Robert White won his bid for re-election to At-Large member of the DC City Council, while first-timer Christina Henderson (Independent) won the open At-Large seat.

Democrats also prevailed in all four Ward races, with Vince Gray (Ward 7) and Trayon White (Ward 8) easily winning re-election, Brooke Pinto (Ward 2) securing her first full term, and newcomer Janeese Lewis-George (Ward 4) easily winning her race after defeating incumbent Brandon Todd in this spring's Democratic primary. 

Our non-voting delegate to the US House of Representatives, Eleanor Holmes Norton, easily won re-election to her 16th term. Dems Paul Strauss (shadow Senator) and first-timer Oye Owolewa (shadow Representative) also both easily won their races. Delegate Holmes Norton serves in Congress, and the trio (plus shadow Senator Michael D. Brown) focuses heavily on promoting DC Statehood.

Initiative 81, "Decriminalize Nature," also cruised to victory, with more than 75% of voters supporting it. 

Full results, including the state board of education and ANC races, are available at the DC Board of Elections website. 

Fellow Ward 6 Democrats,

First of all, hearty congratulations to President-Elect Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. and Vice President-Elect Kamala Devi Harris. Although DC's vote for the Democratic ticket was never in question, it was good to see so many of our fellow citizens following our lead.

Congratulations also go to re-elected At-Large DC City Council member, Democrat Robert White, and to newly-elected At-Large DC City Council member, Independent Christina Henderson, and to all the other winners of our local elections, detailed below.

And THANK YOU to the MANY, MANY Ward 6 Dems volunteers who helped make all those wins possible. Make sure you take some time out to celebrate, because BOTH Senate races in Georgia are going to a runoff, and Virginia has state elections again in 2021, so there will be more opportunities to contribute to Democratic wins right around the corner, particularly for our Ward 6 Young Dems - see details below. 

Best,

Chuck Burger

President, Ward 6 Democrats

If you have not yet received your ballot in the mail, you will need to vote in person, which you can do starting tomorrow, Tuesday, October 27. All the early voting locations are on the BOE website: https://earlyvoting.dcboe.org. Due to the pandemic, any voter in DC can vote at any in-person voting location. The website lists the approximate wait times at each location, so make sure to check before you head out to vote, and remember to wear your mask! 

If you received your ballot in the mail from the Board of Elections, you can still complete it and turn it in, either by dropping it in your nearest USPS mailbox (it's postage pre-paid, so you don't even need a stamp), or by dropping it in one of the BoE's many secure drop boxes (complete list of locations is at https://dcboe.org/Voters/Where-to-Vote/Mail-Ballot-Drop-Sites). 

If you decide to use your mailed ballot to vote, remember to register with the BoE's ballot tracker to get updates about the status of your ballot: https://votedc.ballottrax.net/voter/. The messages you'll get look like this:

Editor's note: I put my own ballot in the Northeast Library secure drop box and registered fro the ballot tracker app on Monday, October 5. I got the notification that my ballot had been received by the BoE on Saturday, October 10, and was accepted for counting on Monday, October 12. Dedicated W6D volunteer Frank Avery reported a similar timeframe for his ballot drop off to "accepted for counting" notice. 

Council member Robert White, the only Democratic At-Large candidate this year, has reached out to the Ward 6 Dems for support. CM White needs volunteers to support him and the entire Democratic ticket at the vote centers for Early Vote and on Election Day. We're not asking you to distribute literature this year, although we will have tables with literature for voters to pick up themselves if they choose. We need volunteers to wear "ASK ME" buttons and answer questions or otherwise assist voters, masked and from a safe distance. 

• Volunteer for Early Vote poll coverage: https://www.mobilize.us/dcdemsward6/event/350344/
• Volunteer for Election Day poll coverage: https://www.mobilize.us/dcdemsward6/event/353102/

In order for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris (fingers crossed) to be able to enact their agenda and begin undoing the damage of the Trump administration, it is CRITICAL that Dems flip the US Senate blue this November. We have the opportunity to send a strong DC Statehood signal by actively supporting the Democratic candidates who have voiced their public support for making us the 51st state. 

You can help flip the Senate by donating to any/all of the following Senate candidates through dedicated "51st State" links. 

• Jaime Harrison (SC): leans R, currently tied

• Theresa Greenfield (IA): toss-up race, currently tied

• Steve Bullock (MT): toss-up race

• Jon Ossoff (GA): toss-up race

• Gary Peters (MI): toss-up race

• John Hickenlooper (CO): leans D, but R incumbent gaining

• Joe Biden and Kamala Harris

• All of the above + Joe Biden and Kamala Harris (donations split equally)

Let's make sure their Statehood support matters!

From the leadership team at at Decriminalize Nature DC:

If passed, Initiative 81 would designate entheogenic plants and fungi (iboga, ayahuasca, psilocybin, and mescaline-containing cacti) as the lowest law enforcement priority for DC’s Metropolitan Police Department. This change would help ensure that DC residents benefiting from these plant medicines - which can help treat depression, anxiety and addiction - are not subject to arrest or prosecution. These changes would help end another part of the destructive war on drugs while protecting DC residents using natural medicines to heal. Initiative 81 does not change penalties or legalize the sale of entheogens.

The DC DSC and the Ward 6 Dems support this ballot initiative. Vote YES.

No rest for weary election volunteers! Whatever the outcome in the House and Senate on November 3, experienced DC Statehood activists know work remains to be done. Join the DC DSC for their monthly Statehood Committee meeting on Tuesday, November 10, to strategize for the 117th Congress. Details and RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/dcdems/event/204310/. 

Fellow Ward 6 Democrats,

Although there is still plenty of time to return your absentee ballot (either through the USPS or in one of the convenient secure drop boxes the Board of Elections has placed around town), for those who either must or want to vote in-person, early in-person voting opens tomorrow. If you are going to vote in person, please plan to go early. You can vote at ANY in-person location in DC, and the Board of Elections website lists which sites are open and what the approximate wait time is at each at https://earlyvoting.dcboe.org. 

Be sure to vote, and be sure to plan to #VoteSafe. 

Best,

Chuck Burger

President, Ward 6 Democrats

RSVP at https://www.mobilize.us/dcdemsward6/event/354217/

We're excited to announce that the Ward 6 Democrats and the Hill Rag are sponsoring TWO nights of forums with the candidates for DC City Council At-Large. There are a total of 23 candidates, so you have a lot of choices, and we're here to help you distinguish among them. Remember, you get to vote for TWO at-large candidates. 

Dates: Monday, October 12 and Wednesday, October 14

Time: 8:00 - 9:00 p.m. (both nights)

RSVP: https://www.mobilize.us/dcdemsward6/event/336969/

You can submit your questions for the candidates at debate@hillrag.com.

First of all, YES, YOU CAN STILL VOTE IN PERSON. But many of us would prefer not to because of the pandemic, and the DC Board of Elections has gone above and beyond to provide options.

Here's a run-down of the situation:

1. The Board of Elections is automatically mailing absentee ballots to every registered voter.
2. Those ballots have started arriving.
3. If you're going to vote by mail, you can send your ballot back through the USPS, no stamp required.
4. You can also fill out your mail ballot and put it in one of the BOE's secure drop boxes. All the drop box locations are on the BOE website: https://dcboe.org/Voters/Where-to-Vote/Mail-Ballot-Drop-Sites. 
5. The last official day to register to vote is October 13 (THAT'S TOMORROW). Get registration information at the BOE website: https://dcboe.org/Voters/Register-To-Vote/Register-to-Vote. 
6. After October 13, you can still register, but you will have to register and vote in person.
7. If your absentee ballot does not arrive il the mail by October 21, you should plan to vote in person.
8. Early voting opens October 27. All the early voting locations are on the BOE website: https://earlyvoting.dcboe.org. 
9. A list of all the election day precincts is also available on the BOE website: https://dcboe.org/Voters/Where-to-Vote/Election-Day-Vote-Centers. 
10. Due to the pandemic, any voter in DC can vote at any in-person voting location.
11. If you decide to use your mailed ballot to vote, whether you send it back via the USPS or put it in a secure drop box, the BOE has a ballot tracker you can register with to be updated about the status of your ballot: https://votedc.ballottrax.net/voter/. 

Our CM Charles Allen has also summarized this information on his website at: http://www.charlesallenward6.com/how_to_vote. 

Editor's note: I put my own ballot in the Northeast Library secure drop box and registered fro the ballot tracker app on Monday, October 5. I got the notification that my ballot had been received by the BoE on Saturday, October 10.

Our Ward 6 Dems community of 20+ volunteers has written more than 2,000 postcards in support of the campaigns of Rep. Abigail Spanerger and Rep. Elaine Luria in Virginia as well as Senate challenger Theresa Greenfield in Iowa.

But there's more work to do to flip the US Senate blue this November. We have the opportunity to send a strong DC Statehood signal by actively supporting the Democratic candidates who have voiced their public support for making us the 51st state. 

One way you can help is to donate to any/all of the following Senate candidates through dedicated "51st State" links. 

• Jaime Harrison (SC): leans R, currently tied

• Theresa Greenfield (IA): toss-up race, currently tied

• Steve Bullock (MT): toss-up race

• Jon Ossoff (GA): toss-up race

• Gary Peters (MI): toss-up race

• John Hickenlooper (CO): leans D, but R incumbent gaining

• Joe Biden

• All of the above + Joe Biden (donations split equally)

Let's make sure their Statehood support matters!

We need your help to turn out votes in the District, too. Council member Robert White, the only Democratic At-Large candidate this year, has reached out to the Ward 6 Dems for support.

You can request your Re-elect Robert White yard sign here.

CM White also needs volunteers to phone bank, share campaign literature with neighbors, or host your own virtual meet & greet. Email Matt LaFortune at mattlafortune@gmail.com if you're able to support CM White's campaign in any of those ways.

The good news on the US Census is that, thanks to the tireless efforts of activists and advocates, the Trump administration has been thwarted in their attempt to end data collection early. That means you have until Saturday, October 31 to complete your 2020 census.

The bad news is that DC is still lagging badly in our response rate. We’re 13th from the BOTTOM of the list of 52 US states (or future states) for Census response rates. BILLIONS of dollars in DC’s federal food, health, and housing aid all depend on an accurate and complete count.

If you haven't completed the Census, you can do so right now online at: https://my2020census.gov/. It only takes about 10 minutes. 

If you have already responded, remind your friends and neighbors to do the same by posting the link to any neighborhood listservs or groups you belong to: https://my2020census.gov/.

Fellow Ward 6 Democrats,

It's not too late to register to join us and the Hill Rag for the forums we are sponsoring with the At-Large candidates for DC City Council. There are a total of 23 candidates, so you have a lot of choices, and we're here to help you distinguish among them. The first forum is TONIGHT, Monday, October 12, starting at 8:00 p.m., and the second is this Wednesday, October 14, also starting at 8:00 p.m. More information and registration is at https://www.mobilize.us/dcdemsward6/event/336969/. 

We also have information on voting in DC, continuing volunteer opportunities to elect Democrats both inside and outside DC, good AND bad news about the US Census, and our final Woman of Ward 6 - DC's own long-time public servant and tireless statehood advocate, Eleanor Holmes Norton.

Best,

Chuck Burger

President, Ward 6 Democrats