Perhaps the most important volunteer activity we undertake is our GOTV (Get Out The Vote) work, helping elect Democrats up and down the ballot. Although we do not campaign for or endorse one Democratic candidate over others in primary elections, once Democratic voters have made their choice, we are all in, contributing our time, talent, and treasure.
What do we do?
In DC:
Voter registration
Voter education
About issues in our city through our newsletter, our salons, and our Ward 6 Matters panel discussions
About candidates: through our candidate profiles, forums, and debates
About the nuts and bolts of voting in DC
Recruiting and supporting poll workers for the city
Campaigning for Democratic candidates in the general election
Results: In 2020, we held a very well-attended candidate forum to introduce Ward 6 voters to their plethora of options for At-Large Member of the DC City Council. We contributed to Democrat Robert White’s re-election as At-Large Member by significant plurality in a crowded race.
We also filled the vital role of educating Ward 6 voters about their pandemic-expanded options for casting their ballots, resulting in the highest voter turnout of any Ward in the city. And even during a pandemic, we continued our legendary donut and coffee drops for poll workers at precincts throughout Ward 6!
In races in states outside DC:
Writing postcards to voters
Text banking
Phone banking
Canvassing
For our state-level races, we have been largely focused on Virginia for reasons of proximity, impact, and the fact that their state elections occur in odd-numbered years, when there are no DC or national races.
Results: In 2017, we contributed directly to the election of Gov. Ralph Northam, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, and Attorney General Mark Herring, and to the significant and surprising Democratic gains in the state Senate and House of Delegates.
In 2019, a non-gubernatorial year, we campaigned for challenger Dan Helmer (HD-40) and Del. Wendy Gooditis (first-term incumbent for HD-10), both of whom won handily. Although our third candidate, Sheila Bynum-Coleman (challenger for HD-66), fell short, our efforts led directly to Democrats taking control of both houses of the Virginia state legislature for the first time in more than 20 years.
In national races:
Writing postcards to voters
Text banking
Phone banking
Canvassing
Results: In 2018, we supported challengers Leslie Cockburn, Elaine Luria, Abigail Spanberger, and Jennifer Wexton, all vying for long-time Republican House seats in Virginia. Thanks in part to our efforts, Luria, Spanberger, and Wexton all won their races, flipping three seats that were crucial to Democrats’ regaining control of the House of Representatives.
In 2020, we again supported Rep. Luria and Rep. Spanberger, as well as challenger Jaime Harrison in South Carolina. Harrison fell short, but don’t feel too bad for him – he’s our new chair of the DNC!
In the winter of 2020-2021, we worked with various DC Statehood organizations and the DC Democratic State Committee to bundle donations for the Georgia runoff election that flipped both Georgia Senate seats and elected Senator Raphael Warnock and Senator Jon Ossoff, winning control of the Senate for Democrats and allowing us our best chance to advance the agenda of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Ready to help elect Democrats up and down the ballot, in DC and across the country? Contact Matt LaFortune at mattlafortune@gmail.com, our GOTV lead, for more information.