Ten Things YOU Can Do Right Now to Impact Election 2018 and beyond
Wherever you are on the political spectrum, it's clear that the 2018 midterm elections for Congress and various state offices will have impacts for years to come on your life and on the US. Get involved! Be heard! Shape your future!
General information:
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 22
- Early voting: Oct. 8 - Nov. 5
- Absentee voting deadline: Postmark Nov. 9
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: Yes
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
What You Can Do Right Here Right Now
1. Register to Vote--see Gavilan's library voter registration page https://gavilan.libguides.com/2018elections
2. Encourage those around you to register and show them where; share the voter registration links on your social media and remind friends that their votes matter!
3. Figure out whether you fit into one of the major political parties, or are most comfortable in a smaller party. Check out the PBS quiz to get you started; if you want more choices, check out West Valley College's Department of Political Science's page on Links and Resources , which has a section on various political parties in the US besides the Big Two.
4. Get informed! Learn about candidates and issues. Here are some starting places for California voters:
Gavilan College library's Election & Voting Information page
West Valley College's Department of Political Science's page on Links and Resources
UC Berkeley's non-partisan list of organizations' stands on all California ballot measures
4. Volunteer. See Gavilan College library's Political Parties page for the Big Two; see West Valley College's Department of Political Science's page on Links and Resources for other parties.
5. Get involved in swing-district races that could determine the make-up of Congress; contact the office of your preferred candidates to volunteer:
State Senate District 12 Rob Poythress (Republican) -- vs. Anna Caballero (Democratic) --Race may be key in determining whether Democrats have a super-majority in the State Senate
10the Congressional District Jeff Denham (Republican) -- vs. Josh Harder (Democrat)--Race may be key in determining whether Republicans hold or lose a majority in the federal House of Representatives
6. Volunteer to mobilize voters.
For conservatives: American Conservative Union is the nation's oldest conservative organization doing electoral work
For Progressives: MoveOn has many opportunities to do voter turnout work.
7. Make a campaign contribution to the candidate or issue of your choice. Even small donations help.
8. Join or start a student organization that reflects your views. Contact the Gavilan College ASB to find out where you fit in.
9. Join an existing organization whose goals and values you support. Keele University list includes links to organizations of all kinds and values, by interest area: https://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/por/usbase.groups.htm
VoteSmart.org also has a list with links to all kinds of groups, by interest area: https://votesmart.org/interest-groups
For conservatives: https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Conservative_political_organizations_(U.S.)
For progressives: http://www.startguide.org/orgs/orgs01.html
10. Make civic engagement a lifelong habit! Consider Gavilan's new Social Justice Studies Associates Degree for Transfer! See your counselor about this dynamic opportunity.