Work On A Swing State Now
The election's just days away: get in the fight and make a difference.
It’s now or never to stop Trump. Here’s what you can do in the next few days to help put Harris over the top.
What to do:
📞 Work the phone: Make calls to get out the vote (see below or try my quick start calling guide).
🚘 Make a trip: Go help local groups get out the vote (details below, or find carpools/buses here). Volunteers are most needed on the ground right now in Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Georgia.
💪🏽 Spread the word: Share this guide (use the share button above), thanks.
Arizona
Trump is counting on Arizona's 11 electoral votes, but it could be very close. Biden won Arizona by just 10,457 votes in 2020 (.3%), out of 3.3 million cast, while Trump won in 2016 by 3.5%. Maricopa County (Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale and Tempe) contains sixty percent of the state's population, and often determines the winner.
(Phone) GOTV: Make calls with the national or Arizona (English, Español) phone banks. Send postcards.
(In-state) voter protection: Help with ballot curing or volunteer with AZ Dems.
Go to Flagstaff: Help get out the vote.
House: Help Amish Shah and Kirsten Engel flip the U.S. House.
Senate: Help Ruben Gallego beat Kari Lake for U.S. Senate.
Reproductive rights: Help pass Prop 139.
Lawyer? Become a poll monitor.
More: See all AZ Dems events.
Georgia
Georgia, with 16 electoral votes, will also be very close. Biden won Georgia by just 11,780 votes in 2020 (.4%) out of five million cast, while Trump won in 2016 by a full five percent. Turning out votes in Atlanta's suburban Cobb and Gwinnett counties and urban Fulton and DeKalb counties will be key. Augusta (Richmond county) and Savannah (Chatham) can help cut into Trump's huge rural margins too.
(Phone) GOTV: Make calls with the national or Georgia phone banks. Send postcards.
(In-state) voter protection: Become a poll watcher.
Go to Atlanta: Get out the vote.
Go to Savannah: Get out the vote.
Go to Augusta: Get out the vote.
Lawyer? Help monitor tabulation and certification.
More: See all Georgia Dems events.
Michigan
Michigan, with 15 electoral votes, is a critical part of Democrat's 'blue wall.' Yet Trump surprised here in 2016, winning the state by just 10,704 votes out of 4.8 million cast. Key for Democrats is getting out voters in key Detroit-area counties like Wayne, Oakland, Genesee, Macomb and also Kent (Grand Rapids) and Washtenaw (Ann Arbor).
(Phone) GOTV: Make calls with the national or Michigan phone banks. Send postcards.
(In-state) voter protection: Become a poll observer. Volunteer with Common Cause Michigan.
Group trips: Carpool/bus to Michigan from Chicago metro area.
Go to Grand Rapids: Get out the vote.
Go to Ann Arbor: Get out the vote.
Go to Lansing: Get out the vote.
Go to Detroit: Get out the vote.
House: Help Curtis Hertel Jr., Kristen Rivet, and Carl Marlinga flip the U.S. House.
Senate: Help Elissa Slotkin hold the U.S. Senate.
Lawyer? Help safeguard the certification process.
Nevada
Nevada's six electoral votes are a coin flip right now. Most of the state's population is in traditionally purple Clark (Las Vegas) and Washoe (Reno) counties, and nearly a third of Nevada's voters are registered independents.
(Phone) GOTV: Make calls with the national or Nevada phone banks. Send postcards.
(In-state) voter protection: Volunteer with ACLU Nevada.
Go to Las Vegas: Get out the vote.
Go to Reno: Get out the vote.
Union member? Get out the vote.
House: Help Susie Lee flip the U.S. House.
Senate: Help Jacky Rosen hold the U.S. Senate.
Lawyer? Help protect voters’ rights.
North Carolina
Trump won North Carolina's 16 electoral votes by 1.3% in 2020, and the polls are now all over the map. The challenge is getting strong turnout in blue-ish metro strongholds to counter Trump's conservative rural voter turnout machine. Key counties include Wake (Raleigh), Mecklenberg (Charlotte), Guilford and Forsyth (Greensboro), Durham, Buncombe (Asheville) and Cumberland (Fayetteville).
(Phone) GOTV: Make calls with the national or North Carolina phone banks. Send postcards.
(Phone) voter protection: Help with ballot curing.
(In-state) voter protection: Become a poll observer.
Go to Charlotte: Get out the vote.
Go to Raleigh: Get out the vote.
Go to Durham: Get out the vote.
House: Help Don Davis flip the U.S. House.
More: See all NC Dems events.
Pennsylvania
Whoever wins Pennsylvania's 19 electoral votes is likely to become president, and it's a dead heat. Trump beat Clinton by just 1% here in 2016 and Biden beat Trump by 1% in 2020. Democrats need strong voter turnout not just in the blue counties around Pittsburgh (Allegheny) and the urban east (Philadelphia, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks, Lehigh), but in the reddish-purple counties across the rest of this rust belt state (Lancaster, Berks, Luzerne, Cumberland, Erie).
(Phone) GOTV: Make calls with the national or Pennsylvania phone banks. Send postcards.
(In-state) voter protection: Become a poll observer. Volunteer with Common Cause Pennsylvania.
Go to Philadelphia: Get out the vote.
Go to Pittsburgh: Get out the vote.
Group trips: Buses to Pennsylvania from NYC.
House: Help Susan Wild, Matt Cartwright, Janelle Stelson, and Chris Deluzio flip the U.S. House.
Senate: Help Bob Casey hold the U.S. Senate.
Lawyer? Help monitor polling places.
More: See all PA Dems events.
Wisconsin
Harris is counting on Wisconsin's 10 electoral votes to put her over the top. But it's anybody's guess: polls have significantly overestimated Democratic strength here in the last two presidential cycles, which both Trump and Biden won by less than 1%, in 2016 and 2020. Democrats will need a huge turnout in the Madison/Dane County area, as well as Milwaukee and its purple suburban counties like Waukesha, to counter Trump's huge margins in very red northern and western Wisconsin.
(Phone) GOTV: Make calls with the national or Wisconsin phone banks. Send postcards.
(In-state) voter protection: Volunteer with League of Women Voters Wisconsin.
Group trips: Carpool/bus to Wisconsin from Chicago metro area.
Go to Madison: Get out the vote.
Go to Milwaukee: Get out the vote.
House: Help Rebecca Cooke flip the U.S. House.
Senate: Help Tammy Baldwin hold the U.S. Senate.
Lawyer? Work with ACLU Wisconsin or LWV Wisconsin.
More: See all WisDems events.
FAQs
Is this really worth my time?
Absolutely. Several swing states were decided by just 10,000 votes in the past two elections, out of millions cast. A little time now could make the difference between four years of Harris and four years of destructiveness (Trump will be even worse in a second term). What could be more worthwhile than making sure we avoid that?
Will I have to convince people to vote for Harris?
No. Get out the vote efforts (e.g. calling or canvassing) are not about convincing people to change their minds, but rather simply encouraging known Democrats to go vote (and making sure they know how).
Are calling and canvassing effective?
Yes. It's all about Democratic voter turnout right now in these swing states, and there's strong evidence that direct outreach is more effective than anything else for getting out the vote, including advertising. Calling lets you talk to more people, whereas canvassing provides valuable face-to-face interaction in neighborhoods that have been chosen for their density of Democratic voters.
Will I get training for how to do this?
Yes. For most activities, there will be a training session before you start, either on-line or in person.
Which state is the most important to work on right now?
The one you can most easily get to, or have the strongest personal connection to (friends, family, local knowledge etc). All these states are very close, and need more people helping in the home stretch. The state you’re most excited about is the one you’re likely to be the most effective working on.
What is poll watching?
Poll watchers (aka monitors or observers) are volunteers (not paid poll workers, which is different) who observe what’s happening at polling places to report problems if and when they arise. The criteria for acting as a watcher/monitor/observer - and for what they’re able to do - varies by state and by county.
What is ballot curing?
Ballot curing is working with voters whose ballots have been rejected to help them fix the cause of the rejection (e.g. missing required information) so their ballot will be accepted. This is usually done via a phone hotline.
I’m a lawyer. Is there anything special I can do?
Yes, lawyers are crucial to ensuring voter protection and election integrity, in swing states and beyond. Check out these important election projects you can volunteer for, including voter rights protection, on the We The Action website.